I’m completely and utterly obsessed with beauty products; I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I weren’t. Receiving free samples is one of my greatest pleasures. But there comes a time in every woman’s life when she questions everything. For me, it was back in 2020.
We’re in lockdown and I’m in my home office, buried in my beloved beauty samples, procrastinating harder than usual. So hard that I was reading news articles (I believe ignorance really is bliss), and stumbled across one about carbon emissions having the biggest global decline ever recorded. Amongst the bad, there was good – the Earth was healing. I looked at my small mountain of boxes and decided I didn’t want to be part of the problem anymore.
Fast forward to now, and I only accept samples or shop from brands that want to make the world a better place. Since it’s Earth Day today (April 22nd every year FYI), I’m sharing my insights and eco-friendly ride-or-dies to treat yourself to.
My Skin’s Barrier Is Stronger Than Ever
Whilst I lived for the rush of trying new products every week, my skin’s barrier was overwhelmed with all the newness. The skin barrier, or stratum corneum, is the outermost layer of skin that prevents water loss and protects against environmental stressors.
Always switching skincare products in and out was slowly but surely weakening my skin’s barrier, meaning I was constantly dealing with dryness and breakouts. A steady skincare routine that prioritises natural ingredients has allowed it to thrive.
I Get Better Results
Did you know it takes anywhere between 1-3 months for results to show? This is because the skin renews itself every 28 days on average, swapping out old, dead skin cells for new, healthy ones.
Skincare products aim to treat the living skin cells underneath, so to see results, you’ve got to wait for your skin to go through a few full cycles to bring them to the surface.
But if you’re dealing with a treatment product, such as reducing acne or sebum production, you’re not just trying to change how the skin looks but also behaves, which may take even longer.
Now that I commit to a product until it’s finished to avoid wastage, I actually get to see the promised results.
I Feel More Confident
When we feel good, we look good. Making conscious choices makes me happier knowing I’m helping to take care of the planet and future generations, and I legit look better for it. Every time I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw more and more.
At first, I thought it was all in my head, but then people started to ask me what my latest beauty secret was. They were just as surprised as I was when I said the only thing I’d changed was going greener. I’m officially calling it the “Green Glow Up”. You heard it here first!
Clean and Conscious Beauty Picks
As someone with oily skin, this semi-matte powder by Kosas is definitely one of my desert island beauty products (IYKYK). It instantly gets rid of excess oil and helps my sebaceous glands chill out with bamboo stem extract. The clean formula also includes Chinese peony to minimise the appearance of pores and passionfruit leaf to soften fine lines and wrinkles. Lightweight and airy, it’s still your skin but better.
I must admit, finding an alternative nail varnish wasn’t easy, but Nails.INC made all the late nights worth it. Made with 73% plant-based ingredients, the entire collection is free from 21 toxic ingredients typically used in nail varnishes. You’ll find everything from pastel greens to deep cherry reds, but Everyday Self Care is the prettiest of pinks you and all your gal pals need. And when you’re done, don’t forget to recycle the 100% FSC ash wooden cap.
I’m kinda lazy with my bodycare routine – if I remember, great, if I don’t, meh. But I’m pretty sure the only reason I can be is because I never forget to use this body scrub. Every 2-3 days, I have a hot date with Frank for the foreseeable future. Instead of plastic microbeads, it uses coffee granules infused with coconut oil to exfoliate the skin and buff away dead skin cells, whilst fading stretch marks, cellulite, and scarring.
You can actually say “I woke up like this” with this overnight sleep mask. Featuring pink clay, botanical actives, and vitamin E, it speeds up the healing process for brighter, tighter skin in the AM. Whenever I want to let my skin breathe and go bare-faced, I’ll always apply this the night before and she always comes through.
I love being tanned, but I don’t like to tan, so I fake it til I make it with Coola (whoever invented fake tan has a perm place in my gratitude journal). It’s 70%+ organic with 99% natural ingredients for a golden bronze without nasty chemicals or side effects from prolonged UV ray exposure. Shea butter and caffeine smooth and firm the skin over time, whilst antioxidants defend against free radicals for when you do go in the sun. It’s streak-free and transfer-resistant, so no one has to know your piña colada-scented tan isn’t the real deal.
