We've all heard about Zero Waste. But, have you heard of Clean and Green beauty? Clean beauty is an approach that is heavily associated with its push for non-toxic ingredients and transparent ingredient lists. Cosmetics safety is an important way to take care of the environment while taking care of our bodies, too. Finding an easy guide to incorporate zero waste beauty routines to your daily life is not a big deal for warriors...
Here we bring you what we call a Healthy Beauty library. A guide with all the information that you need to start taking care of your skin right now. First you'll find an index with a set of questions you might have before getting on board.
Zero Waste Routines
1. Body Care Routines
2. Cruelty Free Facial Routines
3. Most common doubts
4. Healthy Hair Routine
a. Healthy Hair:Transition to Natural Shampoo
b. 10 Best Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
5. Bath Supplies
a. Organic Soap
6. Menstrual Supplies
7. Dental Care
What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. It basically aims to nothing in a landfill. Needless to say, the key is the three Rs system.
Of course, this sounds overwhelming, but by making a few changes in your lifestyle you can make a great impact. Since everything starts with us, being conscious about our daily self-care routines is a good way to start.
How Does a Zero Waste Routine Works?
Having a zero-waste lifestyle reduces climate impact. Since it is all based on the three Rs system, reducing, reusing and recycling play a huge part in reading greenhouse emissions and fighting climate change. You’ll be using less, reusing more and recycling you would be playing a key part in the battle.
It also promotes social equity and builds community supporting marginalized groups (which most of the time are the ones paying the bill for climate change).
It brings money! The zero-waste approach supports local and circular economy creating jobs and promoting a community-based economy.
So now that we know what it is, are you ready to get started?
And don´t worry, this is teamwork so if you don’t do it perfectly it’s ok. The important thing is that you are trying. We have to understand the impact our actions have and how much zero waste habits help the environment.
Where do we Start our Zero Waste Journey?
Well, how about starting at the beginning of your day. Your self-care or beauty routines are a big part of your day right? And creating habits is easier when you have consistency and a plan. And this does not mean you have to start over, throwing anything you have on your bathroom cabinets to get a non-chemical replacement. It just means you can make a real impact on the environment by rethinking a few things.
Here is how to get there:
1- Body Care
a. Cruelty Free Skin Care
Our skin is the largest organ of our body. We often forgot that and take for granted its safety because is rue, strong, resistant and really noble. But actually, that's why it needs more attention than we paid it. It needs a real and tender care. Skin is like the ground, under it there are streams of water, minerals, oxygen and all kind of nutrients we need to live. And as the soil, we can contaminate that streams if we soak up within our skin harmful chemicals.
The answer is always the same: let's go back to natural things. There is no risk, our body recognize nature because we are nature. Read More >> Cruelty Free Skin Care: Healthier Practices for us and the Planet.
b. Cruelty Free Deodorant
Believe it or not, there are those who test beauty products designed for human skin on animals, as if they were testers. Fortunately, many brands have increasingly stopped doing so and more and more alternatives are emerging with vegan and cruelty free proposals as deodorant best options.
In this article you can find some natural options of cruelty free deodorants made for man and women looking for a sustainable lifestyle. Read more >> Cruelty Free Deodorant: Best Options for your Skin and Animals.
c. Vegan Deodorants
Veganize our life could be a hard work. There are not so many marketable options out there, and not all of them work on us. At first we have to do a lot of research to find the vegan alternative to all of the product we use, they are not always at our scope or easy-sight. Sharing information, brands, tips is crucial for vegan community to find consistent products. Once the shift is done around food, it comes the hygiene and cloth shift.
Now, put your hands in the air! These are the four favorite vegan deodorant brands to keep you smelling good and empower yourself with a cruelty-free hygiene. Read more >> Vegan Deodorant: 4 Brands to Keep you Smelling Good.
2- Cruelty Free Facial Routines
a. Vegan Collagen
Collagen is a natural protein we have in our body that is crucial to give us structure and strength. While we age this protein start to diminish gradually and may be necessary to get collagen supplements. As versatile as it it, collagen can be used for a lot of medical purposes from healing wounds to prevent or reduce wrinkles.
The problem is that most of the this supplements are animal-sourced. Which make us like parasites that take until the last drop of life from another livings to survive. Fortunately there are some vegan options that assure no animal is harmed for us to be healed, no animal is killed for us to look younger. Read more >> Vegan Collagen: Plant Based Benefits for your Health.
b. Reusable Cotton Pads
Reusable cotton pads are cotton manufactured pads that you can use on your self-care routine daily instead of using single-use cotton pads. Basically, they work exactly the same with the difference that you can re-use them instead of throwing them on your garbage can.
