Choosing Consciously: Six Steps To Picking Safe, Sustainable, and Effective Beauty Products

We’ve been talking about awareness lately and what it means to hold presence and incorporate conscious living into our daily lives.  For us, that extends to the choices we make around the brands we choose to support, the products we use, and the rituals we engage with.  Making these choices takes extra time and conscious effort and requires a certain kind of strength to stand strong in protection of our values.  

It requires us to ask questions.  Why am I buying this product?  Are the ingredients thoughtful and health-conscious? How do I decipher a product’s EWG rating?  Does this brand practice what they preach?  Does this company support the integrity of the planet?

In the world of beauty, it takes even more to navigate through all the confusion.  Just when we feel like we have our footing on what works, another product is rolled out - and it’s not all bad, it’s just a lot to process.

Fortunately, the beauty industry has made a lot of headway over the last few years.  It feels like, at least a small subset of the industry, is moving to a space where there's an individualized approach. It’s moving towards more of a person-first model, as opposed to the hyper-consumerism-based one that's been at the helm of the industry for so long.  

Ingredients and the health of the customer are being considered. We don’t have to worry about the lack of clarity around parabens or stress over sustainable packaging options as much and overall, we’re not having to battle legislation all on our own.  Companies are finally starting to step in.  

It’s not all perfect and we still have a ways to go till we catch up with the likes of the EU, but it’s forward momentum and we’ll take it.  In the meantime, if you’re curious about learning more about the products you love, we’ve got you covered.

Here are a six quick steps you can take to help you pick safe, sustainable, and effective beauty products:

1. Start Slowly.  Don’t feel as if you need to throw out all of your products to start. Slowly replace what you have with options that have more thoughtful ingredients. 

2. Consider Yourself.  Remember that everything is not for everyone.  Certain products might be your vibe and some may work for you and some may not.

3. Look at Ingredient Lists: Become your own advocate and learn about what’s in your products.  Make a mental list of hard-no’s in terms of ingredients and from there, strategize on what you’re willing to allow onto your shelves and your body.  

4. Dig Into The Brand:  Dig into where they invest their money and what their values are.  Are they living up to the values they promote?  Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions and hold companies accountable.

5. Utilize the EWG website (www.ewg.org) -  The Environmental Working Group is in incredible resources for getting information about products.  They have an abundance of research available and their Skin Deep cosmetic database allows you search by product or brand to learn more about the hazards present in cosmetic and personal care products.

6. Think About Packaging: Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word and customers are raising the standards on packaging.  What’s out?  Plastic.  What’s in?  Biodegradable fillers, recycled paper and cardboard, cornstarch, mushroom, and seaweed packaging.  This is a good place to do more research - look into the brand’s commitment to the planet and the packaging options they source.