The beauty industry, like so many other industries in this day and age, plays its own role in contributing to pollution. From chemicals in the water to rare or unsustainably sourced ingredients to the very packaging it comes in, beauty products are just as important a source of environmental damage as any other. How can you combat this damage and do your own small part to reverse the damage we are doing to the planet? Here are just a few ideas for where you can start.

Chemical Composition

First off all you want to consider what goes into your cosmetics. Look at the ingredients list and check dermal repair complex reviews as well as reviews for all your favorite products in order to see if any chemical irritants are in your cosmetics. dermatologists and other experts in the field can tell you what kinds of chemicals have an adverse effect on your skin and the environment. 

Sustainable Sourcing

That said, just because the ingredients in your cosmetics were not made in a lab does not mean that they are inherently good for you. Chemicals are chemicals whether they come from a test tube or a tree, and when an ingredient has come from a tree, you must ask if that ingredient was harvested sustainably.

Testing Standards

With cosmetics especially, it is also necessary to ask how your favorite products were tested. Of course you want to know that these products were tested to be sure that they are safe for human skin, but you also want to know that the testing was humane for the test subjects. Cruelty-free cosmetics are easy enough to find, as long as you know that it's something you should be looking for.

Packaging

A more obvious thing to check for if you know that it's something to consider is the packaging. Cosmetics tend, more than other products to have a lot of packaging for not a whole lot of product. Think of your basic eye shadow palette. It seems like a small item, to be sure, but think about how much of that palette is plastic or other non-recyclable materials and how much is the actual product. Try looking instead for brands that sell their products in recyclable packaging. Some brands even sell refills, so you don't have to buy a whole new palette when your favorite shade runs out. Any small thing you can do to reduce waste is a good thing to do.

Disposal

All of these questions come together when it comes time to dispose of your old cosmetics. Remember, cosmetics have expiration dates too, and using expired cosmetics can be just as bad for you as using expired groceries. However, your cosmetics may include chemicals or special ingredients, and their packaging often includes small plastic pieces. Be careful that whatever you throw away doesn't end up tainting the freshwater supply or being swallowed by some unwary animal just trying to find a snack.

This all may seem like a small thing. After all, beauty products probably account for a relatively small percentage of your overall purchases. The beauty industry probably isn't one of the primary sources of chemical waste and pollution, so why bother? We bother because the fight to save the planet is one that must be fought on every level if it is to succeed. These changes are not small to the animals that won't be tested on or the habitats that will be just that little bit less damaged by the small changes that people like you make every day. It is only by everyone doing their part that the planet can be saved.