Beauty Industry - When Less is More
As with everything… we start with a lot and then we whittle down to a little. As beauty bloggers have become huge and there seems to be an ever-growing list of new brands, we need to address the issue of waste in the beauty industry. So I am having a look at how we can get more… for less!
Just like so many, I am VERY guilty of waste when it comes to beauty. I see someone try a new skincare brand or lipstick and I immediately want it. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know how many products I own and to be honest, I don’t use all of them. I couldn’t even if I tried. So what can we do about it?
Donating
I’ve updated this post because I recently read about an amazing non-profit initiative called Give & MakeUp by (Queen) Caroline Hirons. If you have unwanted products you can donate them to women and children who might need them. The initiative supports Refuge and Women’s Aid in London and Cardiff (currently it says on the webpage London is not accepting parcels but Cardiff still seems to be and dress is on the page, use link above) and is a fantastic way of giving back. There are other refuges you can also donate to so it’s worth looking around and if there are skincare and beauty products that you don’t want anymore, why not try to give them to someone who will benefit? I will certainly be taking part in this!
Samples
Something I am guilty of, is seeing someone use a product and then immediately I go and buy it - even if I know their skin type is totally different to mine. It just looks so good on them! When I try it on me, 50% of the time it just doesn’t work. The best way we can start to get around this, myself included, is try before you buy. Get more small samples. I recently went and tried a new foundation from Dior. I am obsessed with their Backstage foundation and so I wanted to try a newer product of their’s. Luckily (although I was annoyed at the time) they didn’t have my colour in stock and I got a sample instead. I tried it again when I got home and it just didn’t work for my skin. Nothing wrong with it, but I needed to try it in daylight and for a longer period of time to really know. If they had had my colour in, I would have just bought it and what a waste. So let’s all try to sample again!
Organising
Now I LOVE organising my beauty products, as you may have seen if you follow me on Instagram. The upside to organising constantly is that you actually see what you have and putting it on display means you’re more likely to use it. If your products stay hidden in boxes and cases, you’re more likely to forget about them. Out of sight, out of mind. So if you can, try to sort through them every few weeks and keep them on display. That way, they won’t get lost and you won’t forget about that amazing lipstick you have. It might just stop you going out and buying more of what you already have.
Packaging
Beauty brands have started looking at this and whilst I LOVE me some pretty packaging, just like all other industries there is WAY too much in the industry. Newer brands have started to realise there is no need to wrap everything in plastic and being more eco aware is not only cool, it’s right! More and more brands are also offering refill schemes so maybe it’s time we all look to get more involved with this and start talking to our favourite brands about using less packaging! Or if they won’t, choose brands that will.
Recycling
This is the obvious one. Make sure you recycle your empties, but also, let’s stop using single use products. I am guilty of still using cotton pads but I have been researching alternative options and newer brands like Face Halo means there is absolutely no need for beauty wipes (most are pretty bad for your skin anyway). You can also use some of the packaging in a pretty way - you must have seen those Diptyque candle holders being used to hold make-up brushes. Maybe it’s time to get creative if you have empties or packaging and see what else you can do with it.