6 Tips For A More Sustainable Skincare Routine

 

by Amanda Etkind

 

Do us a favor and open up your medicine cabinet. Do you see a sea of creams, face washes, cotton rounds, disposable razors, and more single-use items sitting on the shelf? Are they half open or virtually untouched? Is the answer yes? Yeah, we thought so. While it's certainly fun (and sometimes necessary!) to experiment with your skincare, hoarding a ton of face creams and serums isn’t that great for Mother Nature. Of course, it’s imperative to care for your complexion with the right products for your unique skin type, but there are ways to do so without wreaking havoc on our planet.

If you’re interested in learning more—and want to produce less waste within the confines of your skincare routine—you’ve come to the right place. Ahead, we share our top seven tips for creating a more sustainable skincare routine so you can continue to keep your glowing complexion while caring for the beloved Earth. 

Finish Before You Buy More

We know how tempting it is to buy the latest and greatest skincare product that your favorite TikTok creator was just raving about, but before you take the plunge, hear us out. Beauty products, just like food, don't last forever. After a reasonable amount of time the products go bad. And more often than not, you’ll buy said product and it’ll sit there because you likely have three other creams you’re using at the moment. And by the time you’re ready to dig in, it’s likely gone bad, and you'll need to toss it. So before creating this unnecessary waste, try using up what you have (and we mean every last drop). Not only does this have a positive impact on the environment, but we know your bank account will thank you too. Also, we know sometimes things don’t work out, but instead of tossing it, pass it off to a friend or use it on a different part of your body. 

Get A Recycling Bin For Your Bathroom

Having a recycling bin in the kitchen just makes sense. You’re constantly cooking, which leads to waste. Same deal goes for your beauty and hygiene products like moisturizers, serums, deodorant, body wash, etc. So it also makes sense to have a bin in the bathroom. Just be sure to check if packaging is recyclable, and rinse it out before tossing. 

Reuse Empty Bottles 

Another way to get more out of your products is to upcycle your empties. In fact, this is one of the best ways to create a more sustainable routine as you’re not putting the empty bottle back into the environment. Jars are great to hold jewelry for travel, shampoo bottles make great brush holders, and mascara wands are perfect for creating on-trend soap brows. There’s seriously endless opportunity to reuse what you’ve already got. 

Skip Single Use

We know how appealing single-use products are (we’re looking at you makeup wipes) for the convenience factor alone, but they’re absolutely terrible for the environment. They typically end up in landfills or back in the ocean—imagine how damaging that is considering how many people use them. Instead, invest in reusable products like cotton rounds, washcloths, and even opting for razors made of steel instead of disposable ones are easy ways to transform your routine into a more sustainable one. These small tweaks allow you to continue with this same routine you love, without damaging the world around you. 

Take Note Of What The Products Made Of 

Ingredients also play a major part in keeping our planet healthy. You probably only focus on ingredients when it comes to how they’ll react when in contact with your skin, but this also contributes to the health of the planet. If you truly want to be a more eco-conscious consumer opt for vegan ingredients, skip anything that contains microbeads as these end up in our oceans and into the stomachs of our beloved aquatic life. Also, skip anything that has parabens, phthalates, and other synthetic chemicals as they can also have a detrimental impact on sea life.

Pick Products With Less Packaging

Packaging can play a big role in the amount of waste caused by your beauty routine. To make your beauty routine more sustainable, consider purchasing products that have minimal or no packaging. Some ways to do this are to pick shampoo bars instead of traditional bottles or choose refillable items which means you’ll end up with less packaging waste overtime. 

Now that you know how to cut back on waste, we hope you’ll implement some of these tips and tricks into your everyday life (beyond your beauty routine) to keep Mother Earth happy and healthy. Follow @goodhabitskin on Instagram for more amazing tips.