The term “sustainable” is one that’s been used almost excessively in recent years but what does it actually mean and why is it so important? How does sustainability apply to beauty products, specifically? It can be a confusing topic which is why in this article, we’ll discuss what makes a beauty product sustainable, what sustainable ingredients are, what sustainable packaging is, and why it’s so important to our planet. We’ll also discuss why we, at Fleur & Bee use sustainably sourced ingredients and why we use sustainable packaging.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Although we usually think of “sustainability” as making sure we’re not harming the environment, it also means ensuring that we’re not causing harm to future generations.
Good to Know: Fleur & Bee uses sustainable ingredients and packaging for all our products.
What Is the Definition of Sustainable?
The definition of sustainable depends on whom you ask, but generally speaking, the definition most referred to is the one set by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
In other words, it’s the belief that natural resources are finite; if the current generations aren’t careful, they could exploit or misuse those resources in a way that will make it impossible for future generations to put them to use for themselves.
Why Are Sustainable Ingredients So Crucial in Beauty Products?
As a simple example of what can happen when we don’t practice sustainability, let’s use deforestation. Let’s say that we chop down a whole forest in order to build a mall. Once that forest is chopped down, it’s gone--those trees aren’t coming back. And because of that, animal species that once made the forest their home have nowhere to go, and they may die out. Deforestation also causes an environmental imbalance, which leads to climate change.
Obviously, this is just one small, very simplistic example of why sustainability is so important and how just one act can drastically change an environment.
For this reason, we don’t use ingredients that harm the environment, even if they’re commonly used by other companies.
Let’s take parabens, for example. Aside from the fact that they are thought to act in the body as endocrine disruptors and can cause cancer, parabens (often used as a preservative in beauty products) are thought to be harmful to the environment. When found in some sea life, they can have a detrimental, even devastating effect on creatures and plant life in the oceans.
Sulfates are another category of ingredients you should know about. If you’ve ever used a soap or shampoo that lathers up well, it might be from the inclusion of sulfates. Sulfates are often used in beauty products to help generate lather & make your products foamy. The reason sulfates are on the list of “nasty” ingredients is because sulfates are thought to cause irritation to the skin. Aside from that, they’re pretty bad for the planet. Sulfates often contain palm oil, which has come under fire in recent years because the methods for obtaining it include deforestation in tropical rainforests. This upsets the delicate ecosystems of these forests and destroys the habitats of many endangered species.
What To Look For in Sustainable Beauty Products?
Now that we’ve gone over some of the ingredients you don’t want in your beauty products, let’s talk about what you should look for in sustainable skincare products. You might think it’s as simple as finding a company that claims to be “green” or “natural” or “environmentally friendly,” but the problem is, those terms aren’t regulated and even if their products are “green,” their packaging might not be and vice versa. That’s why we’ve created a solid checklist of what to look for in sustainable beauty products:
1. Check the ingredients - For starters, you want to look for a company or product that uses NO parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, GMOs, artificial fragrances, gluten, or dyes. At Fleur & Bee, we are completely committed to making sure ALL of our products are completely free of these ingredients.
2. Check the packaging - Just as harmful ingredients end up in landfill, oceans, and crop soil, so do the materials from packaging. At Fleur & Bee, all our receptacles are made of glass to reduce plastic waste. Our packaging is made using FSC-certified, 100% recycled post-consumer waste paperboard.
3. Check to see if the company uses animal or animal byproducts - With all the companies out there today that claim to be “cruelty-free,” it might surprise you to learn that the term “cruelty free” isn’t actually regulated. If you want to ensure that the beauty products you use aren’t causing harm to animals, look to see if they’re Leaping Bunny certified. If they are, that means they’ve passed a rigorous set of criteria that proves they do not perform any kind of animal testing or cruelty, nor do they incorporate ingredients from companies that do. Their supply chains are also free of animal cruelty and testing, and they agree not to resort to animal testing to comply with the requirements of other countries.
Fleur & Bee is proud to say we are Leaping Bunny certified.
4. Check the company’s mission statement - When a company is committed to sustainability, they’ll tell you. Look out for their mission statement and see if what they are offering backs it up. If you’ve ever read through our site, you know we have a very strong commitment to a “do no harm” attitude whether that means the ingredients we use, our commitment to recyclable packaging, or the lengths we go to to make sure we’re not harming animals.
Why Is This Important?
Perhaps the biggest lesson is this: when you refuse to use products that contain “nasties” like the ones we’ve mentioned previously, you’re not just protecting your own health, you’re protecting the collective health of the planet, its animals, its ecosystem, and your fellow humans. We hope we’ve convinced you to have a look at your beauty products and make some changes, if you haven’t already.
Looking for clean and sustainable beauty products? We’ve got just the thing. We’ve made it easy for you to find everything you need, from start to finish, with our Deluxe Set. This 5-piece skincare set is manufactured with 100% wind energy, as all our products are, and always ships with carbon neutral shipping.