Choosing to thrift, upcycle, swap, or shop sustainable brands is an easy way to gradually align our wardrobes with our sustainability ideals. But what about our beauty cupboards? As fast disposable fashion has surged, the world of makeup, skincare and haircare has also seen a wave of rapid consumption. From the rise of the celebrity beauty range, to ‘get ready with me’ videos and the normalisation of an eight-step beauty routine—complete with needing a mini-fridge for storage—the beauty industry is deep in its hyper-consumerism era. And according to McKinsey, it shows no signs of slowing down.
We need to approach our beauty cupboards with the same sustainability mindset we apply to our wardrobes. Educating ourselves about harmful chemicals, supporting brands with low-waste packaging strategies, and prioritising local products are a few ways in which we can begin this journey. To help guide us, we asked three South African beauty and wellness experts to share steps we can all take to make more sustainable beauty choices.
Make tiny tweaks
Lameez Hendricks, beauty editor and writer for Jeannieous, believes that to make a big impact, one needs to start small. Instead of following the urge to buy a trending product, she implements simple habits like five minutes of gua sha every evening (a technique that involves scraping your skin with a smooth-edged tool to help improve circulation) and prioritising eight hours of sleep.
“I have noticed that small, consistent changes to my routine can turn my skin around when it’s tired, showing signs of dehydration or dullness,” she says. “I have set myself the mandate to consume fewer beauty products and my skin has not suffered nearly as much as we’re led to believe it would if we used less, or more consciously.”
Buy local
The allure of international brands, as endorsed by influencers and that are easily accessed through online shopping, are hard to resist. But opting for locally produced beauty products not only supports South African businesses but also reduces your carbon footprint and makes it easier to track the supply chain of what you’re putting on your skin.
“Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with a quality find from The French Pharmacy—it shouldn’t be missed on a trip to Paris,” says Lameez. “But lately I’ve been looking to our local beauty founders and brands with which to fill any gaps in my beauty routine.”
Less is more
Makeup artist and hairstylist Renee de Wit follows a ‘less is more’ approach, not only with her makeup application techniques but also through her product choices. “Choose multitasking products, like balms that double as lip colour and blush, or shampoo bars that can also be used as a body wash,” she suggests. The same principle applies to unnecessary materials: “Avoid excessive packaging and plastic.”
Shop smart
Renee recommends going beauty shopping equipped with ingredient-scanning apps, such as OnSkin. These apps use your phone camera to scan products and provide an instant translation of their mostly indecipherable ingredient lists, flagging what you might want to avoid. Some apps will even suggest alternatives because once you discover your go-to lip balm contains petroleum and paraffin, you’ll likely want to find a new fave.
Know your ingredients
Dr Anesu Mbizvo takes care in choosing products that are eco-conscious from the ‘inside out’. The quickest way to assess whether your products are kind to both the planet and your skin is by choosing ones that use vegan-friendly and plant-based ingredients. “You also want to ensure that the ingredients are sourced ethically and fairly—particularly if they require manual labour for production and manufacturing,” she says “Doing your research into the ethical policies of the brand making the product is a great place to start with this.”
Good On You, the trusted resource for sustainability ratings in fashion, has recently expanded by launching a beauty directory. This allows users to see how beauty brands score in terms of their impact on the planet, people, and animals. Currently, some of the highest-rated beauty brands available locally include The Body Shop, Lush, Garnier, and Dr. Bronner.
Reduce packaging waste
It’s estimated that 95% of all beauty packaging ends up in landfills, making it crucial we consider not only what’s inside our products but their packaging too. “Most beauty products are unfortunately still packaged in plastic, so try to ensure that both the lid and bottle or tub are recyclable and make a concerted effort to recycle the packaging after use,” says Anesu “The best case scenario is choosing products specially contained in biodegradable packaging—like glass—where possible.”
Brands can help reduce waste by offering refills of their products, as demonstrated locally by Skin Creamery, Biobodi and Skoon.
Look out for plastic
Approximately 9 out of 10 cosmetics from major brands include microplastics
Research by the Plastic Soup Foundation shows that approximately 9 out of 10 cosmetics from major brands include microplastics. These are added to products to improve texture, prevent separation or add waterproof qualities and ultimately will contribute to long-term pollution by entering the world’s water supply. Anesu advises checking whether the ingredients in your products are biodegradable and being extra wary of exfoliating products that contain microbeads.
A surefire way to avoid any plastics in your beauty regimen is to go all natural. Brands like Tres Nagual, where products are crafted from simple ingredients like seed oils, beeswax, and essential oils, offer clean alternatives.
Consider your tools
Our beauty cupboards are rife with single-use or plastic tools like disposable razors, cotton earbuds, makeup wipes, and plastic spatulas. Zero-waste stores like NUDE FOODS or conscious sites like Faithful to Nature are great resources for sourcing products such as biodegradable earbuds, wooden combs or reusable cotton pads. “Becoming more conscious about our consumerism is a beautiful way to bring more intentionality to our lives,” says Anesu. “By ensuring that our beauty routine is eco-conscious we help to support and maintain the glow-up of our planet while doing the same for ourselves.”
Feature image by Alesia Kozik