Beauty lover or not, it¡¯s hard to escape the clutches of the makeup industry, given the number of advertisements that you come across while surfing the Internet. If you are a makeup enthusiast, you keep piling on your stash mindlessly, a new highlighter here or new concealer there.
Before you know it, there¡¯s whole cabinet full of makeup that you or may not use; the worst part being that more than half the products are non-sustainable and one of the biggest contributors to environmental pollution, and this is something most of us are living in denial about.
The beauty industry is often portrayed one filled with glittering, glamorous and heavenly smelling products, packaged in brightly-coloured bottles, but there¡¯s an ugly side to it.
According to this report, ?many of the products that we use on a daily basis, are not assessed for the kind of harm they cause to natural resources. Oceans being the worst sufferers of cosmetic use. Take for instance the shampoos and shower gels that men and women both use - reportedly, products used by women have over 80 per cent harmful chemicals, and those used by men, close to 60 per cent.
Every day when you're lathering on shower gels and fancy soaps, applying your eyeshadows and highlighters, spraying dry shampoo, or dabbing on perfume every morning,?you almost never think about the sustainability factor. From foundations to shampoos,?almost everything comes in plastic packaging. They are almost always packaged in swathes of cellophane, cardboard and paper and looking pretty for a while before being thrown into the trash.
It¡¯s time we took a step back and assessed all the unnecessary money we¡¯ve spent on products that are doing more harm than good.
It¡¯s time we built a collective conscience to cut consumption and opt for greener, easier, methods of beauty, and look more closely into supply chains and their impact, before buying something?from the market.
For those who are going to make that conscious shift towards a more sustainable beauty regime lifestyle, here are a few DIY tips on making your very own sustainable and eco-friendly makeup and grooming products:
We¡¯ve all gone on an insane spree to buy shades of nail paints that we think we absolutely need, and more often than not, they tend to dry up after not being used and we end up trashing them. To stop this vicious cycle of buying more?and more nail paints, switch to a more sustainable way and use the makeup you already have, to make some cool nail paint.
You need an unused eye shadow palette, a bottle of clear nail paint and a toothpick to mix the contents and a bottle.
Put a small amount of finely crushed eye shadow into the bottle. You can even play with the eye shadow colours that you have. Now, open your clear polish and pour the entire bottle into the container, on top of the eye shadow. Use your mixing stick and combine the two very well. And viola you have your very own nail polish!
Moving away from the loud coloured lips, a softer, more subtle look with lip stains is the hottest look these days. The market throws up a million choices for lip stains packaged in cute little bottles (all which are almost always plastic). Now apart from being a massive waste of money, they are also non sustainable.
Beetroot is your best friend when it comes to getting extra pigmented lip stains. The easiest way to achieve this is to get some natural beetroot powder from the market, some glycerine and distilled water. If not beetroot powder, you can always crush them in a mixer and you¡¯ll get the pigment.
Now put some beetroot powder in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of glycerin and mix them well together and add some distilled water for the thin consistency. There, you have the perfect tint.
Most of us have no clue about the ingredients that go into makeup products that we buy from a drug store or online. Relying entirely on the packaging is not?a good idea. When you have the option to see each and everything that goes into making a product, why not test it out, right?
All you need is coconut oil - or even better, castor oil - and some activated charcoal, that you can easily get from a pharmacy. You just need to mix it all up and apply. Oil is great for coating each individual strand of your eyelashes without clumping. It also helps in re-growth and keeps your lashes nourished.
The deodorants, perfumes and soaps that?keep us smelling like a dream are actually fouling the air beyond repair, and are also harming our health subtly every day.
A study released by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado at Boulder, warns us to start paying attention to common household products that release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
For those of us who have sought a more natural option, all you need is Coconut Oil, 3 teaspoons of Baking Soda, 2 teaspoons of? Shea Butter, some arrowroot powder and essential pils for fragrance and you are all set for an make that organic switch in terms of deodorants.?
Our grandmothers know better about body polishing than fancy brands that sell products to lure us into the consumerism loop. Things like turmeric, coffee powder, oatmeal, rice powder and sandalwood? have been used since time immemorial. So, take a vow to stop buying store-bought body polishing items and whip up your very own concoction in the comfort of your kitchen.
If you love some filter coffee, you can always use the left over powder to make a natural scrub. Coffee powder is known for it's anti-oxidants and gives your skin that soft supple glow. You can also mix honey milk turmeric and sandalwood to make a aromatic body polish.?
When it comes to men's grooming products, the market is flooded with a thousand options. Make the switch to more eco-friendly and safer options.
For a simple shave oil product,?you'll need 20 ml castor oil, 10 ml olive oil, 5 ml vitamin E oil and 10 drops sandalwood essential oil. Mix it all up and put it in a container. It will give your skin that extra layer of moisture, lubrication, and ultimately comfort you after a shave.?
Have you ever wondered what women did for eyeshadows in ancient? times? Well, the only viable options at the time were naturally-pigmented colours from fruits, cinnabar (FYI, cinnbar is a toxic substance. You might want to steer clear of this one), vermilion, combined with beeswax as binding product.
For a homemade eyeshadow, you can use natural pigments like cocoa powder, spirulina powder and dried beetroot powder. You can also buy some cosmetic mica powder, which is a fine mineral powder that is available online. To bind the powder, you can use shea butter or cocoa butter and transfer the pressed powder into a container.?
All you need for this magic concoction is almond oil, 1 tablespoon cocoa butter, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon rosewater, , this is a great homemade night cream for dry skin and also saves all the extra bucks you spend on expensive creams.?
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In a small container, combine equal parts aloe vera gel (preferably the plant and not the store-bought gel) and raw honey.?Add 2 tbsp of oil of your choice for every 1 cup of cleanser. Store in an airtight container, and be sure to keep your cleanser in the refrigerator. There you have it, an eco-friendly makeup remover.?
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All you need is some coconut oil, activated charcoal capsules and some aloe vera gel; thoroughly mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Be sure to store this in a dark and cool place and you'll never have to spend a bomb on a fancy eyeliner again.?
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You'll need arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, bentonite clay, cinnamon, vitamin E capsule and some aroma oil. Gather your ingredients and a non-metallic bowl, and the ratio for each ingredient will depend on your skin complexion. Mix all your foundation powder ingredients in a bowl and viola you have your very own foundation.?
Illustration By Ranak Mann