BEYOND THE ORGANIC
We put the green beauty movement to the test
Demand for green beauty is on the rise, but does switching to a sustainable regimen mean compromising on results? Natalie Lukaitis puts the movement to the test…
THERE ARE THREE THINGS youshould know about making the leap to a sustainable beauty routine. One: converting isn’t an overnight process. As with anything, it takes time and trial and error to find what works for your specific needs. You also have to keep an open mind. One of the biggest misconceptions with skincare is it needs to be packed with chemicals to be effective. ‘Natural ingredients have just as much scientific credibility as synthetics,’ argues skincare expert and brand founder Tata Harper. The key is to harness that power in a way that is deliverable to your skin.
Two: the terms ‘natural’, ‘vegan’ and ‘organic’ don’t necessarily mean sustainable. ‘It’s not just about what’s inside the bottle,’ says Jo Chidley, founder of Beauty Kitchen. ‘It’s about everything from how we plant and grow ingredients and the way the beauty products are made, to the packaging they go into, the way they’re sent out to customers and the biodegradability of the finished product,’ she explains.
Three: there is a strong case for making the switch, such as the fact the cosmetics indus- try produces 12O billion units of packaging every year*. Worryingly, just 14% of the plastic packaging used globally makes its way to recycling plants; a third is left in fragile ecosystems and 4O% ends up in landfill**.
But change is afoot. Earlier this year, plastic microbeads were banned from all cosmetic products and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs announced plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, including single-use products such as wet wipes, over the next 25 years. Big-name brands are on board, too: Procter & Gamble plans to reduce waste, transportation, water consumption and CO2 emissions by 2O2O, L’Oréal pledges to use 1OO% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2O25, and skincare company Rituals has vowed to be of 9O% natural origin by 2O23 and carbon neutral by 2O25.
While brands and consumers are certainly more consciously aware of what’s in their bathrooms, the question remains: is it possible to have a ‘sustainable’ beauty routine without compromising on quality and efficacy? Can they still address issues of pigmentation, breakouts, fine lines and wrinkles? Armed with an arsenal of new, greener beauty products, I set out to test this over the course of a month. Here’s what I found… Leading the charge is Orveda’s Deep Cleansing Bio Fermented Rich Balm, £89, a vegan-friendly face wash packed with bio-fermented ingredients and organic actives to cleanse your skin without disrupting its natural pH balance and microflora. Also proving the potency of sustainable beauty is Susanne Kaufmann’s Pollution Skin Defence System, £218 – a 15-day treatment of three highly effective, active-ingredient ampoules including vitamin C (to stimulate the skin‘s own defense mechanisms), Ectoin (to prevent premature cell damage) and Q1O (to boost the skin’s cellular metabolism, while protecting it from oxidative stress). And finally, Fresh’s Rose Hydrating Serum, £42, packed with hydrating botanicals such as Angelica-leaf extract, known for retaining moisture, as well as a ‘smart’ algae that helps to deliver moisture into deeper levels of your skin, and hyaluronic acid, which can hold 1,OOO times its own weight in water. After using it, my skin looked so dewy and plump that I was asked for ID at the pub for the first time in more than nine years.
WE’RE SPOILT for CHOICE with SUSTAINABLE SKINCARE