You are beautiful, bold, and strong, just like our incredible planet. We know that you pride yourself on taking small, meaningful steps to reduce your carbon footprint while still maintaining a healthy sense of self-care. It’s people like you that inspire us to do what we do here at Oh My Garden!
We also know that finding eco-friendly alternatives isn’t always an easy task, especially when the beauty and skincare world is often filled with harsh chemicals and plastic packaging. If you’d like to make small, meaningful changes to your skincare routine, we’d like to help.
We put together a list of some of our favourite simple skincare tricks for going green:
1. Less is More
Did you know our founder, Togzhan, used to have a 10-step skincare routine? That’s right! Like many of us, she was so enthralled with taking care of her skin that she believed a good skincare routine meant using a lot of products. Until she did some research…
Microplastics and silicone, toxicity levels from synthetic components, and unsustainable practices from the beauty industry were just the beginning of the horrors she discovered. She soon learned that taking care of your skin isn’t about using a lot of products, it’s about using the right products.
To cut down on unnecessary waste and money, we recommend removing products you don’t need from your skincare routine and only using products that provide true benefits for your skin. A good place to start is finding a great moisturizer. We recommend either our Nourishing Facial Oil or our Balancing Facial Oil, depending on your skin type.
In case you missed it, Mariann breaks down which product we recommended depending on your skin type:
2. Replace one-time-use items with reusable products
Cotton swabs, cotton balls, and disposable face wipes are all replaceable products that can really begin to add up in the landfills, especially when used daily. We recommend purchasing or making your own washable face cloths to remove your makeup or use a cleansing oil that removes makeup and dirt without the use of a cloth.
If you are choosing to use a cloth, ensure you are removing acne-causing bacteria by washing it regularly. We recommended washing it one-two times per week.
Single-use cotton swabs can also be replaced with reusable alternatives such as reusable swabs or compostable bamboo products:
- NakedSwab in British Columbia offers reusable Q-Tip swabs in a variety of colours.
- Well.ca offers bamboo swabs that are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable, located in Canada.
As an additional eco-friendly and cost-friendly alternative, apply makeup using clean and dry fingertips.
3. Use less water
Letting the water run while you wash your face or shampoo your hair uses a large amount of unnecessary water consumption. As an alternative, we recommend shutting off the water while you shampoo, and using a soft cotton face cloth to wash your face. By applying water directly onto your face cloth as opposed to letting the water run, you are reducing your water consumption while still cleansing your skin.
As an additional beauty-bonus, the cloth will act as a soft exfoliate to remove more dirt and dead skin cells than just water alone, helping to keep your skin clear and acne-free.
4. Cool it down
Use cooler water during showers and while washing your face. Hot water can be damaging to your hair and skin, and excess water heating will increase your energy consumption. Save your skin, hair, wallet, AND the planet by turning down the water temperature. Now that’s a win-win-win-win.
Even More Small Steps
5. Check your ingredients
Use natural products that use sustainable, ethically sourced plant-based ingredients.
6. Use multipurpose products
This ties back with small step #1. By using multipurpose products, you reduce your level of package and waste consumption. Products such as our Nourishing Facial Oil or our Balancing Facial Oil can be used as a primer, protectant, and moisturizer for your skin.
7. Be mindful of waste
Look for products that use minimal/no packaging or use recyclable packing to limit your amount of waste. In addition, look for products that offer a package reuse program, or look for new ways to reuse old packaging on your own!
What’s your favourite green skincare trick? Comment below!
