Your beauty routine is a deeply personal thing, and at its core, it's very much about hygiene and self-care. That said, our beauty routines can be very harmful, not just to the environment but also to ourselves. Putting harsh chemicals on our skin and creating harmful waste for the environment isn't exactly the best way to take care of yourself. If you're looking to build a better, greener, kinder beauty routine, here are a few tips to get started. 

Choose Eco-friendly

The first step may seem absurdly obvious, but it's also in many ways the most important. Choose eco-friendly products, but more importantly, request them. If you ask for eco-friendly products at your local makeup counter, they will start to stock them. If you ask the customer service of your favorite brands what they are doing, they will feel the pressure to do something. Without a little push in the right direction, you probably won't see the changes you want to see. 

Do Your Research

Now it's time for a deeper cut. When you're shopping eco-friendly, don't take a claim at face value. Whenever you're trying a new product, check for reviews, like at Beverly Hills MD reviews. Just because a product claims to be eco-friendly doesn't mean it is eco-friendly, and not everything you might think of as "green" actually is. For example, vegan products are often touted as organic and eco-friendly, but vegan leather is frequently plastic, non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. Vegan cosmetics aren't made from animal products, but that doesn't mean they weren't tested on animals. Cruelty-free cosmetics weren't tested on animals, but that doesn't mean they don't contain animal products. 

Check Certifications

One way to educate yourself about your beauty products is by researching its various certifications. When you see a symbol on a product, that symbol means that the product complies with certain standards, and it's not generally hard to find out what those standards are. You can also check how those standards are checked and enforced, which in turn tells you how relevant and meaningful those standards are. 

Read the Ingredients

There is an old Russian proverb that got popularized in the 80s: trust, but verify. Even after you've verified the certifications and claims, you should still check the ingredients. Don't automatically shy away from long chemical names. There is a misconception that all chemicals must be bad for you, but everything in nature has a chemical name. Something as simple and harmless as water could be chemically described as "dihydrogen oxide," "hydroxic acid" or (as per International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry recommendations) "oxidane." So it's not enough to read the ingredients, one must also know what the ingredients mean. 

Reduce Waste

If all that research seems like too much hassle, there's something else you can do to build a beauty routine that's better for you and for the planet: reduce waste products. This is easier said than done; many beauty products come in heavy plastics that can't be recycled. This is often necessary to protect the product within, but it can create a lot of waste. The goal is to minimize products that have a lot of packaging, like eye shadow and travel-sized products, and buy in bulk wherever you can. Shampoo, conditioner, and lotions are often easy to buy in bulk and last a long time.

Seek Eco-Friendly Salons

If all this seems overwhelming, don't despair. There are people who can help! In fact, there are people whose whole job is to help you build a better beauty routine. Makeup stores often have detailed information about where their products come from and what exactly is in them. Look for salons and beauty parlors in your area that specialize in organic products. Not only will they help you look and feel fabulous, they'll be able to recommend products that are good for you and for the planet. 

Remember: diligence is key, because new studies are being done all the time. As science learns more, you can have a better and better idea of what effect your routine is having on yourself and your planet.