Tips for clean and sustainable beauty

You may be surprised to hear that you use cosmetics every day, even if you think you don’t. From makeup to toothpaste, these count as cosmetics. As we use these products daily, how can we ensure that they are both sustainable for the environment and not harmful to our health? Here we’ll share our tips for clean and sustainable beauty by telling you what to look for, what to avoid and some easy swaps for the next time you shop.

The hidden chemicals in cosmetics

Despite their universal use, cosmetics can have all sorts of nasties in them that are hard to identify on labels. These include chemicals that interfere with your hormones known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), such as:

• Parabens – preservatives used to prevent products from spoiling. Look for ingredients ending in ‘-paraben’.
• Phthalates – added to fragrances but not listed on labels, as brands aren’t required to disclose scent ingredients. Look for the term’s ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’.
• PFAS (forever chemicals) – used to give waterproof properties to cosmetics. Ingredients with ‘fluoro’ in their name likely contain PFAS.
• Microplastics – tiny pieces of plastic (<5mm) that do not break down and can absorb EDCs/harmful chemicals. Glitter in makeup can be made of small plastic pieces, which are classified as microplastic.

How does this impact your health?

Harmful chemicals in cosmetics can be absorbed through your skin or inhaled. Once in your body, some of these EDCs can be quickly eliminated but others may accumulate.

Harmful chemicals have been found in blood, urine, fat and breast tissue and may be linked with diabetes, obesity, fertility issues and some cancers. Your susceptibility to EDCs may be higher during certain life stages, which could put you at risk of developing health problems later in life.

Cosmetics and breast cancer

Some EDCs found in cosmetics may play a role in breast cancer by interfering with your hormones. High levels of the female hormone oestrogen or prolonged exposure to it throughout your life can increase your breast cancer risk. So, chemicals that mimic oestrogen might promote cancer. 

In laboratory studies, EDCs have been shown to interfere with hormones and cause changes to breast cancer cells which indicates a possible role in promoting cancer. Whilst more research is needed, some evidence also suggests these harmful chemicals could increase breast cancer risk in humans. 

What about the environment? 

Cosmetics can release chemicals into our environment polluting our countryside and rivers. Some, such as microplastics and PFAS, can accumulate and persist for long periods and are particularly harmful to wildlife.

Packaging materials (especially plastic) can also end up polluting the environment. Whilst recycling is important, it uses a lot of energy and can create air pollution. So, why not look for more sustainable alternatives that produce less waste?

Are better options available?

As more people become aware of the impact of toxic chemicals found in cosmetics, demand for clean and sustainable alternatives is rising. Cosmetic companies and smaller brands now offer more and more products free from toxic chemicals and plastic packaging.

But how do you know what to look for? The volume of products on offer can be a little overwhelming. Being confident in your choices is also tricky as products can sometimes be falsely advertised as clean and sustainable.

To help you get started on your sustainable cosmetics journey, here are our tips for clean and sustainable beauty:

Our tips

• Double-check greenwashing claims such as “natural”, “biodegradable” and “chemical-free”. Do your research and look at the ingredient labels.
• Choose unscented or fragrance-free products and avoid cosmetics listing “fragrance”, “perfume” or “parfum” as ingredients.
• Avoid waterproof cosmetics and glitter. These products can release forever chemicals or microplastics into the environment.
• When shopping online, only buy cosmetics from trusted websites based in the UK or EU. Products from other countries may not meet the same safety standards.
• For organic beauty products, look for the Soil Association COSMOS Organic logo, which guarantees that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic.
• Use fewer cosmetics and buy multi-purpose products to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals and generate less waste. Or why not go makeup-free?
• Ask yourself “Do I really need it?”. Do you need those disposable wipes (even if biodegradable), or would a reusable cotton cloth work? This is more environmentally and economically friendly.
• Whilst most packaging can be recycled at home, some empty products may not be accepted by your council. Look out for recycling schemes run by high street shops where you can collect rewards for recycling your empties at the store.
• Swap your shower gel, liquid soap and shampoo for solid bars. These last longer than liquid products and produce less waste. But if solid bars aren’t for you, look for a zero-waste shop where you can refill your bottles.
• Check out your local supermarket. Sustainable alternatives might not be placed at eye level, so look at shelves higher up or lower down.

What tools are there to help me?

If the above seems a little overwhelming, don’t panic! We recommend using a couple of tools that can help take the stress out of identifying sustainable alternatives:

• Check ingredient labels against our A to Z List of Chemicals of Concern to avoid EDCs and other toxic chemicals.
• Download the Yuka app*. Reading ingredient labels can be hard – why is the font so small and ingredient names so complicated? Scan products with the app to get a risk rating that can help you decide and look for safer alternatives.

Remember, any small change can make a difference. If you’ve swapped your lipstick but can’t find an alternative to your favourite foundation, that’s fine! Just keep an eye out in the future.

Before you go – wait! Although the above is important, please don’t throw away your unfinished products but look for alternatives when they run out!

If you liked our tips for clean and sustainable beauty and want to help us get EDCs removed from everyday products, pledge your support here.

*not affiliated with Breast Cancer UK.