The topic of sustainability can be confusing thanks to the wealth of different explanations and definitions that often causes the issue to be somewhat lost in translation. Sustainability by definition is “the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment”*, so can be used to address a wide variety of issues effecting the planet from plastic pollution and climate change to air pollution, non-renewable resources and endangered plant and animal species.
What is Sustainable Beauty?
As our beauty routines can often feature between 12 – 16 different products at one time, this is one area of our lifestyle where the type of products we use, and the amount of waste we produce, can be dramatically reduced. Plastic pollution has the heaviest impact when it comes to our health and beauty products, with the beauty industry contributing to a whopping 120 Billion units of packaging each year**, most of which will be single use plastic that will end its days in landfill sites or in the natural world around us. Even though packaging is a big cause for concern when it comes to environmental issues, sustainable beauty is so much more than just single-use plastic awareness as it encompasses the very ingredients utilised by the beauty industry too. Many of the ingredients used in mainstream products are unethically sourced, non-renewable and have a hefty carbon footprint when being transported or refined, and there is often a lack of support for the growers and communities where the ingredients are sourced.
Sustainable beauty looks to reduce or eradicate these issues, preserving the planet for future generations and caring for the world in which we live. It can range from reducing single waste plastic through opting for eco-friendly plastic free solutions or offering refillable services to ethically sourcing ingredients or using waterless formulations in order to preserve the planet and have a minimal impact upon the environment.
Counter Culture Beauty Store: Just One Switch
This is where Counter Culture Beauty Store comes in, a new ethical and natural beauty website dedicated to stocking a range of sustainable beauty products and championing independent, female-led businesses here in the UK.
The new online beauty store goes the extra mile when it comes to helping consumers make an ethical choice within their health, beauty and lifestyle products. Not only do they ensure that all the products stocked on their website meet the basic criteria, but they have also launched their ‘Just One Switch’ campaign in order to help their customers make simple switches that are easy to maintain and can therefore make a big impact upon how sustainable your beauty routine really is.
“It’s easy to see how just one switch could significantly reduce the impact we have on the planet if enough people get onboard […] once people start making more conscious choices in their everyday frequent purchases, they are likely to lean towards more and more eco-friendly living in all aspects of their life […] we don’t need a few people doing it perfectly, we need millions starting the journey.”
Wendy Martin, the co-founder of Counter Culture Beauty Store
Their ‘Just One Switch’ campaign encourages you to switch just one product you use on a daily basis within your beauty routine to a more sustainable choice. Here are just a few examples:
- Swap single-use cleansing wipes for reusable and washable cleansing pads/cloths,
- Use refillable products,
- Try using natural deodorants that comes in plastic-free packaging,
- Choose a plastic-free shampoo bar over your usual shampoo in plastic packaging,
- Use multipurpose products or reduce the number of items in your routine to reduce waste,
- Opt for products that are formulated with natural, ethically-sourced, sustainable ingredients,
- Try to use products that eradicate single-use plastic, or at the very least, ensure that all packaging is recyclable.
My Top Picks To Make ‘Just One Switch’
As Counter Culture Beauty Store stock so many amazing sustainable products from some truly beautiful brands, I couldn’t wait to share some of my favourite products to help you make ‘just one switch’. The products range from plastic free and recyclable packaging to ethically-sourced ingredients and reusable products.
Flamingo Soap Co: Citron Handmade Artisan Soap – £6.00
|AD – Gifted| Soap bars are one of the easiest switches in your beauty routine as they integrate so easily into your existing lifestyle, and with hand-washing being so vital during these unprecedented times, they are a switch for the whole family. Flamingo Soap Co’s handmade soap bars are among my favourites, not only with their stunning, visual appearance and beautiful scents but also with their gentle yet effective performance on the skin. They don’t dry out your hands or body, they leave your skin smelling fresh after use and are completely plastic free. What I love about Flamingo Soap Co in particular is their plantable labels, not only giving you the additional gift of wildflowers in your garden but also helping pollinators do their bit for the environment.
