The cosmetic industry is producing tonnes of plastic waste every year that is harming our environment, but some forward-thinking businesses are coming up with beautiful, sustainable products to offer as alternatives which we can all get our hands on.
It's not just the big businesses that are making changes. Everyone at home can make small alterations to their beauty routines that will make a difference to our environment.
Go for Glass
Opt for products that have less stickers on the packaging and are made of glass rather than plastic.
Be mindful of this when out shopping!
There are loads of brands already creating plastic free packaging, and shops like Boots even have special stands for sustainable products.
Brands like Zao offer refillable make-up products.
Plastic-free make-up
Did you know that it's not just the packaging that contains plastic in beauty products, but the product itself often contains microplastic?
These are tiny pieces of plastic that can be very harmful to our environment and can even end up in our food chain. Polythene is one of the most common microplastics used in many eyeliners, lipsticks, mascaras and face powders.
Look out for Polythene or Copolymer in the ingredients list of a product, and avoid them!
Plus, microplastic-free products will also be kinder to your skin.
Biodegradable make-up wipes
Make-up wipes take over 100 years to biodegrade!
Fortunately, brands like Simple have crafted beautifully packaged biodegradable make-up wipes available in most pharmacies and supermarkets.
Bamboo toothbrush
I bought a £4 bamboo toothbrush from The Humble Co. (stocked at Boots) last week.
While it was a few pounds pricier than its plastic rival, it is a worthwhile investment into the environment.
And it looks pretty!
Wooden make-up brushes
Like bamboo toothbrushes, wooden and bamboo make-up brushes are increasingly available in shops and online.
Look out for them when you are next shopping, and clean them regularly so they don't need replacing as often.
Etsy offers a huge range of wooden make-up brushes.
Simplify your routine
Simplifying your beauty routine is the easiest way to cut out plastic packaging - plus it will save you money!
Ask yourself if you really need all those products...
Altering a few simple steps in your beauty routine can make a huge difference to our environment, especially if we all give it a go!
Ultimately, the beauty industry needs to develop a focus towards sustainability for a permanent change to come into effect: using sustainable ingredients, biodegradable products and reducing carbon footprints.
But for now, every little change you make counts.
The beauty industry relies on plastic, but you don't have to.