Every year on April 22nd, Earth Day marks the modern environmental movement that began in 1970. Earth Day is a potent reminder that we all have a responsibility to take care of our planet. And while making a positive difference on an individual level can sometimes seem overwhelming, it’s important to remember that our beauty, skin, and hair care routines are a simple yet effective place to start. From the use of plastic containers that are non-recyclable, to product chemicals that are washed down our waterways into our oceans – there is plenty for consumers to consider.
Encouragingly, the beauty experts at Aveda have noticed significant growth in consumers wanting to purchase natural, environmentally-friendly products over the past two years.
Online searches for ‘natural haircare’ in Australia have increased 147% (that’s almost tripled!) since April 2019. While online searches for ‘eco friendly skincare’ in Australia have increased 58% (more than doubled) since April 2019, according to Google search data.
It is safe to say there is certainly greater awareness and efforts by consumers to not only practice self-care, but to care for our planet while doing so. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the industry’s manufacturing and packaging practices that are notorious for their impact on the environment.
Earth Day is a time to celebrate, acknowledge and support the brands that are pioneering environmental leadership, and finding new ways to better protect our ecosystem.
However, without a doubt, shopping sustainably remains a confusing feat for some, with unfamiliar terms like certified organic, circular beauty, recycled PET being frequently used.
Aveda’s Education Development Partner & Artistic Lead, Matthew Wickham, has provided his top tips for becoming a more eco-conscious beauty shopper, so that we can all practice sustainable beauty regimes:
“When choosing a sustainable beauty brand, research can be done super easily.
- Check out the brand’s website and look for information or policies. Look deeper than the marketing claims. If a brand has sustainability in their DNA, they will have many different examples of how they are sustainable.
- Look for sustainable energy, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing and naturally derived ingredients.
- Products that are not tested on animals are super important, so my last tip is to look out for accreditations like the cruelty free bunny.”
Aveda is one brand that truly embodies sustainability. Aveda’s long-term commitment to environmental and social responsibility is demonstrated through several ongoing eco-forward initiatives, such as its responsible packaging, ‘Take 3 For the Sea’ partnership, ‘Litreship’ initiative, and focus on natural ingredients, just to name a few.
Another notable brand making strides towards sustainable beauty is Arbonne.
As a Certified B Corporation, vegan beauty and wellness brand Arbonne has received third party recognition for the positive impact they place on supply chain, customers, community, employees and the environment, always balancing purpose over profit.
As a brand whose products are rooted in cruelty-free, ethical sourcing, Arbonne have a great variety of products that are great options for consumers seeking to minimise their impact on the environment, including Botaniques Concentrated Gel, which requires little water to lather up and comes in recycled plastic packaging which saves natural, non-renewable resources, compostable Dissolve the Day Facial Cleansing Cloths and the Age Well range, which uses sustainably sourced key ingredients inside a fully recyclable glass component.
Also worth noting is Arbonne’s free recycling program, ArbonneCycle, which has recently gone global. This force for good for both people and planet means that any Arbonne packaging that can’t be recycled through standard procedure can be sent back to the company.
The sustainable steps we take today will help us to maintain conditions where humans and nature can harmoniously coexist in the future.
