Practicing sustainability in the treatment room is always high on my priority list. Although there are parts of a treatment that require single-use items (like gloves, Q-tips, etc.) I do my absolute best to have as little waste as possible while adhering to strict state guidelines to maintain a sanitary workspace. As a licensed esthetician, your health and safety always come first, period. With the changes that COVID-19 is going to bring to this aspect of mine and many other estheticians’ treatments (like more gloves, masks, no more ceramic mugs of tea), I am committed to staying sustainable where I can while abiding by strict state guidelines for sanitation.

Spending more time at home versus the treatment room over the last few months has given me the opportunity to take a look at what I consume and what I own at home, especially with my skincare. It’s provided me with the opportunity to ask myself how I can be a more sustainable skincare enthusiast in an industry that is notorious for harmful waste. I want to do my part in keeping our skin and our planet clean. While I come up with specific ways to continue practicing sustainability in the treatment room, I’ve listed 7 easy ways we can all be more sustainable our with skincare at home.

One of my favorite places for refills and zero-waste alternatives - the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

7 Ways to Practice Sustainability with Your Skincare:

Figure out where you can go from single-use to reusable. Single use items (especially plastics) are one of the most threatening to our environment and wildlife. Thankfully there are so many alternatives available: reusable face rounds vs. single use cotton rounds, mix-at-home masks vs. sheet masks, sustainable vs. plastic razors, etc. Makeup wipes are one of the most wasteful products in the world, plus they’re no friend to that precious microbiome of yours. Try an oil cleanse before your regular cleanser to take makeup off instead of a makeup wipe.
Reduce, reuse, repurpose. Your skin loves simplicity. Try to purchase only what your skin needs. With the products you do have, how can you reuse them? I like to use my empty hydrosol/toner bottles for a room spray. I add an essential oil of whatever the dominant ingredient in the product was (lavender, lemon, etc.) + distilled water. They also make lovely flower bud vases and containers for propagating plants. Empty jars are great for homemade body scrubs or loose leaf tea containers.
Recycle. Instead of tossing without thinking, take action and gather up all of your ‘empties’ so they can be recycled the right way and turned into something else with the help of a recycling company, like TerraCycle. Most Nordstrom stores now have TerraCycle boxes to make recycling much easier.
Sharing = caring. Instead of throwing away a sample container, think about refilling it with a product you’ve been loving and share it with a friend. A doorstep delivery of that and a small recycled bottle vase with flowers would make anyone’s day. Plus it costs you almost nothing. If you have a drawer or cabinet full of products you don’t use or don’t like but they’re pre-expiration and sanitary, consider donating them to your local women’s shelter. Check their guidelines to see what they accept.
Refill where you can. Find a refill shop near you or look to brands that are offering refill options for their products. Refills are becoming more commonplace for everything from shampoo to body wash to face wash. Makeup companies are also getting on the refill bandwagon. Check out this article for 8 refillable makeup brands.
DIY with what you already have (with caution, of course). Raw honey, organic ground oats, avocado and goat’s milk yogurt make for some amazing and effective face mask ingredients. Chamomile tea bags are amazing for relief in the eye area. An aloe plant is handy when it comes to burns and irritations. But please no baking soda lemon mixtures or coffee grounds on your face, even if Pinterest makes it sound safe.
Refuse plastic wherever possible, as much as possible. Toothbrushes, razors, lufas. There are so many amazing alternatives now that will also look beautiful in your bathroom. A reusable razor is well worth the switch. The @zerowastestore and @plasticfreeshop are great places to find plastic alternatives for your bathroom and beyond.