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Brands are launching greener alternatives everyday. However, this can be confusing because not everything that has a green package or a label that says “natural” or “organic” is actually an eco-friendly makeup brand.
So, how can you choose an eco friendly makeup brand that really cares about the environment? It can be very challenging but with this post you will be able to identify the most important aspects you should pay attention when you are deciding which makeup brands to choose or not.
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Why do we need to do research on the makeup brands?
It turns out that in some countries, there is no obligation for the government or authorities to check that the product is really what it says it is before they start selling it. This is very overwhelming because we may believe that everything that is on shelves at grocery stores has passed rigorous safety procedures and evaluations.
As I mentioned before, it depends completely upon each country. However, just in the United States, the FDA is not obliged to check every brand before it starts to sell their products. This is not exclusive to green brands, this is how it works for every single makeup brand. The FDA can only take enforcement actions against makeup brands that are not following the law.
So, companies and manufacturers are legally responsible for their safety procedures. This is a huge risk for counterfeit products which I address later.
So, can you be sure that you are purchasing a safe and eco friendly makeup? Although there is not a 100% correct answer, these guidelines can help you.
It can be exhausting to check every product, nevertheless, it is our responsibility because if no one is doing it, then we should take care of ourselves by learning which ingredients we are giving to our body.
What makes your makeup eco friendly?
There are dozens of reasons why a brand can be considered sustainable or not, from the ingredients they use, to the fabrication process, to packaging and delivery and more. It is necessary to say that there is not a perfect makeup brand because we still have a long path ahead to improve methods and to discover new materials.
On the other hand, it is important to remember that every product contaminates in one way or another, even if it follows the ultimate sustainable steps of the circular economy. However, there are many brands that are following the right path and others that are ignoring it.
So let’s support those who are willing to do their best! Here are some of the most important elements you should consider when buying eco friendly makeup. They are in no particular order, because one criteria doesn’t exclude the importance of the other. The ideal goal is to find a brand that meets all of the following criteria.
Be careful with counterfeit brands
This is an extremely delicate topic and it is not exclusive to eco friendly makeup. For those who don’t know, some people imitate makeup brands and sell their products at physical and online markets. These imitations don’t follow any sanitary procedures and they substitute ingredients with cheaper versions of them or use ingredients that are prohibited on makeup such as lead or mercury.
Using this makeup can result in serious health consequences such as cancer, memory loss, miscarriage or fertility problems, and more.
Every day the counterfeit products get better and better and proof of that is that even if the police examine the products, they don’t discover they are fake. This happens at the borders where the police randomly examine some international shipments. However, it is impossible to check all of them.
So what can you do? Well, you won’t be doing any chemistry analysis so what you can do is to avoid buying in stores that are not official. Abstain from buying in markets or online marketplaces where the seller is not the brand or an authorized seller, and instead it is a third-party seller.
Another tip is if you see that the product advertised on the online marketplace has a cheaper price than the one published in the official store, it is best not to purchase it. You can still buy online, but always purchase it from the official online store.
If you want to learn more about counterfeit makeup brands and how it affects your health, the economy and the environment, you can watch the first episode of Broken on Netflix.
Cruelty-free makeup
We need more cruelty-free products if we really want to be sustainable, not only because of the ethical implications, but also because of the amount of waste and dangerous consequences.
In addition to this, cruelty-free products tend to have less chemicals which means less harm to the planet and to our body. Beware, that just because it has the People for the Ethical Treatments of Animals (PETA) logo it doesn’t mean that the product is free of chemicals or that they do not use chemicals that were tested on animals years ago.
PETA certifications are internationally recognized and they certify that the product has not been tested on animals. If the logo has the word “vegan” it means it has a double certification confirming it is cruelty-free and vegan.
Using the PETA logo means that the company has promised to never test on animals again, but they can still use past discoveries in their products or opt for new investigation methods that don’t harm the animals.
Laboratories that continue to practice animal testing produce tons of waste including chemicals and having to dispose of millions of dead animals. There are many alternatives for new product tests so there is no need to kill millions of animals yearly to get a new lipstick.
One of the alternatives is to use natural ingredients or chemicals tested on artificial human skin, although it would be necessary to check how it affects the environment. Joining PETA’s program only costs $350 dollars, so there is no excuse as to why a brand would not get a certification if they are really changing.
Vegan makeup
Vegan makeup is the ultimate and most authentic version of a cruelty-free makeup because it means that the product doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Nonetheless, vegan and cruelty-free are different because vegan makeup can not contain animal substances but it could have been tested on animals. That is why it is important to distinguish the differences between both categories.
The most common animal-derived ingredients are beeswax (cera alba), carmine and honey. Unfortunately, the list of animal ingredients is endless so you will have to look up for certifications such as the one offered by PETA or look for more information depending on each brand.
Nevertheless, here are the top 5 animal ingredients regularly used by makeup brands that you should avoid:
- Glycerine (derived from animals’ fat) This is used in most makeup products.
- Lanolin (derived from sheep wool)
- Collagen (derived from animal cartilage)
- Keratin (derived from animal hair and horns)
- Guanine (derived from the fish’s scales)
Greenwashing makeup brands
Greenwashing is a communication strategy companies use in order to improve their reputation or increase their sales by focusing on advertising the green characteristics of their products.
They promote their products as eco friendly but sometimes they are not… other times, the product is more sustainable but the company has not changed their production waste disposing habits and their sustainable values.
Greenwashing is a superficial change, while being sustainable means a lot of hard work to make a brand eco friendly.
Some companies want to be green heroes and launch green product lines. The main problem is that we do not question those companies who only launch an eco friendly product line while continuing to contaminate and produce high levels of CO2.
Just because a package is green and has a copy that says “eco friendly” doesn’t mean that company is being responsible. Sadly, some companies only use the green movement as an opportunity to get new customers.
What can you do?
You can check their Social Responsibility website. See if they are changing from the core or if they are only mitigating the horrible damage they have done.
Unfortunately, some green certifications, mentions or awards are only won if… you pay to join. So next time you see top multinationals as leaders in social responsibility look for their carbon footprint in NGOs websites like Greenpeace and compare results.
Other useful advice is to see if the brand is following the Sustainable Development Goals established by experts and scientists in the United Nations. There are 17 sustainable goals everyone should accomplish before the deadline of 2030 in order to save the planet and have a sustainable future.
It is frustrating trying to consume consciously and finding these communications strategies that do not help the planet. We get very excited when we find a new eco friendly alternative and we let ourselves get carried by it. I recommend checking my post on The Most Common Mistakes of Going Zero Waste so you do not have to worry about this anymore.
Finally, other advice is that if you have any questions regarding their practices, ask them. If they are a sustainable brand, they will proudly share with you everything they are doing.
Some labels or certifications that can help
There are some labels that can make your decision easier, however, some certifications can be ambiguous. That is why it is important not only to look at labels, but also to focus on the other elements listed in the post. There are more than 456 ecolabels and in many cases it can vary upon each country. Do not hesitate and look up every label that you do not recognize.
A common thought is, “how can we make companies change?” Without legislation and government support it can be very difficult, however, it is not impossible.
Remember that each time we make a conscious purchase, we are demanding the brands to be more conscious too. The consumer has the ultimate power to decide if we want to consume harmful products and keep brands in the market, or if we refuse to follow their procedures. Companies invest thousands of dollars in market investigations. They want to know people’s behaviors and preferences. Being sustainable is becoming a more recurrent characteristic in consumers preferences, and that is why more businesses are focusing on social responsibility. Now more than ever, consumers have the power to change brands.
You may also want to learn Why We Don’t Care About the Climate Crisis
