How sustainable is your beauty routine?

If we all made a few minor tweaks, we could make a major impact on the planet.

Earth Day is fast approaching, so brace yourself for an onslaught of messaging about sustainability. This has become a huge focus in the beauty industry, and sustainability includes an array of factors ranging from packaging and ingredient sourcing to even how products are manufactured and transported to their final destination. Once upon a time, I would have said Watcha talkin’ ‘bout, Willis? to the idea of reusable (non)-cotton swabs—but here we are. I’m not telling you to toss everything in your bathroom (because that would be wasteful), but I am suggesting you keep sustainability in mind when it’s time to re-stock. Here, a few ways you can help preserve the health of the planet.

Ditch disposable cotton: I made the move to reusable rounds about two years ago, and they’re honestly better than the single-use type because they provide a bit of gentle exfoliation. Made of organic bamboo, they come with a laundry bag (that I keep on a hook inside the cabinet beneath my sink) and tossing the bag of used rounds into the wash has become a habit—I don’t even give it a second thought.

Go refillable: You can find refillable options for just about anything these days. Beyond household products like hand and dish soap, laundry detergent and other cleaners, the beauty biz is all-aboard as well. Brands like Glow Recipe, Milk Makeup, Kiehl’s, The Organic Pharmacy, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Youth to the People, Fenty Skin, Charlotte Tilbury, Ouai, Tata Harper, Hourglass Cosmetics, Dermalogica and so, so many more offer refills for at least a few of their offerings.

Skip the sheet masks: Just imagine the sheer volume of waste created by single-use, individually-wrapped sheet masks alone (along with their packaging). Enter Province Apothecary’s Reusable Silicone Sheet Mask Set for Face + Eyes. Just apply your usual serum, moisturizer or facial oil, slap these on and enjoy the occlusive benefits that help push your products into the skin. Once you’re done, rinse and wash the masks with a gentle cleanser and allow them to dry. P.S. You can expect to get hundreds of uses, and that adds up to saving a lot of moolah.

Hit the bar(s): Bar-based soaps are nothing new, but now you can find so many of your daily personal-care essentials in solid form. Shampoo and conditioner as well as face and body moisturizers are all getting the bar treatment—and they require little to no water and minimal packaging, making them the pinnacle of sustainability. Although I haven’t tried one yet, I’m obsessed with Kate McLeod’s Body Stones, which come in a variety of aromatherapeutic scents designed for calm, energy, balance and more.

Even if you’re already doing your part, there’s always room for improvement right?

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