How to Have an Earth-Friendly Beauty Routine

We each have our own routines in the morning and evening to improve or maintain our appearance. Whether you’re a man or a woman, there are those ritualistic things you do each day to feel better and look better, but do you spend any of that time thinking about how your routine affects the environment? Believe it or not, you can make some subtle changes to your beauty routine that will decrease waste and increase your eco-friendliness.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Bulk beauty and hygiene products

1. Start with a shower. However, be sure to cut it short. Obviously, it takes a certain amount of time for each of us to do what needs doing in the shower each day, but consider how long you spend just enjoying the heat and water not doing much. As necessary as a little restful time may be, the amount of wasted water running down the drain can be substantial. Be as efficient as possible and cut those showers to less than 15 minutes and down to 10 if possible.
   If you love to soak in the water for a while, then consider a bath in the tub, where the amount of water is contained no matter how long you stay in.
2. Buy bulk. Look into the local bulk store to see if you can get your shampoos, conditioners, lotions or even hair products in the larger containers. This cuts down on excessive packaging ending up in the trash and can save you a few pennies in the process. Trying one of the combination shampoos and conditioners can cut the number of bottles you need in half.
3. Go natural. No, this doesn’t mean avoiding any facial products. Instead, be natural with the light source while applying makeup or enhancements, Using natural light in your home to apply makeup will not only cut down on electric waste but will give you a real idea of how you will actually look to the world once you’re finished applying.
4. Dry slowly. Stop blow drying your poor hair and cut out the electric waste. Use rollers to dry your hair if you need to add volume and you’ll see lower electric bills as well as healthier, shinier hair.
5. Recycle. This goes for containers once they’re empty as well as any harmful chemicals that you need to dispose of. Contact the local public works office to see when liquids are picked up each month.