So think of it as a towel, you use it and then you wash it, and then you use it again. Same principle. Reusable cotton pads are mostly made by cotton or other smooth fabrics and are made with the purpose of keeping your skin healthy and clean.
They can come in different formats, little rounded circles, cloths, and even little towels. All have the same purpose, wasting less cotton. Read more >> Reusable Cotton Pads: The 6 Best Picks For You and Where to Get Them
c. Cruelty Free Make- Up
As well as with many other products, there is today a growing amount of people who -for diverse reasons- have turned to cruelty- free brands for cosmetics, specially make up and skin care products. However, it isn't always very easy to tell which cosmetics are truly cruelty-free.
Companies usually carefully word their ads to make shopping for cruelty-free beauty a tricky river to navigate. This is key to mention, at this point: sometimes vegan beauty products are not necessarily cruelty-free and vice versa. One thing is to source ingredients in an sustainable manner and a very different thing is how these products are tested.
Some vegan brands do test its products on animals and some other companies that are cruelty-free brands might not use very natural ingredients. Read more >> Cruelty-Free Makeup: 10 Brands That Changed The Industry Forever
d. Vegan Cosmetics
Taking care of our skin is as important as taking care of our stomach. If we choose to eat vegan food why can´t we choose to use vegan cosmetics? Do they exist? They do! Vegan cosmetics are cosmetics made without using any ingredient derived from animals. Although you may not know, most cosmetics contain those ingredients or are tested on animals.
Here we bring you a review of six different Vegan Cosmetics: make up, brushed, eye shadows and more. Beauty in defense of animals is a possibility and getting to know the offer available will allow you to make great decisions. Read more >> Vegan Cosmetics Review: Beauty in Defense of Animals
3. Most common doubts
a. Is Covergirl Cruelty Free?
Cruelty can not be considered beautiful but sometimes, in this upside down world, things could be mixed up. Brands going cruelty free means things are taking the right place and so we are aware of every step beauty industry is taking into that direction.
Here we are going to talk about veganism in the beauty industry: is Covergirl cruelty free? Yes, you're right. Covergirl became cruelty free and now it has the Leaping Bunny Certification So, it is ok to use its cosmetics products now we know we are not contributing to that horrible practices over animals. Read more >> Is Covergirl Cruelty Free? Changes in the Beauty Industry
b. Is Loreal Cruelty Free?
Are you one of the lifelong consumers of L'oreal and and you feel like its values no longer suit you? Is Loreal cruelty free? Pitifully, we must tell you that L’Oreal Paris is not cruelty-free at all since it allows their products to be tested on animals when required by law. So, again, is L'oreal cruelty free? No, since they conduct animal tests themselves for certain cosmetic products.
If you feel like making conscious purchases for you and your family, get informed and make conscious decisions reading our brief and detailed description of some Cruelty- Free alternative products from Loreal that will certainly change the way you live. Read more >> Is Loreal Cruelty Free? Get Informed to Make Conscious Purchases!
4. Healthy Hair Routine
a. Healthy Hair: Transition to Natural Shampoo
How long have we used shampoo as a society? The term shampoo entered the English language three centuries ago. Normal shampoos are made with a lot of artificial ingredients that can irritate and harm your body (therefore the water as well).
One ingredient that we will find is SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This is responsible for the white, bubbly foam experience you get every time you wash your hair. And who doesn't like some bubbles in the shower, right? But research has showed that this sulfate can cause damage to your skin such as irritation and over sensibility.
So if we know this, why is that ingredient still in our products? Read more >> Healthy Hair: How to Transition to Natural Shampoo?
b. 10 Best Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Shampoo and conditioner is an everyday issue, and if you are building a fully sustainable life, you will have to consider using it in bars. An organic shampoo is essentially extracted from nature, and it does not contain any toxic chemicals, so it won't affect your health.
So, for a shampoo to be certified as organic, it should be made with ingredients grown without manufactured pesticides, chemicals, artificial fertilizers, genetically modified organisms etc, etc, you get the point. They also may not contain artificial colors, preservatives or chemicals (including sulfates and parabens).
In this text you will find some of the best shampoo and conditioner bars alternatives to choose the perfect for you to go greener. Read more >> 10 Best Shampoo and Conditioner Bars to Go Greener
c. Vegan Solid Shampoo Bars
One of the most polluting products in the market is a bottle of shampoo. Tons of plastic are thrown to waste just because of the container (and let's not get started about shampoo ingredients). However, we can change this and help the environment by switching to solid shampoo bars.
In this article, we bring you a list review with the best vegan shampoos, their benefits and all the different types of vegan shampoos so you can discover and choose which one is the best for you. Read more >> Vegan Solid Shampoo Bars: Discover all the options for your hair.
5. Bath Supplies
a. Organic Soap
The debate around ethically produced cosmetics has became a sustained trend in social media- where most of beauty products are advertised, tested and reviewed on.
