by BR Amelia
The latest buzz term in the beautysphere? 'Conscious beauty'. It seems I can’t open a news or beauty-oriented website without seeing it pop up. However, a buzz term it may be, but the meaning behind it has been around for a while now and it only continues to grow as time goes on. So what is conscious beauty? Quite simply it's about making ethical, responsible purchasing choices in an effort to do the best you can by the world around you - both the environment and those who inhabit it.
So, how can you become a conscious beauty? Here are five conscious considerations that can help you make buying decisions you can feel good about.
Packaging
More and more in the last few years we've seen companies rework their packaging to make it recyclable, to use recycled plastic, to do away with unnecessary packaging, or to use fully biodegradable or refillable packaging. Luckily for us, these businesses are not backwards in coming forwards about their changes, and many products sport information front and centre about the environmentally-friendly packaging making it easy for us to spot great buying options when buying the shelves.
Ingredients
Another step some take is to consider the ingredients used in cosmetics. Are they organic? Are they vegan? Where do they come from? How were they sourced? Are the ingredients all natural? Are they free of chemicals such as parabens and phthalates? What will the ingredients used in a product do to you, or the environment?
Cruelty-free
Long before 'conscious beauty' was a thing, consumers embraced the idea of buying cruelty-free products. Over time, more and more companies have made the decision to be cruelty-free. Much like the recyclable packaging, this is usually stated clearly on the label, making it easier for you to know the product you're buying hasn't been tested on our furry friends.
Sourcing
An area you may want to look at when purchasing is the supply chain. Where is every part of a product sourced from - from the ingredients used to the packaging a product comes in. For some this will mean wanting to know that the workers in the factories where products are being made are being paid decently and working in good conditions. For others this will mean ensuring that any palm oil or cotton used is certified sustainable.
While it's not always easy to find out this information, some brands are transparent and will explain where they source their products from on their websites.
The Brand
Finally, one thing you may want to consider when buying is a brand's ethos. Who are they? What do they believe? Are they inclusive? Do they celebrate diversity? What are their goals in trying to do the best for the environment, and for those of us who walk, crawl, gambol, or slip and slide over it? Do they walk their talk?
Me? I'm not perfect. I will never be that 100% natural ingredient cosmetic and skincare buyer. I appreciate what lab-created chemicals can do for my skin, and that sometimes those ingredients are necessary in order to keep a product's formulation stable. However, I do aim to buy products that are made from recycled materials and/or can be recycled. And while I love a cruelty-free product, I won’t automatically slam a non-cruelty-free company as I know the work, time and money some of these companies put in as they try to get countries who legally require animal testing to drop said requirements. It's a battle, but it does seem like it’s slowly being won.
Overall, my goal is to do my best to buy from companies that are doing the best they can, because doing your best is better than doing nothing at all.
So, my beauty, do you consider the who, what, where and why when purchasing beauty products? Is it something you've become more aware of? Or do you usually just buy what you like and not think too much about who or where it comes from? Chat below!
I usually look at reviews for products first. I like to think most companies are not testing on animals and are reducing wastage like plastic etc.