How to Spot Sustainable Beauty Products: A Guide to Reading Labels
Today, I’m excited to share an informative post on how to determine if a product is truly sustainable just by examining its label. Shopping for sustainable beauty products can be challenging, especially when you’re on the go but committed to supporting eco-friendly brands. With many companies facing criticism for greenwashing and exaggerating their sustainability efforts, it’s crucial to know how to read labels accurately to make informed choices.
Certification Logos
First, examine the product label for certification symbols. These symbols are key indicators of a product’s sustainability. Let’s familiarize ourselves with some important certification marks you should look for:
B Corporation
- A certified B Corp company aims to benefit all stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and the environment, not just shareholders.
- To be certified, a company must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Certified Natural Cosmetics (BDIH):
- BDIH is a certification that tells consumers that a cosmetic product is genuinely natural and meets high ethical and environmental standards.
Cruelty Free International:
- Assures that no animal testing was conducted at any stage of product development.
- Recognized globally as a leading cruelty-free certification.
Soil Association Organic:
- Indicates that the product meets strict organic standards.
- Products must contain a high percentage of organic ingredients and be free from synthetic chemicals.
Vegan Society:
- Confirms that the product contains no animal-derived ingredients and is not tested on animals.
- Products must comply with strict vegan standards.
COSMOS (COSMetic Organic Standard):
- One of the leading organic and natural certification standards in Europe.
- Certifies products as either “COSMOS Organic” or “COSMOS Natural,” ensuring a high level of organic or natural content.
Fair Trade:
- Ensures that ingredients in the product are sourced from suppliers that provide fair wages and safe working conditions.
- Often used for products containing ingredients like cocoa, shea butter, and coconut oil.
ISO 22716 (Good Manufacturing Practices):
- Indicates compliance with international standards for good manufacturing practices in the cosmetics industry.
- Focuses on ensuring product safety and quality through rigorous manufacturing processes.
Product Ingredients: looking out for green and red flags
Now, let’s focus on a crucial aspect: the product ingredients list. Many makeup ingredients found in today’s products have been linked to serious health issues such as asthma, cancer, and fertility problems. The ingredient list is a transparent source of information, revealing not only potential health risks but also how eco-friendly a product truly is.
Green Flags for Makeup Ingredients:
When looking for a company and looking at ingredients it is important to look out for some green flags:
- Companies being open and transparent about which ingredients are in their products.
- Making the packaging easy for the customer to understand which ingredients are in the item.
Red Flags for Makeup Ingredients:
When having a look at the ingredients list, here is a few ingredients that should alert those alarm bells:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Thimerosal
- Plastics
- Lead
- Cadmium
- Mercury
- Fragrance
- Triclosan and triclocarban
- Formaldehyde: Commonly known as DMDM hydantoin, Diazolidinyl urea, Imidzaolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea,Quaternium-15, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromi-2-nitropropane-1, 3-idol (Bronopol).
- Petroleum Ingredients such as: Petroleum oil and jelly,Mineral oil and jelly, Liquid paraffin, Propylene glycol on an ingredient list.
Guide to Reading Labels:
Now lets be honest, you are not going to be a pro straight away but as long as you are making an effort this is the first step. Here is a quick guide on how to read labels:
- Look for natural ingredients on the list. Natural products will be super easy to read for example the ingredient names would be: shea butter, jojoba oil, etc
- Research ingredients that you are unsure about. If you are feeling unsure, its best to get onto google and get some research done.
Top Sustainable Brands to Support:
Discover Eco-Friendly Options for a Greener Lifestyle
kjaer weis: Luxury Organic Beauty
Kjaer Weis is a leading luxury organic beauty brand founded by makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis. Known for its certified organic ingredients and chic, refillable packaging, Kjaer Weis seamlessly blends high-performance makeup with sustainable practices. Embrace the elegance and eco-consciousness of Kjaer Weis for a truly refined beauty experience.
One product I’ll link for you guys is the Kjaer Weis Lip Tint in the shade goddess, this is a luxurious organic lip colour that combines nourishing ingredients with vibrant, buildable shades. This lip tint is perfect for achieving a natural, effortless look with a touch of sophistication. If you love a nude lip this one is perfect for you gurus.
RMS Beauty: Clean and Natural Cosmetics
I’ve spoken about them before, and I’ll speak about them again. RMS Beauty is a fan favourite, and for good reason.
RMS Beauty leads the clean beauty movement with its range of organic cosmetics, crafted by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. Featuring pure, food-grade ingredients and sustainable packaging, RMS Beauty offers high-performance makeup that enhances your natural beauty without compromising on skin health or the environment.
A product from RMS Beauty that I’ll link for you guys is the RMS Beauty ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in shade Sangria. This is the perfect summer shade for you gurus, who doesn’t love a little sangria. This gorgeous deep coral shade is absolutely gorgeous paired with a tan, not only does the shade look absolutely stunning but includes clean ingredients.
Lily Lolo: Natural and Mineral Makeup
A brand that I have recently discovered is Lilly Lolo, this is your go-to brand for natural mineral makeup that enhances your beauty with clean ingredients and gentle formulations. From foundations to eyeshadows, each product is crafted to deliver flawless results while caring for your skin. This brand boasts pure mineral formulas, wide range of products, cruelty free and vegan and also suitable for sensitive skin. If you love powder beauty products, then you are going to love this brand.
An amazing product that you need to try from this brand is the Lilly Lolo Mineral Foundation:
This lightweight mineral foundation offers flawless coverage while providing broad-spectrum sun protection, making it a must-have for your daily makeup routine. This product gives you a flawless finish and airbrushed look and has buildable coverage which you can build to suit your skin needs.
That is all for today gurus, I hope you found this post informative and has helped you elevate your sustainability. If you are interested in sustainable brands I’ll link some previous blog posts where I’ve pinpointed amazing sustainable brands to try!
https://makeuplabs.co.uk/makeup-trends/clean-beauty-part2/
https://makeuplabs.co.uk/makeup-trends/clean-beauty-clean-girl-makeup/
Thank you,
Naidine x