Sustainable, clean, green, non-toxic, organic, eco-friendly, zero-waste… We get it, beauty. With so many buzzwords floating about, it can be hard to know if you’re choosing the right products for your skin AND the planet. 

But don’t stress (after all, it’s ageing). Small steps can make a big difference, and these 5 easy ways to reduce your beauty carbon footprint really are as simple as they are impactful. Try them today for guilt-free pampering tomorrow – and beyond. 

1. Choose sustainable beauty brands

Want to see a cleaner, greener, more ethical beauty industry? You’ve gotta put your money where your mouth is. This means taking a closer look at things like packaging and ingredients and supporting brands that are committed to sustainable practices. 

Keep an eye out for companies using 100% recyclable packaging and sustainably sourced ingredients, like Sand & Sky. 

This kind of info should be readily available on your favourite beauty brands’ websites. (You can find ours right here.) If not? You might want to ask yourself exactly what it is they’re hiding… 

2. Ditch disposable makeup wipes

Disposable makeup remover wipes aren’t just rubbish for your skin – they trash the actual planet. Contributing 7.6 billion pounds to landfill annually, these single-use sinners are also responsible for 75% of sewer blockages. It’s totally gross and pretty darn scary, right, so isn’t it time we moved on?

Thankfully, a MUCH more sustainable option exists in the form of reusable bamboo cleansing pads. Eco-friendly and oh-so-soft, these convenient, machine-washable wipes work like magic to remove all traces of makeup, without irritating sensitive skin. 

Ideal for all skin types, the Sand & Sky Bamboo Cleansing Kit contains four cleansing rounds made from 80% sustainably sourced bamboo and 20% cotton. Simply combine with water and your go-to cleanser for a clean complexion and even clearer conscience. 

3. Upcycle your empties

If you’re serious about sustainable beauty, make reduce, REUSE, recycle your MO. One easy way to do this is to get creative and upcycle spent skincare and body care containers destined for the bin. 

For a super easy DIY project, put a drainage hole in the bottom of your Sand & Sky Smoothing Body Sand tub to create a cute little planter. Or why not repurpose your Australian Emu Apple Enzyme Powder Polish pot into a handy pen or makeup brush holder? Not only will you feel all crafty and clever, you’ll save yourself a tenner – or more. Just remember to pop your projects in the recycling when their second-life is through. 

4. Choose reef-safe sunscreen

It’s not just single use plastics that are hazardous to our marine life – there are ingredients in our sunscreen that can wreak havoc with our oceans. The main culprits? Certain chemical UV filters, particularly oxybenzone, which have been found to cause coral bleaching.

As an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen ends up in coral reefs globally each year, it pays to make sure yours is reef safe. While there are some reef-friendly oxybenzone-free chemical options, in many cases your best bet is to reach for a mineral sunscreen that uses zinc or titanium dioxide to deflect damaging rays. 

5. Simplify your routine

Ask yourself this – do you REALLY need to follow a 10-step skincare routine, morning and night? No, we don’t reckon you do either. You’ll eliminate a lot of waste – and save precious time – by sticking with a streamlined routine of hard-working, multi-tasking products. 

So, instead of impulse buying gimmicky beauty prods, choose skin, hair and body care products that have multiple benefits and 5-star customer reviews. Like our detoxifying, pore-refining and brightening pink clay mask for example. Just sayin’.