The beauty industry generates a lot of waste given the plastic packaging that it uses a majority of the time. There are also unethical practices that can take place in certain companies. There has to be more light shed on these stories and the consumer should be more aware of how their spending habits are changing the fabric of the world. We all have to keep ourselves accountable for our actions.

There are a multitude of products that are launched every season by beauty companies prompting consumers to buy more and more products. You may have seen the beauty routines that are made out of multiple steps using a lot of different products. This is what is marketed towards us each day and many people tend to get caught up in the hype. You need to screen from where your beauty products come from and make sure that you purchase from sustainability shops. Some of the issues with the beauty industry are toxic chemicals that are included in the product that can get washed down the drain and end up in the environment, non-recyclable packaging that is used by the majority of the companies, usage of a large quantity of water etc.

So what can you as a beauty products consumer do to help the environment? There is a lot of water used up for the beauty routines in the morning and at night. Also, you are using up a lot of water for showering and baths. You need to be conscious about your water usage and turn the taps off when you are not actively using them. We tend to let taps run when applying creams or toners to the face. But when you measure how much water is wasted at each beauty routine for many years, it can add up to a lot.

Many perfumes, hairsprays etc. can contribute to air pollution. We tend to think that the majority of this pollution is contributed by the automobile industry and factory emissions. While that is true, the products that we use in our daily lives are having an impact as well. Scented products have been found to emit a similar amount of chemicals as automobile emissions. The chemicals that are in perfume and hairspray are volatile organic compounds. These products react with chemicals that are in the atmosphere and lead to the pollution of the ozone layer. You need to research how the beauty products that you use are sourced. Many companies source raw materials such as palm oil unethically and this is leading to the reduction of our forests.

You may think that using a product with natural ingredients is good for the environment but you need to search whether it is sourced ethically to make sure you are making a responsible purchase. In addition to sourcing, you have to think about whether these companies have fair trade practices. Many companies still use children and people in poor countries that are underpaid to do most of the raw material sourcing. Some examples are the use of child labour for shea butter farming and sourcing mica from mines.