5 Essential How-Tos:
Embracing Conscious Living in Your Daily Routine
Caring for our planet is more crucial now than ever before; which is why the fashion and beauty industries are moving towards more eco-friendly offerings, from the ingredients used to the packaging. This isn’t just a trend, but a part of an essential direction for a more sustainable future.
Here are 5 tips to help you navigate sustainable products and live more consciously:
Step 1: Shop Consciously
When it comes to clothing, making sustainable choices starts with mindful shopping habits.
Opt for Quality Over Quantity: Invest in timeless pieces made of durable, high-quality materials that last longer, reducing the need for frequent replacements.
Explore Secondhand and Vintage:
-
- Embrace thrift stores, online resale platforms, and clothing swaps with friends to give pre-loved pieces a new life and minimize waste.
- If you have the skills, consider upcycling your closet through sewing or DIY projects. Many TikTok accounts and Pinterest posts provide outfit inspiration, showcasing transformations of clothing items into trendy pieces.
Research the certs and small businesses:
-
- Seek certifications like Fair Trade, and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), for assurance.
- Explore small and local businesses that prioritize ethical practices, avoiding support for unethical labor or child labor. Seek out artisans who handcraft items through sewing, crocheting, and other methods.
Step 2: Read between the lines | Makeup and Skincare
Sustainable beauty is more than skin-deep. Here’s how you can incorporate eco-friendly practices into your skincare and makeup routine:
Check the Ingredient:
-
- Look for products with natural, organic, cruelty-free, and non-toxic ingredients. For beauty, avoid items containing harmful chemicals that can harm both your skin and the environment, such as Phthalates/parfums, BHA, BHT, Formaldehyde, and Titanium Dioxide, just to name a few.
- For clothing, avoid Flame retardants, PFAS materials, Harmful dyes etc.
- Instead, opt for: Products that are scented with essential oils or “fragrance-free”, look for makeup with fewer ingredients, the longer the ingredient list the bigger the red flag!
- Also, stick to using less on your skin, keep it simple. Sometimes the problem is that we use too much.
Opt for Minimal Packaging:
-
- Choose brands that use recyclable, biodegradable, or refillable packaging to reduce waste and your eco-footprint. Alternatively, opt for glass, not plastic. (Glass is also recycled at a much higher rate than plastic.)
DIY Skincare:
-
- Experiment with creating your skincare products using natural ingredients to minimize packaging and waste while customizing products to your skin’s needs.
- A few DIY Skincare ingredients:
Step 3: Combat Overconsumption
Overconsumption only leads to excessive waste.
Mindful Purchasing:
-
- Assess your needs before buying. focus on buying items you genuinely need or will use frequently to prevent accumulation.
- Make a shopping list before leaving the house. Try Anylist! You can create a list and share it with others!
- Think long term, do you need it or want it? How often will you use it?
Donate or Repurpose:
-
- If you have products that are nearly expired or those you no longer use, consider donating them to shelters or repurposing them creatively to extend their lifespan.
- Find a donation site near you!
- Any local Goodwill accepts donations
- Plato’s Closet accepts clothes for cash
- Check you local Sports equipment shops that often resell used products
- If you have products that are nearly expired or those you no longer use, consider donating them to shelters or repurposing them creatively to extend their lifespan.
Step 4: Seeking Sustainable Products
Identifying truly sustainable products can be challenging. Here’s what to look for:
A few certifications to look for: These labels signify adherence to sustainability standards.
Step 5: Embrace a Sustainable Mindset
Sustainability isn’t solely about products; it’s also a mindset. Here’s how to foster a more conscious outlook for your daily routine. Engage in conversations and support initiatives advocating for sustainable practices in the fashion and beauty industries.
Lead by Example:
-
- Encourage friends and family to adopt sustainable habits by sharing your journey and experiences.
Embracing sustainability isn’t an overnight transformation but a series of mindful choices. By adding these essentials into your lifestyle, you’re contributing positively to a more sustainable and eco-conscious world. Thinking consciously is a journey towards making a difference, one step at a time!
Happy, conscious shopping!
Sign up and stay tuned for more!
xx
Laura
