Hair & Beauty

Fast beauty, cheap and deadly!

Just like fast fashion, fast beauty is harmful to people, wildlife, and the planet and its affects are being seen all over the world.

The choices we make can and will make a difference.

Cruelty Free & Vegan

Why harm animals and nature in the name of beauty when we don't need to. There are a number of brands out there that are both vegan and cruelty free, so take your time to find an ethical and eco beauty brand.

Choose a sustainable team

Choose a hair&beauty team that take sustainability and the environment seriously. Check what products they use and what they do with their waste.

Plastic Free

As with most things, try to avoid plastic where possible. If this isn't possible look for plastics that can be recycled rather than single use plastic.

Multi-purpose products

A blush that doubles up as a lip colour, a priming moisturiser these multi-purpose products not only save room in your make-up bag but less products means less impact on the environment. Remember to choose vegan and cruelty free.

Reusable not disposable

Choose reusable over disposable. This is becoming easier with more and more products offering reusable alternatives, from face wipes, cotton buds and razors. Many shops also offer refill services, allow you to fill up on everything from shampoo, soap, deodorant and moisturiser.

Be aware of ingredients

Checking the ingredients in your beauty products is really important. Not only are a lot of ingredients extracted from animals they can also contain micro-plastics. Micro-plastics don't biodegrade and are harmful to aquatic life, and is making an impact when excess products are washed down the drain. Choosing products that contain natural, vegan and cruelty free ingredients will not only benefit the environment but will be better for you too.

Below are some common ingredients you should look out for when picking your products.

Lanolin

Derived from sheeps wool and commonly found in lip products and hair products.

Shellac

Thousands of lac bugs are killed to create small amounts of shellac.

Animal hair

Found in make-up brushes often from fox, horse, goat and squirrel. Mink hair is also found in some false eyelashes.

Squalene

A chemical derived from shark liver oil found in things such as lip balm and deodorants. Millions of sharks are killed each year, with the main culprit of these deaths being the cosmetic industry.

Glycerine

Usually made from animal fats and commonly found in a variety of products, such as moisturisers, soaps, and make up.

Keratin

One of the most common ingredients in shampoo and conditioner, usually extracted from animal horns.

Palm oil

Although palm oil doesn't come from animals directly its impact on wildlife is obvious. It continues to be a major driver of deforestation, destroying the habitats of many animals and birds including some already endangered species. It's production is also releasing millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which is contributing to climate change.

Guanine

Made by scrapping the scales off dead fish, used to make sparkly nail varnish, eyeshadow, bronzers and blushes.

Carmine (cochineal, natural red 4, E120, C.I.75470)

Often used in lipsticks this red colourant is derived from insects, cochineals. These are crushed and the colour extracted to produce the dye. It takes 70,000 insects to create just 1 pound of cochineal.