Go eco FABULOUS
Why Mother Nature is beauty’s latest muse
As 2017 comes to a close, there are signs that – as well as the usual talk of gift sets and New Year self-reinvention – the conversation around beauty as an industry is changing. After a year of more climate change debate, brands are realising that it is going to take more than words such as ‘recyclable’ and ‘sustainable’ to win our hearts (and money) and that they need to put social, ethical and environmental concerns at the heart of their business.
Take National Geographic explorer and UN lobbyist David de Rothschild. Having travelled the globe, discovering potent plant ingredients and meeting local tribe people, he says that rather than thinking about ‘nature’ as some abstract tagline, businesses and consumers need to actively give back to it. His new unisex skin collection The Lost Explorer works ‘in partnership’ with nature – ingredients are sourced as far and wide as Brazil to the Serengeti with respect for local environments and people. It helps that the divinely soothing Marula Head to Toe Nourishment Oil (€60) and Everyday Skin Support Balm (€51, both thelostexplorer.com) work brilliantly. If you’re looking for brands with a similar outlook, positiveluxury.com has done the hard, credential-checking work for you. On it you’ll find products such as 58 Lifestyle’s green mandarin and geranium Balancing Hand Cream (€20, 58lifestyle.com) bearing symbols affirming that the brand conforms to equal employment practices, has environmentally friendly packaging and is a charitable foundation.
Then there’s Ainsel London. Founded by millennials (who, research shows, will pay more for sustainable brands), its Capsule Lipstick Collection contains shades such as Sarong (far left) and Kimono (€23.50 each, ainsel.com) that not only replicate the catwalk look from Jason Wu’s A/W 17 show but also boast food-grade ingredients, contribute to charity and use only recycled and recyclable packaging.
While market researcher Mintel has pegged maritime conservation as a key trend for 2018, it looks like there’s no reason why we can’t start making choices towards similar ends before New Year arrives.