Happy Carrot Skincare: Incredible Hero Balm – £15.00
Multipurpose products are a great way to streamline your routine and use less products, and Happy Carrot Skincare’s Incredible Carrot Hero Balm is certainly no exception. The Incredible Carrot Hero Balm is a great all-rounder as it can be used as a cleansing balm, dry skin remedy, moisturiser and even a lip balm. It comes in recycled plastic pots which is lightweight when it comes to postage, reuses plastic that would otherwise go into landfill and allows you to reuse and recycle the packaging again. This is the 15g sample size, which allows you to get a good feel for the product before purchasing full-sized and prevents product wastage. Happy Carrot Skincare also use upcycled ingredients within their formulations too, so when it comes to sustainability, Happy Carrot Skincare have certainly got you covered.
Scrubee: Coffee Face Scrub for Dry Skin – £12.99
|Ad – Gifted| Scrubee is a great choice if you’re looking for plastic free products that reuse ingredients that would otherwise end up in landfill. The brand use coffee grounds from local cafes around Birmingham in their range of face scrubs for all skin types. Each jar contains 5 cups worth of coffee grounds, along with sustainably sourced oils, to gently yet effectively exfoliate the skin. There are 4 varieties to choose from, so it is easy to find the perfect one for your skin type. What I love most is that they can also be used as body scrubs so are a great way to minimise the amount of products within your exfoliating ritual.
Tabitha Eve: Make-Up Pads/Reusable Face Rounds – £11.95
|Ad – Gifted| We are all aware of the environmental impact make-up wipes and cotton wool pads can have on the planet (as well as the skin) so if you’re still using them, or are looking for a more eco-friendly alternative, then Tabitha Eve’s Make-Up Rounds are the product for you. The organic cotton rounds are designed to use in conjunction with make-up removers and cleansers to wipe away all traces of make-up and daily dirt and grime from the skin, and then pop in the washing machine and re-use. These lovely rounds are a great size if you’re used to using cotton wool pads, feel great on your face and help to shift stubborn cosmetics without damaging the skin. They come with this handy mesh bag, so you won’t lose any in the washing machine, and the organic cotton fabric of the pads themselves means they are biodegradable when they finally reach the end of their lifespan.
Wild Rising: Moisturising Peppermint Lip Balm – £5.00
|AD – Gifted| Lip Balms are an essential item within our beauty routine, especially as we head into the cooler weather, and Wild Rising have opted for plastic free packaging for their Moisturising Lip Balm which is reusable and always recyclable. Wild Rising use organic ingredients within their skincare range so you can be safe in the knowledge that each product contains ethically sourced ingredients that meet a minimum organic standard, especially when it comes to pesticide use. What I love in particular about Wild Rising’s Lip Balm is that you can also use it anywhere on the body which is experiencing dry patches, making it a great multitasker (and perfect for on-the-go).
Zelenci Natural Health: Natural Deodorant (Citrus Grove) – £8.95 – £10.90
|AD – Gifted| Have you made the natural deodorant switch yet? If you haven’t, it could be the ‘just one switch’ that is better for your skin, health and the environment, and one that will seamlessly integrate into your existing routine. Zelenci Natural Health have created a stick deodorant in a cardboard tube packaging with a formulation that is anti microbial, gentle, soothing and moisture and aroma absorbing. It contains 100% natural ingredients, is vegan friendly, unisex and free from aluminium (which features in a lot of conventional deodorants to give them the antiperspirant property that can be harmful to your health). If you’re making eco-friendly switches in your routine then I highly recommend giving natural deodorant a try as the performance really may surprise you!
Will you be making ‘Just One Switch’ this month? Head over to Counter Culture Beauty Store to find out more about the campaign, and if you share your switch via the brand’s social media accounts before 29th October 2021 (using #justoneswitch), you’ll have the chance to win a £50 voucher to spend across the Counter Culture Beauty Store.
If you can’t wait to explore the range for yourself, simply enter the code BEAUTYFOLIO10 to get 10% off your first order.
Will you be making #justoneswitch with Counter Culture Beauty Store?
Take Care,
Emma @ Beauty Folio x
Sources: *Cambridge Dictionary **Glamour Magazine UK
Disclaimer: Some of the items featured were kindly gifted to me by Counter Culture Beauty Store. This has not influenced my thoughts and opinions in this review as everything on Beauty Folio remains #triedandtested with honest feedback on each product that has not been influenced by the brand in any way. I will never give a positive review on a product I don’t believe in just because it has been #gifted, and each product i’ve received free of charge will be labelled as such. For more details on gifted products, please check out the disclaimer section on my website which can be found here.
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