You’ve probably heard of sustainability initiatives related to recycling, making eco friendly products, and being a more conscious consumer, but did you know beauty can be sustainable? Yes Sustainably Beautiful is a thing!
Let us first define what sustainably beautiful means to us. This is a new mindset that makes us think long term in product development. “It is actually a combination of imagination and science where we evaluate the long term environmental impact of whatever beauty product we are formulating. Before its production, during its production and its lifecycle once it is released in the environment, (source).” There are 4 large aspects that go into making a product sustainable and all have to be taken into account when formulating and distributing new products.
• ethical sourcing of natural raw materials
• cosmetic production (energy and water consumption, waste management)
• packaging (compostable, biodegradable, recyclable)
• biodegradability of the finished product
These 4 pillars are merely a framework to begin to define sustainable products. Many companies are able to quickly implement one or two but usually larger companies struggle to maintain all four. It’s time we truly start to look at our beauty products as being just as important as the food we put into our bodies. We’ve long ago ditched the heavily processed, chemically laden food but are much slower to transition away from chemical based products. The green beauty market has changed dramatically from “the days of poorly pigmented ‘makeup’ products from your health food store, skincare that smells like a greenhouse, or ‘natural perfume’ of pure patchouli oil in a bottle, (source).” We now have beauty and hair products that are far superior for not only the planet we coincide with but for out bodies as well. Instead of harsh chemical products alternative ingredients are found in nature to get better results.
According to the SBN “Sustainability in the beauty industry has become a hot topic due to a rise in environmental awareness, new global standards, its profitability and consumer demand, (source).”
This movement is not only beneficial from a green perspective but also from a consumer and business standpoint. As a business looking to interest a growing conscious consumer market differentiating yourselves is essential in tapping into that consumer base. Being socially responsible is not only the right thing to do but also benefits business regardless of size. Consumers want to know that you as the business owner really care about the environment and that this care translates over to truly caring for them.
Here at the Salon Movement we embody “A unified grassroots movement of sustainability-conscious Davines stylists and salon owners who actively care and love our planet, culture, and craft.” We truly care and value the importance of education, marketing, environmentalism and retail in implementing green salons. “Loving, kind, considerate, cooperative, balanced, and connected are just a few adjectives to describe a Davines stylist and salon owner when it comes to their commitment to the eco-social organism.” We believe above all that we have a positive role to play into spreading sustainability values and educating others on the benefits of green beauty.
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