You might need a cup of tea for this one it’s a long one!
After watching the BBC3 documentary Beauty Laid Bare I was particularly shocked about all the evidence that pointed to companies not being as ethical as they first appear, especially when brands use Candelilla Wax which is made in Mexico and involves the use of sulfuric acid with the workers having next to no protection and with very little pay – watch the documentary for the full low down. This prompted me to go through all my skincare products and check just how ethical they really are, of course I know they are all cruelty free but is this where they stop ethics wise?
First up cleansers; to remove all my make up I love my Jane Scrivner Nourishing Cleanser Balm, I was particularly worried about this one as it is a balm which is sometimes what Candelilla wax is used for but luckily no sign of it at all as they use beeswax instead. There is a large amount of organic ingredients in the balm as well. The only downside is that it comes in plastic packaging but seeing as a little goes a long way I know I will continue to re-purchase this and if they decided to suddenly package it in glass I would be even happier with it! For stubborn lipsticks or for fixing mistakes I use the B. Pure Micellar Water. Again the only downside to this product is the plastic packaging, once this bottle runs out I’ll be switching out to a plastic free version because there are so many Micellar Waters out there. I’ve got my eye on the Wearth London one!
Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean (not pictured) I have used this cleanser for years and I do love it. Soap & Glory are cruelty free and very transparent about where their products are made and by who but again there is large amounts of plastic being used so seeing as I just ran out I might have a look at some that come in glass packaging. I used to use the Aurelia cleanser which was great but a little pricey, any suggestions are appreciated. I sometimes love a little manual exfoliation and the Madara Exfoliating Oil to Milk Scrub is a great option. They use wax beads to aid exfoliation so it’s not as harsh as a coconut shell scrub but still remains eco-friendly however the packaging is plastic so I may not repurchase in the future.
I love all the extra bits and bobs you can add into your skincare routine and I love a rosewater spray, I was (and still am) a big fan of the Pixi Rose Glow Mist but on my recent trip to Cornwall I picked up the Eden Project Jasmine & Rose Water Skin Freshener. It doesn’t have the same glowing effect that the Pixi one does but it’s really refreshing, comes in a glass bottle and is handmade in the UK so ticks all the boxes (apart from the pump). Antonia Burrell Mask Supreme is my number one luxury product however after a lot of digging in the ingredients I discovered it does contain Sorbitan Palmitate which derives from palm oil, their website states that it is from sustainable sources as are all their ingredients but the palm oil is a big negative for me. ‘The bottles are recyclable, made from violet glass which has been proven to preserve the bio energy of our plant actives.’ which gives them another tick. I’m not sure if i’ll repurchase this after finding out about the palm oil but haven’t found a face mask as good as this one! (suggestions please) The Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Liquid Glow Extreme is a life changing product in my opinion and the only downside is the plastic packaging, I’ve been trying to find a plastic free alternative but I am drawing a blank so if you know of one send it my way please.
Facial oils are my favourite part of my skincare routine, especially as a dry skin girl. I used to use the Balance Me Radiance Facial Oil both morning and night, it comes in a glass bottle, has full recycling instructions on the website, made in the UK and contains natural ingredients it’s the most ethical product in my whole collection. Then my cousin gifted me this homemade Glow Serum, the main ingredient is jojoba oil and it’s a lot more viscose than the Balance Me one so I use this at night, again it comes in a glass bottle plus I can get it refilled.
I’ve used the Soap & Glory Speed Plump All Day Super Moisture Marvel for years now and it’s such a lovely product however when trawling through the very long ingredient list I found it contains not only Ascorbyl Palmitate (derived from palm oil) and Squalane (which comes from the hydrogenation of squalene – which sometimes comes from Shark Livers but can also be a plant version but ingredient list doesn’t specify) so I will definitely not be repurchasing this! After reading the ingredient list for that Soap & Glory product I was super worried about the facial SPF Make Yourself Youthful™ Sunshield Superfluid™ SPF50+ luckily the only downside to this product is the plastic packaging. I haven’t found another SPF50 facial sunscreen that isn’t greasy or in glass packaging so for the moment I will keep repurchasing but if you have any suggestion please leave them in the comments.
I recently changed my night cream as the YesToCarrots one suddenly stopped working for me (not sure why to be honest) I found the Skinfood Restore Night Cream in TKMaxx so not sure how easy it will be too pick up again but I’m really enjoying it for the moment. 98% of the total ingredients are from natural origin and the majority of the packaging is glass. It is made in New Zealand so the carbon footprint is the only downside.
This has been one of the most eye opening blog posts I’ve ever written and I would highly recommend going through your skincare stash to see how ethical your routine really is because you might be surprised.
Any recommendations you might have for products that come in glass packaging would be fantastic.
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