Natural Beauty Tips UK : Natural Skin

For a long time consumers have been aware that it’s simply not on to test cosmetics on animals any longer. As a result of this, 99.9% of cosmetics companies no longer test any products on animals.

However, with so many people increasingly interested in reducing landfill and saving our beautiful planet from global warming, people are becoming interested in products which are kind to the environment. However, with so many companies advertising products as “natural”, it’s confusing for the consumer to try and work out how to identify environmentally friendly products for their beauty regime.

So What Should You Look For In A Beauty Product To Show It’s Environmentally Friendly?

There are a number of things to keep an eye out for. First and foremost, that the product is not animal tested. Animals are, after all, an important part of our environment!

Other points to look out for: -

• Even products that are labelled as not having been tested on animals might contain animals. Believe it or not, slaughterhouse byproducts are often included in cosmetics. Look on the ingredients. If your intended purchase contains gelatine, collagen, or animal based emulsifiers, you’d be smearing yourself in dead animals. Yuk. Also look out for an ingredient called Spermataceti Cetaceum. This is a latin description of a product that comes from sperm whales. Seriously unfriendly to our environment!
• Avoid products containing petroleum byproducts. These come from unsustainabe sources, and are therefore not good for the enviroment. Ingredients to avoid include: Paraffin oil (or Mineral Oil), Propylene Glycol and Ethylene. Interestingly, many of these products block pores or stop skin from functioning properly by creating a barrier on the surface of the skin. Products containing coconut butter will do exactly the same job and will look after you and the environment.
• Make sure that your products’ ingredients don’t pollute the environment whilst they are being manufactured. A number of common ingredients are guilty of this.
• Make sure that the packaging your cosmetics come in are recyclable and don’t contribute to landfill. Make sure the containers your products come in state that they are recyclable. Avoid PVC containers as they are the most environmetally damaging. Greenpeace recommends using glass containers if possible.

So Where can we buy products that fit the environmental bill?

Increasing numbers of retailers see the need to be sustainable. The most obvious of these is The Body Shop, which was set up around solid environmental principles.

Their online shop stocks everything from lip balm to bath goodies. Check them out here.