Five Hacks To Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable

1. Go waterless

"Solid formulations like shampoo bars and shower soaps last longer, come in minimal packaging and have a much-reduced carbon footprint," says Jayn. But if you're worried a switch to waterless beauty products will affect the quality, think again. For most products, it's literally a case of removing the water. "Solid products are just dense and concentrated versions of a liquid." Jayn explains. "The great thing about them is we don't transport the water from manufacturer to home – just the sold ingredients themselves which saves on packaging and carbon."

Social facial cleansers, such as Drunk Elephant Pekee Bar, N/A are a great option. Not only do they do their work without harsh cleansers, but they're easy to pack and ideal to take away on holiday. In the case of Drunk Elephant, this nourishing cleansing bar is pH-balanced, free from soap and artificial fragrances, and loaded with natural nourishers like marula oil, blueberry extract and honey to leave skin feeling thoroughly cleansed and comfortable.

2. Try refillables

Should you have a beloved bottle or two lying around, why not refill them? It's a must for that fancy soap dispenser in your guest bathroom, and everything from your shampoo bottles to cleansers, and even fragrances can get in on the refill action.

Jayn approves. "Refill as and where you can," she says. "It seems crazy these days to buy a plastic bottle full of product and then throw the bottle away which almost certainly will end up in landfill. Not only has the bottle cost you money but it has a huge impact on the planet, nature, and our health as the plastic becomes embedded into our eco-systems," she warns.

3. Know Your Packaging

Not all plastic can be recycled, according to Jayn. "Any item under 4mm cannot be recycled in the UK, as this is deemed too small and will drop through the recycling machinery," she says. "Pumps cannot be recycled either, or refill pouch plastic currently cannot be recycled so choose products packaged in aluminium tubes and glass as there's value in the material, making them more desirable, economically speaking, to recycle. You should also know that paper and cardboard can be composted too."

4. Buy Less and Buy Better

Being savvy about what we buy and why we buy it is an eco-step we can all take. Multitask beauty products are an excellent way of doing this. Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS, tells us, "Multitasking products require you to have fewer products which in turn means less packaging." Take RMS Beauty Signature Set for example - its quad of colours and bar of balm can be used to nourish skin, add a pop of pink to lips, cheeks, and eyes, and even highlight high points of the face, all in one palette.

Don't be fooled by the name of a product either, makeup artists often repurpose the lipstick in their kit to create a creamy eyeshadow or blush, or even use eyeshadow to create a custom lip shade (when mixed with a balm or gloss).

5. Decode The Label

We know that it can be challenging to navigate sustainable beauty, but thankfully there are now credible accreditations to look out for, and resources available to help you decipher confusing INCI lists (the ingredient list).

Websites such as EWG's Skin Deep allow you to search ingredients and understand their purpose, how they are made, and what they mean for your hair and skin. The INCI Decoder is another great resource to help get to the bottom of ingredient lists. Accreditations are another great way to understand a brand and its purpose. There are many, but the main ones to look out for include:
• Leaping Bunny which means the product is certified cruelty-free.

• An Ecocert certification means the brand has had to meet a stringent set of requirements relating to the environment.

• An FSC stamp certifies the wood used for brushes and paper used for packaging has been sustainably sourced.

• Rainforest Alliance means that a brand has had to meet three sustainability pillars including environmental, social, and economical.

• And lastly, if a brand is certified B Corp (which we are see more often now), it means that the company has been scored on everything from how they treat their employees, to how they interact with local communities, and their environmental impact.