Is your makeup sustainable? How do you know? Today I am sharing all you need to know about sustainability in the cosmetics world, including 6 criteria for sustainable makeup to help you make informed purchases!
Before we get started, I wanted to share a survey I am running. For youth ages 12 to 25, if you could fill out this quick (<5 minute) survey on your understanding of climate change, its causes and solutions I would greatly appreciate it! It will help me with a future project to enhance the number and accessibility of climate action initiatives for youth like you! If you have friends or family in this age group, please share it with them as well! It doesn’t matter where you are from, so long as you fit the age category.
In other news, I am starting up the Clear the Air Newsletter again! Sign up to receive a special letter from me in your mailbox every two to three weeks, which includes exclusive sustainability tips I don’t post on the blog, early-access information and more. All you have to do to sign up is fill out that form on the sidebar (to the right of this post)!
Why care about makeup?
For some of us, makeup is a part of our everyday lives. That means we go through A LOT of product quickly. There’s also the beloved makeup drawer (I know you have one), full of makeup products you bought on a whim but wouldn’t wear in everyday life, or they weren’t the right colour, or you moved on to bigger and better things. Needless to say, for something we use so much of, makeup plays an important role in our lives and therefore presents an opportunity to promote sustainable change! Remember, every sustainable change, no matter how small, makes a difference. That includes switching up your makeup.
Why is makeup unsustainable?
Some of the reasons are obvious, others not so much. Let’s look at a few reasons why switching up your routine is important:
1. Toxic chemicals
Just because we put it on our face doesn’t mean makeup is safe or “clean.” Makeup products often include UV filters (SPF), microplastics, formaldehyde and asbestos (carcinogens, i.e. cancerous), toluene (harmful to the brain and nervous system), parabens (endocrine disruptors) and more. Those little specks of glitter in your eye shadow and highlighters that you adore so much? Plastic.
2. Pollution
When we wash our face and take all that makeup off, where does it go? Down the drain. All those toxic chemicals travel through our water systems and can end up in rivers, lakes and soil. These chemicals poison surrounding ecosystems, resulting in genetic defects, reproductive issues and even cancer.
3. Waste
Most packaging from makeup cannot be recycled, therefore it will end up in landfills, which could then end up in waterways and so on. If they are made of plastic, those products can take hundreds to thousands of years to break down. Don’t forget about the packaging on your makeup product, either: more than 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging are produced every year. Most of that will end up in our environment.
4. Animal testing
More and more companies are stepping away from animal testing thankfully, but it still exists out there. I don’t want to get into the horrid-ness of this problem, but you can easily look it up on the Peta website. Here is a link to brands who still test on animals (note: published in 2017, so some of these brands may no longer be testing on animals. Do your research!)
5. Palm oil
One of the most well-known and dangerous industries in the world today, the palm oil industry is a major source of deforestation. Palm oil is also one of the most common ingredients in our everyday products – check out the cosmetic, food, cleaning and other personal care products lying around your house. I guarantee you at least one of them contains palm oil. The oil palm plant grows in tropical rainforests where lax environmental regulations have resulted in rapid, uncontrolled deforestation. As a global biodiversity hotspot, thousands of species are at risk, and one of the world’s major carbon sinks (i.e. ABSORBS greenhouse gas emissions, helping to fight climate change) is being destroyed. Deforestation turns these ecosystems into carbon SOURCES (i.e. produces GHGs, contributing to climate change). Palm plantations are also major sources of human trafficking, slavery and poor working conditions.
6. Health impacts
The health impacts of makeup are not limited to the natural environment. You’re putting toxic chemicals like carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and more onto your skin, which can directly absorb into your bloodstream.
How do I know if it’s sustainable?
Now that we know the importance of WHY we need to switch to sustainable makeup, let’s look at the HOW. Here are 6 criteria for sustainable makeup that you can use while shopping for any cosmetic product:
- Vegan / Cruelty-Free
- Non-toxic
- Palm oil-free
- Recyclable / reusable packaging
- Ingredient source
- Social responsibility
1. Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Why this matters: A product can be vegan without being cruelty-free, meaning they could be testing on animals still. Make sure the product is BOTH vegan and cruelty-free.
What to look for: Leaping Bunny certification (cruelty-free) and Peta Beauty Without Bunnies Logos (cruelty-free and vegan depending on the logo).
2. Non-toxic
Why this matters: Avoid the health risks associated with toxic chemicals in makeup while reducing environmental risks when these chemicals find their way into water or soil.
What to look for: Natural-based ingredients (e.g. coconut oil), paraben free, food-grade ingredients (meaning safe for consumption…but please don’t eat your makeup), Certified Organic, Ecocert’s COSMOS Certification (natural and organic cosmetics).
3. Palm oil-free
Why this matters: Reducing your contribution to deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change and social injustice.
What to look for: Palm oil-free Certifications (through POFCAP or Orangutan Alliance).
4. Recyclable / reusable packaging
Why this matters: Cut down your waste that will end up in landfills, and reduce the amount of resources and energy required to fuel your everyday habits.
What to look for: Give-back programs where you can bring packaging back to stores, packaging made of recycled materials, plant-based dyes, packaging without pumps, brushes or mirrors.
5. Ingredient source
Why this matters: Ensure your makeup products are not sourcing from environmentally destructive practices (e.g. deforestation) and cut down your carbon footprint by using products that source ingredients more locally (fewer emissions from transportation).
What to look for: Locally-grown ingredients, Certified Organic, ingredient type (does it have to be farmed or mined?), whether the brand is transparent about their ingredient sourcing.
6. Social responsibility
Why this matters: Protect the rights of workers across the world by ensuring they are working for safe, respectful employers.
What to look for: Certified-B Corporation, Fair Trade, Ecocert’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Certification.
Other general tips
- Use ALL of the product.
- Try to repurpose packaging.
- Read the label.
- DIY your products.
Other helpful resources
- This awesome database provides you with different eco-labels that can be used on cosmetic packaging. Next time you see an unfamiliar logo on your packaging, check the database to see what it means.
- Peta’s Beauty Without Bunnies database allows you to search through hundreds of cosmetic brands that are cruelty-free and/or vegan based on a variety of search criteria (search by product type, regulation standards, certification type, etc).
- This list of sustainable makeup brands ranks various companies by their packaging, ingredients and more. There are some Canadian brands on there, too!
- The Think Dirty app – scan the barcode of your cosmetics to learn what toxic ingredients are in it, and be offered alternatives.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this post on sustainable makeup. Next time you need to make a cosmetic purchase, use these 6 criteria for sustainable makeup to help you find environmentally and socially sustainable products that also support your health!
If you liked this post, be sure to check out these ones that show you how to incorporate sustainability into your everyday life:
- Top 3 all-natural, single-ingredient skin care products
- 10 zero-waste swaps for everyday life
- 3 eco-friendly, cheap and easy cleaning products
- 3 criteria for sustainable tea
- 5 ways to live sustainably during COVID-19
- How to eat sustainably on a student budget
Do you have your own criteria when shopping for sustainable makeup? Do you find the experience challenging? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time.