The issue of organic, cruelty-free beauty products is now a major topic in American society and it seems that consumers are more frequently saying NO to brands that still test their products on animals.
Many big names in the beauty products industry have paved the way for a whole new bunch of brands that have grown more and more popular thanks to this trend. This the case of J.R. Watkins, an American brand that has a lot of experience on natural remedies and beauty products and that has proved itself a consistently professional sustainable brand. Read more >> Organic Soap: The Brand that Leads the Cruelty Free Movement
b. Organic Bath Supplies
Thankfully as times have begun to change and the organic market has expanded there are some truly fantastic organic bath supplies and plenty of different options to care for your skin properly.
Read this article and learn about eight of the best organic bath bombs, each one to suit a different need! We are going to take an in depth look at the best organic bath supplies. They are all you need to properly care for your skin and relax while you are at it! Read more >> Best Organic Bath Supplies: Bombs. All you need to care for your skin.
6. Menstrual Supplies
a. Feminine Hygiene
Feminine hygiene is one of the most important topics around the world. Fifty percent of the global population needs them at some point. So it is very important to know what are our options and which options are better for our bodies and the environment. Feminine hygiene products in some countries are believed to be a luxury.
Many menstruating people around the world are not able to get products to properly manage their periods. This might be one of the biggest causes of the reusable pads for periods. Thinking that a monthly purchase was unsustainable in some developing countries, activists, health-focused organizations and even governments are developing new ways for less rich countries to have access to feminine hygiene. Read more >> Feminine Hygiene: The Best Cotton Pads For Periods
b. Menstrual Cups
For starters, a menstrual cup is a type of reusable feminine hygiene device. It’s a small, flexible funnel-shaped cup, usually made of rubber or silicone that you insert into your vagina during your period to catch the fluids. Menstrual cups are really pro: they can hold more blood than other common methods such as tampons or pads. This makes them a very popular eco-friendly choice among girls, nowadays.
In this opportunity we bring you an article with very important data for you to know how to pick the best menstrual cup for you! We'll be analyzing some products available online as well as some reviews on these products that will help you make the right decision and pick the right product. Read more >> Best Menstrual Cup: Pick the Right Product for You!
c. Organic Tampons
This time we bring you an article about the best options to deal with your period, running from menstrual cups and period panties to tampons. But let's face it: Tampons still reign supreme (they're one of the easiest and most affordable options in the market). So it is very important to know what are the best brands to suit our bodies and protect the environment.
More and more eco- friendly options are popping up on a daily basis for you to make a switch and turn to organic tampons instead of using conventional ones. Read more >> Organic Tampons: Best Brands Available in the Market
d. Organic Cotton Underwear
Organic Cotton Underwear is not only healthier but it is also sustainable. Come and see the best 9 basics for all day wear and in hand fan of styles. Here we are going to see our Top Pick of all the Organic Cotton Underwear out there! And then we'll take a deeper look in each one for you to decide which one is for you! Panties are a key to head the day comfy and calm. They make us feel clean, hygienic, sexy or casual.
Find in this article beautiful and sustainable basics tips and learn why is organic cotton underwear the best choice for you. Read more >> Why is Organic Cotton Underwear the Best Choice for You?
7. Dental Care
a. Vegan Teeth Whitening
A vegan diet needs a lot of information and, of course, adaptation. During our all life we`ve been feeding our body with meat and dairy products. So when we think of eliminating them once for all, is better to be prepared. That means we need to know about how to supplements according our necessities and behind soft with ourselves in the process.
Some studios show that vegans tend to have more dental problems since their diet has some nutrients deficiency, such as: calcium, vitamin D and amino acids. So, going to a nutrition specialist could be the better way to learn how to organize an equilibrated diet considering if we do sports, we are breastfeeding, or if we have a particular health condition.
Here we will talk about the relation between veganism and dental health, what are the toothpaste ingredients and why this hand fan of options we list here are the best funnel of the market offer. Read more >> Vegan Teeth Whitening: Which Are the Best Options for You?
b. Eco-friendly Toothbrushes
Choosing a more sustainable lifestyle is a game changer. Some of us are already in the path of sustainability while some other are still finding their way around where to start. Reducing our waste and carbon footprint is a must if we want to keep living in this amazing planet.
One of the best ways to start reducing your carbon footprint is shifting to more Eco-friendly Toothbrushes. Read more >> The 8 Best Eco-friendly Toothbrushes You Can Find!
“Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.” – Julia Child
Thanks to the consumer’s power companies are stepping up their sustainability game, prioritizing the responsible sourcing of ingredients, implementing earth-friendly manufacturing processes, and experimenting with inventive recycling programs.
So, make sure you look hard for these brands and choose mindfully.