You made your decision, and now you are all about the environment? You are done with cosmetic products that not only can be harmful to your body but also to nature?
Congratulations! You are past step one. What’s next?
You might be tempted to throw your old cosmetics away and get into natural shopping fever. Let me stop you right there! Following environmentally friendly beauty regimen is not only about using natural non-toxic products, but also using less of everything in general.
If you really want to lower your environmental footprint you have to start from the beginning. Be honest with yourself and think how much water do you use grooming yourself in the morning and taking a shower or a bath in the evening. Do you have an estimation? It’s a lot. Am I right? In the next coming days, try to lower it down. Here are few tips that you can implement in your life right now!
1) Whenever you’re brushing your teeth close the tap and fill the cup with water for rinsing. You use more water, if you rinse your mouth by collecting it into your hands and leaving the water run in between. You might just save one cup per brushing, but on a scale of a year if you brush your teeth twice daily it’s already 91 litres.
2) Take shorter and colder showers. You will not only use less water but also less energy to warm it up. Your water and energy bills will be lower. In a scale of a year, you might save pretty high amount! Moreover, your skin will have better blood circulation and will look more firm. Your body will thank you for that.
3) Tomorrow it’s Saturday and you don’t have any plans? Don’t wash your hair, and if you already do, limit the use of a hair-dryer. Your hair will rest from excessive heat, and again you will lower your water and energy use. Do you want to go step further? Try to wash your hair in the evening, and let them dry naturally. Extra tip: They will dry faster if you will sit on the floor around the heater. Plus, it’s good to have a natural look once in a while, right?
4) Study your products. Before buying anything new, check your bathroom cabinets. Check brands you are using, read the ingredients list on products. Maybe already there are some products in your cabinet that are free from silicones, parabens or other toxic chemicals. If you will study cosmetics you already have, it will be easier to avoid those “bad guys” in the future.
5) Do not throw away your current cosmetics into the garbage! If you do it chemicals will end up in the environment anyway. Moreover, the energy and water were already used to produce these products. It’s better to slowly use it till the end. Or, if you really don’t want to use any bad products give it to somebody or check if there is a place where you can recycle them in your neighbourhood.
When you are successful with all of these steps you can move further. You probably already know to avoid parabens, silicones, aluminium or phthalates in your beauty products. But believe me, there’s more! Take your time! Research those ingredients, what they really do to you and the environment. Find new brands that have in their offer natural, organic and cruelty-free lines. Learn the difference between being natural and organic. Discover certifications.
I’ve told you… There’s a lot to learn, and the transition towards low environmental footprint can be long, but it’s worth it!
I hope I helped you a little bit. In the next posts, I will elaborate more on the issues mentioned in this post. Don’t worry, I will not leave you alone. If you’ll lett me I’ll help you transition with me.
Remember, slow but consistent actions are the most effective!
Have a relaxed weekend!
Yours environmentally friendly friend,
K.
Beauty From Nature 