Never thought of your beauty footprint? Well, it’s definitely there! But, fear not, Fernanda Langhammer has come up with some ways to do good, look good and even, save money!
1 At Your Fingertips
For some reason we never seem to finish the nail polish in our cabinet and end up throwing it away. You could try mixing together half-empty bottles to create a new colour. Shake it very well and, if you find it a little gloopy, add some base coat or banana oil (available at specialist beauty stores).
2 Dump the Pump
Avoid buying pump bottles; the metal springs make them non-recyclable. Squeezies are the way to go. And if you find it difficult to get the last bit out of the tube or bottle, just cut the top off to remove the stubborn product.
3 Micro Change
Some face- and body-scrub brands have plastic micro-beads in their formulas. It doesn’t sound great to read the word plastic in connection with something you put on your face; however, the worst part is that they are so tiny they escape our sewage systems and wind up in the oceans, where they damage marine life. The best way to avoid buying products that contain them is to download an app called ‘Beat the Micro Bead’, it scans the scrub to detect if they are present or not.
4 Say No to Foils
The blond bombshell look can cost the environment dear. Hair foils, which are used to create highlights, can only be recycled if the chemicals have been rinsed off properly first. To avoid this technique, look for salons that do balayage. The colour is painted on by hand (foil-free) and the result looks more natural.
5 Reuse Containers
There are various products in the market that offer the option to buy refills rather than a whole new package – how brilliant is that? Even face creams in their fancy and heavy pots can be purchased once and then just kept filled with new product from a larger pot!
6 Reduce Products
Minimise your carbon footprint with multi-tasker picks such as coconut oil. Celebrities like Miranda Kerr and Emma Stone are said to use it in their hair or as a hand cream – why don’t you give it a try? There are other products that are natural and can be added to your beauty regime such as honey and aloe vera. You can find lots of natural face-mask recipes online.
7 Through to the End
According to research by Vaseline, women waste an average of 5,846 products in their life time. That’s a lot of unused items that go straight into the bin. Have a look at your beauty cabinet to work out which products you bought but didn’t like and see if any of your girlfriends would like to try them. And if the reason for not finishing them is the difficulty of extracting the very last drop, use a lip gloss applicator to get at it.
8 Cleansing Session
At the end of the day, what you really want to do is to remove all the make-up that clogs your pores and makes your skin uncomfortable. Tons of cotton pads are wasted during this process. Clinique has come up with a solution with its ‘Take the Day Off Cleansing Cloth’ – it’s reusable and goes into the laundry pile.
