Sustainability - May

I’d been looking forward to May since the beginning of the year. It was the month that I set aside to determine how to make my face more sustainable. I realize now that sounds like a bad joke, so I really mean how to make the products that I put on my face (and as I would soon realize IN my face), have as little environmental impact as possible.

But, when it comes to making sustainable choices for my skin, there is another angle at play. I had to make choices that were good for the environment and my body. I needed to make sure that I was choosing and using products that were nontoxic (or as close to that as possible) and that had a minimal environmental footprint.

I decided to start my search with the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. I had heard a couple of years ago about the database and that most of the information was on an app. I quickly downloaded the app and went around my bathroom scanning things. Either the database wasn’t very well built up then, or it wasn’t working, because nothing I scanned turned up any results. I gave up and didn’t think about it until I started my year focused on sustainability.

The Skin Deep database does an amazing job of labeling products according to the ingredients that they use and how good or toxic those ingredients are for your body. Since the government doesn’t review products for toxicity before they are sold, the Environment Working Group does it on the backend.

The “EWG Verified” rating is the best but a label of 1 or 2 is also considered pretty good. These items are in the “green” range and are considered to be a low hazard. A product with a “yellow” 3-6 rating is considered to be a moderate hazard. And a product that is labeled 7-10 is in the “red” zone, and is a high hazard item. I would say you might definitely want to consider never putting a red product on your skin again.

I quickly realized that the majority of the stuff I was using was definitely unsustainable - both for my skin and the planet. My foundation was a 4. My concealer a 4. And both come in plastic or unrecyclable containers. Fortunately, my blush from Tarte only ranked at 2. Which works out because I still have a lot of it in the compact to go through.

But just knowing that I needed to make a change with some of the items in my routine didn’t necessarily make the answer or alternative crystal clear. Instead, it simply seemed to muddy the waters. The longer I browsed the internet for sustainable makeup and skincare brands, the more I realized that all of these companies doing amazing things for the environment either aren’t big enough to have been analyzed by the EWG, or are not good for your skin. I could either go for something more beneficial for the planet but with no real way to know what was in the product, or I could choose something that is definitely nontoxic but that is predominately packaged in nonrecyclable materials.

I felt totally lost and overwhelmed. I felt like there was no right answer! And then I realized, there really isn’t. Until some new sustainable, nontoxic makeup and skincare brands hit the market, and on a large scale, our options will be severely limited, and thus, so will our choices.

During the course of my research, I came across a lot of people talking about how much the things we put on our skin absorb into our bodies! Some estimates are as high as 60-70%! Although there is no solid evidence to back it up, and the real number may be much lower. Regardless, this helped me to determine what direction I needed to go and choices would be best for me at this point.

I decided that anything that sat on my skin and would likely be absorbed - like moisturizer and foundation, needed to be nontoxic, even if it wasn’t something that I could necessarily recycle. With other things, like blush, I could and will be switching to a more environmentally sustainable option, likely from a smaller company, even if I have no real way of knowing the potential toxicity level.

I also found ways to cut back on my makeup-wearing overall! I have avoided eyeshadow for a while, but when I stopped getting eyelash extensions a few months ago, I fell back into the habit. Thankfully, this month I was able to wean myself off of eyeshadow and eyeliner. I really don’t need to wear either on a regular basis and have found that they actually give me eczema on my eyelids. People say that beauty is pain, but that’s not a pain I choose to inflict on myself.

Unfortunately, I haven’t run out of all of the makeup I started off this year with. And I needed to use that first, rather than tossing it or leaving it to go bad by switching to another product - that definitely wouldn’t fall into the category of “sustainable“ actions. I still have many of the basics to keep my skin cared for and made up, but luckily I did find myself in need of some foundation this month.

I got Mineral Fusion foundation which is verified by the EWG (the highest rating). It was much more expensive than the foundation I had been getting, but if that’s the price for putting fewer toxins in my body, I’ll take it. I don’t love the coverage, as it seems to be a bit blotchy. But I hope that I will just get better at applying it over time. I also think that the shade I picked was a little too light, although it looked like it would match in the store. I’ll definitely keep experimenting, but for now it feels good to have this opportunity to treat my skin the way it deserves to be treated.

And I’m excited for when I get to invest in some new sustainable products. Elate Cosmetics and Zao Organic Makeup seem to have good options, but I will have to do a bit more research before I decide exacly what I want to purchase.

This month I also spent some time finding out more than I ever wanted to know about product testing on animals. I have seen more images of animals that have been subjected to skincare and makeup testing than I care to count. Please, PLEASE, check to make sure that all of the brands you use (this even includes products like shampoo) do not test on animals in any way, or are not part of a supply chain that tests on animals. You can find out whether or not they do with a quick Google search, and if you can’t find the answer easily, then it doesn't look too hopeful. No animal should have to be put through product testing, and switching products can send a clear message. Please. The bunny I saw with mascara smeared over its face and I will both thank you.

This month I read Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Although it isn’t specifically about makeup, and it doesn’t even mention makeup that I remember, it shares important ideas about how we could totally revolutionize so many products to make them infinitely more sustainable. And that is what I am growing to see in the makeup industry. There is such a gap in the market for a truly sustainable, nontoxic brand, although I hope some of the smaller companies will grow to fill it.

So I plan to continue this part of the journey, and I will be implementing more parts of it in the coming months as I run out of the products that I have. This month showed me more than ever the difficulty in trying to live a sustainable life, the tough choices that have to be made, and ultimately, the importance of doing the work.

Until next time,

Carly

Photos by Mason Joel Photography