“Sustainability” is an important new term in the skin care and beauty industries these days. But while you may understand, in general, that the “sustainability” and similar terms you might see in skin care advertisements refer to earth-friendly principles, do you know what it means in terms of actual manufacturing practices? Here are a few things to look for.
Low-Impact Packaging
Sustainable packaging practices are the most visible clues of how serious a brand is about earth-friendly practices. Avoid products with individually-wrapped units, or the notorious “jar within a box, within an even bigger box.”
But it also pays to read the information that’s either provided with the product, or is listed on the brand’s website. Packaging made from recycled materials, and/or with materials the consumer can easily recycle, is always preferable to tons of shrink-wrapping or coated cardboard. Some innovators are even using bottles or boxes which are entirely compostable. Others have come up with refill options that are truly low-waste.
Careful Harvesting
All-natural products are obviously a big part of what consumers are looking for when it comes to sustainability in their skincare products. But are those ingredients being harvested in a way that doesn’t scar the planet, or that makes use of something that was otherwise wasted by another industry? One so-called byproduct is olive leaf, a skin-enriching botanical that is “rescued” when the olives themselves are harvested for edible products.
Another example of sustainable harvesting is provided by the brand Spa Technologies. The company not only uses natural botanicals like seaweed, but is careful to harvest seaweed as non-disruptively as possible. In addition, Spa Technology’s ingredients are almost 100 percent vegan (and when using “non-vegan” ingredients like honey, collects that honey in a way that least impacts the bees).
Carbon-Conscious Practices
Keep an eye out for brands that actively advertise reducing their carbon footprint, meaning the overall impact they make on the planet. There are many ways to do this, from donating percentages of profits to environmental groups, to using production practices that reduce chemical and energy use.
You’ll find that brands that are truly passionate about going carbon-negative will even factor in employee commutes and what kind of coffee filters they use when it comes to giving back to the earth!
Interested in Learning More?
Chances are, your clients will increasingly be requesting products that use sustainability practices. The New York Institute of Beauty not only integrates these principles into its esthetics and beauty curriculum, but also carries sustainability-created products like those made by Spa Technologies. Contact us today to learn more about NYIB and its programs.
