It’s no secret that the environment is drowning in our disposable waste and the beauty industry is one of the contributing factors to this. A massive 13 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the world’s oceans every year, and in 2017, the UN declared the global ocean plastic pollution a ‘planetary crisis’.
Since then, the industry has been making good steps to reduce our plastic usage– there’s been a ban on microbeads for example, as well as single use cotton buds, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s in the interest of everyone to look at their consumption and see what we can all do to reduce our waste. From our perspective, simple things like packaging, ethical labour practices and to being conscious of the supply chain and ethically sourcing ingredients is all part of the sustainable journey. This is something we’re going to be talking about more where we can.
This is something that we are bringing more into focus here at Wow Beauty, to talk more about sustainability in the beauty and wellness industry. We want to give brands that are doing more and going the extra mile some support as well as learning along with you, how we can make a difference, along with what options are available. It’s going to be something we all need to do together, so please do reach out with any questions and thoughts that you have, we’d love to hear from you.
So today, on Plastic Free Beauty Day we thought we’d shine a light on how the small brands that we stock at the Wow Beauty Shop are doing BIG things to make their products more sustainable and environmentally aware. Visit their brand pages to find out more about them, their ethics and what else they’re doing to become more eco-conscious as they’re all doing so much, we simply couldn’t talk about everything in this one post! We’re proud to work with these brands and what they represent and believe in.
Casa Mencarelli
“We are always looking at opportunities to be more eco friendly and only use recyclable packaging.
all our 2ml samples come in mini glass bottles and jars, no plastic and all recyclable. For the future, we are looking further reducing packaging and at using friendly and sustainable materials, in line with our philosophy of “really green beauty “”
Lucia Mencarelli
Kiss the Moon
“We choose glass jars & bottles to reduce the use of plastic along with biodegradable glassine bags for our soaps. Our product boxes are made from cardboard and they’re even printed with vegetable degradable inks.
Paper tapes & labels: Our stickers and labels are all paper, avoiding plastic as much as we can. We use 100% recycled paper tape with a natural latex adhesive backing, making it 100% biodegradable. Stick that!”
Jo Foster
Inner Senses
“We eliminate plastic as much as possible, our bottles and boxes are fully recyclable and we offer our customers the FIVE4TEN program, whereby if a customer returns five empties we send them a £10 e-voucher they can use against future purchases. This program launched last year and helps the customer, ourselves and the environment.”
Lisa Basso
Love Absolute
“Being Eco Conscious is a very broad subject and some of the things we think about are, impact to environments, farming methods, biodiversity, Soil Diversity, water use and wastage – locality and impact on local people.
We also think about our packaging and our normal products are all housed in Miron Glass which are high quality, solid and re-usable and can be washed and re purposed as spice and herb jars that will keep your spices much fresher.
We post without any added plastic in cardboard and string.”
Sarah Bisset
Skin Alchemists
“Skin Alchemists is committed to honouring Mother nature and respecting the earth. Our formulations as 100% natural and made using certified organic and or wildcrafted ingredients. Our skin treats are botted in recyclable Miron glass and our boxes are made using FSC approved card stock. Most of our products are multi-tasking and come in discovery sizes to offer a taste of the products before committing to a full size.
In keeping with our pledge to highlight the importance of sustainability and respecting the environment we are featuring the effects of pollution on marine life in the Caribbean islands, a place close to my heart.”
Theresa Edward
Daughter of the Soil
“We are aware of our responsibility towards the planet and are passionate about responsible sourcing, fair trade, animal rights and eco-friendly lifestyles.
We choose to support activities that respect nature and contribute to wellbeing and wholeheartedly embrace the goodness from the soil. By intentionally opting for organic and natural ingredients, we have created environmentally responsible, healthy products that are free from toxins and animal cruelty and deeply nourish, protect and moisturise the skin. Our products have been carefully curated in alignment with our values of heritage, wellbeing, inclusive beauty and empowerment, responding to the skincare needs of women, men and children of today.”
Maria Magembe and Hellen Lawuo-Meena
The Afro Hair and Skin Co.
“As a brand we are constantly looking into ways in which we can lessen our environmental impact and improve the sustainability of our products from the ingredients we select to our packaging. Currently all our shipping materials are 100% recyclable/biodegradable right down to our packing tape. We are currently phasing out plastic lids on some of our glass packaging and introducing recyclable aluminium lids meaning two thirds of our range will be housed in 100% recyclable packaging. We are committed to reducing the use of plastics across our range where suitable alternatives exist.”
Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka
Naya
“All our products are now dressed in a label based on stone-paper. We wanted to find a paper that is tree-free and water-free to give back to nature but also as a commitment to our mission. All our products labels paper is based on upcycled waste, tree-free and water-free paper. No bleach or harsh chemicals involved. It has a special texture and soft touch and all made in Europe to support local sourcing and reduce our carbon footprint. Find out more.
And our paper of our packaging is sourced via the Woodland Trust and part of their carbon scheme. You can read more here.
Our Recycling promise is here”
Sarah Zimmer
Guava and Gold
“All the Guava & Gold bottles and packaging are fully recyclable with plans to move on to bio-polymer (which are made of sugar cane extract) bottles as soon as I can.
The products are all paraben free and have phthalate free fragrances. Natural oils with all their potential health-giving benefits are used in them. And they’re made in the UK.
The brand makes regular donations of products to help to alleviate hygiene poverty, which is an issue which affects people’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.”
Clare Price
Saint Iris Adriatica
“All ingredients are 100% sustainable. Olive pips used to produce the olive butters, oils and extracts used across the range are a by-product of the Mediterranean food industry; while the Dalmatian Flower of Salts come from one of the most ornithologically diverse regions in the Adriatic.”
Sanela Lazic
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