Our Skin And Our Environment

CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR SKIN

We’ve learned a lot about climate change in the last decade. We have to wonder, what is it doing to our skin?

If you thought it can’t be good, unfortunately you are correct. Our skin is our largest organ and the first barrier that protects us against environmental aggressors. Just like our planet, our skin is overworked and vulnerable as never before. Pollution, ozone layer depletion, and extreme weather conditions are all taking a toll on our skin health.

It’s been drilled into us that sun exposure is dangerous to skin health. Climate change can lead to increased UV radiation and environmental pollutants that cause free radical damage, compounding the effects of sun exposure. Also, studies show that air pollution increases oxidative stress in the skin and results in or worsens premature skin aging. To top it all off, the constant exposure to digital devices and screens increases the damaging effect of blue light.

If that wasn’t upsetting enough, herein lies the real irony. We purchase products to prevent or counteract the harm done by environmental factors. In doing so, we inadvertently end up causing more damage to our skin and our selves. Let us explain.

BEAUTY UGLY

Consider the business practices of the beauty industry that continues to have a detrimental impact on our environment:

Overpackaging The industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year with less than 10% getting recycled. There’s resources pumped into producing all the packaging (much of which is unnecessary) and then the sheer waste generated by not reusing what has been produced.

Overselling How many products can one person have? Never enough, apparently. 12-step skincare. 12 brush set. 120 eye colour palette. Upsell, cross-sell, the industry knows how to entice us.

Overshipping Products are often bulked up to create a sense of good value. What that means is that more resources get depleted to ship products around the world.

We are effectively supporting these industry practices every time we purchase a skincare product from a company that doesn’t prioritise sustainability. We are contributing to the problem that we are trying to solve for – skin damage.

3 STEPS TO SUSTAINBLE BEAUTY PRACTICES

So what can we do to break this ridiculous cycle?

Switch to solid Solid skincare is highly concentrated, minimising packaging and shipping wastage.

ReMI Moisturiser is a waterless concentrate, that is small and powerful. There’s no plastic packaging, and the entire product gets gradually used up.

Simplify your routine Buy great quality products, but fewer. It’s actually better for your skin. Look for effective, multipurpose products where you can.

Support local Locally sourced and manufactured products tend to have a lower carbon footprint as they do not need to travel far. Fortunately for us, the power of Australian native botanicals is incredible.

The planet will thank you. And of course, your skin, too.