The Environmental Impact of Cosmetic Ingredients and Materials
The cosmetics industry has seen its share of ethical questioning over the years. Given issues such as the use of unnatural substances and chemicals, animal testing practices, and little warning about potential health concerns, it is no surprise that fewer people are wearing makeup these days. However, people should not feel the need to drop their hobbies, interests, and lifestyles just to stay safe and make the planet cleaner. Instead, the average cosmetics consumer needs to understand the environmental and health impacts of the industry, so they can make more informed choices about the brands and products they choose.
Beauty At What Cost?
According to the social justice platform TRVST, beauty packaging amounts to 120 billion units of trash each year, including plastic, paper, glass, and metals that are improperly recycled and ultimately end up in landfills. Many beauty products also create a high demand for natural oils, leading to extensive and intensive cultivation, harming natural habitats through deforestation, and contaminating soil and water through pesticides and fertilizers. The social side of the beauty industry is no less scary, with unethical practices such as the use of mica, a natural silicate mineral dust, found in many cosmetic products to brighten and add shine. Mica mining has seen a fair share of backlash from environmentalists, as studies show extensive and undisclosed child labor in mines throughout Jharkhand and Bihar, India.
To make better choices as consumers, it’s crucial to be conscious of the products we buy and their environmental impact. When purchasing a new beauty product, it’s important to consider how it was made, who made it, and what is in the product. This approach allows us to see the bigger picture behind conscious consumerism, where our purchasing power can create a big difference in such a large industry. While it may be tempting to buy a new product advertised by our favorite social media influencer, sustainability-minded people should fact-check products, watch for greenwashing, and make better choices as consumers.
Packaging waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the cosmetics industry. According to a report by Zero Waste Scotland, the average UK household produces around 23 kg of plastic packaging waste each year, with a significant portion of this coming from cosmetics and personal care products. According to Euromonitor, in 2018, the United States produced over 7.9 billion units of cosmetic waste. This waste contributes to global plastic pollution and causes the depletion of natural resources while also emitting greenhouse gases. To combat this issue, many cosmetics brands are now using eco-friendly packaging materials such as glass, paper, and recycled plastic, which are biodegradable or recyclable and have a lower carbon footprint than traditional virgin plastic packaging. To further reduce waste, consumers should choose products with sustainable packaging or buy larger sizes to minimize packaging waste. Additionally, microbeads, tiny plastic beads found in some exfoliating products like scrubs and toothpaste, pose a serious threat to marine life and waterways. It’s better to choose exfoliating products that use natural ingredients like salt, sugar, or crushed seeds instead of microbeads.
Bio-based products and packaging that are fully compostable offer an amazing opportunity for a more sustainable cosmetics industry. When composted, these products close the loop of their lifecycle, reducing emissions and creating new soil that can be used to support soil health in communities. As consumers become more conscious of their environmental impact, choosing fully compostable bio-based products and packaging can significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and contribute to a more circular economy. This makes it a win-win situation for both the environment and the cosmetics industry.
The production of cosmetics begins with the acquisition of raw materials. Makeup typically contains oils and surface-active agents. Natural materials, like minerals, plants, and animal products, and synthetic materials, like parabens, sulfates, and silicones, are used. Natural, organic products do not include dyes, preservatives, or synthetic fragrances. Synthetic ingredients are man-made and can be harmful to your skin. However, it is important to consider that synthetic materials can have perks, like being longer-lasting with preservatives, using lab-derived ingredients that can have a smaller environmental impact, and creating a more affordable product.
In addition, these ingredients could be tested on animals at any step of the formulation process. Although the FDA does not require animal testing for cosmetics before they are launched to market, it does permit it. Animal testing for cosmetics includes skin and eye irritation tests in which chemicals are rubbed into skin or dripped into their eyes. Some cosmetic companies label their products ‘Cruelty-free’, but this is still an unregulated label that can be put on finished products even though the ingredients could be sourced from suppliers who tested on animals. Check out this infographic by the Humane Society if you’re looking to buy cruelty-free products.Most of the time, makeup is thrown away and ends up in landfills. When makeup products end up in landfills, they can have negative impacts on the environment. The specific effects depend on the materials used in the makeup products, as well as the conditions of the landfill. Some common makeup ingredients, such as plastics, metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury, and synthetic chemicals like parabens and pthalates, do not easily break down in landfills and can persist for many years. This can lead to the accumulation of waste and pollution in the landfill. Leachate, or the liquid that comes from the makeup and seeps into the soil, can contaminate nearby soil and water sources. Additionally, when makeup products are not disposed of properly, they can also pose a risk to wildlife that may mistake the products for food or become entangled in packaging materials.
