Acielle / Style Du Monde
From probiotic-packed skincare to reusable personal care items, these are cosmetics with a conscience.
Clean beauty and green beauty, while often used interchangeably, are quite different. Clean beauty is defined as a term for “products that use safe, nature-derived ingredients.” In other words, each ingredient is thoughtfully selected, with no harmful additives. Meanwhile, green beauty refers to products that are sustainably produced and eco-friendly. That means everything from ingredient sourcing to packaging is considered carefully for their environmental impacts.
Thanks to the overwhelming push from the “Wellness Generation,” a whole new crop of green products is emerging as a response to those calling for better practices and items that leave less of an environmental impact. Many of these brands are also cruelty-free and vegan, while also catering to those that want to be able to reuse and refill instead of discard.
People now have the choice to shop for clean beauty products free of toxins and harsh chemicals like parabens and other known carcinogens. Zero skin irritants are now the main focus of the game. This includes everything from shampoo bottles to moisturizers, and even hair and makeup removers.
With the holidays approaching, along with the season for gift-giving, now is perhaps the best time to consider clean and green beauty products. We’ve rounded up a few locally-available and more environmentally-friendly alternative products that you can gift yourself and your loved ones.
Self-Care Gift Ideas You Can Shop Locally
Clean beauty products are now more accessible than ever, found everywhere from drugstore aisles to major retailers. While there’s a necessary level of sleuthing to suss out the genuine ones from those who are simply greenwashing, the growing calls for more clean and green beauty products are undeniable.
Brands such as RMS Beauty and Lush have long been vocal proponents for both types of products, and they’ve accrued a dedicated following. Danish luxury makeup brand Kjaer Weis has also extended their certified-organic pledge to encompass sustainable design. They offer refills for all of their makeup products and allow customers the option to purchase their sleek metallic cases or leather cases.
These days, it’s easier to see small startups like LastObject, a go-to for reusable alternatives to grooming staples like cotton swabs, cotton rounds, or tissues, alongside bigger brands. Also on the shelf are brands like Acnemy, which espouse “don’t believe in beauty standards” and use vegan, fragrance-free formulas to fight acne, or the cult-favorite Good Light, whose probiotic-packed Moon Glow Milky Tonic Lotion and We Come in Peace Microbiome Serum repair and strengthen the skin barrier, winning many beauty awards.
Locally, collectives like Loop store are also providing people with curated essentials that won’t increase their environmental impact. Consider perusing their personal care and beauty products, which range from reusable razors to chewable toothpaste tablets, and shampoo bars.
