What is 'green' cosmetics anyway?
In this blog, we will tell you what natural or green cosmetics are and what benefits they bring.
Vegan, natural and plastic-free
3 different terms you will come across in the world of green cosmetics are vegan, natural and zero waste or plastic free. What do these terms actually mean?
Vegan cosmetics do not contain any animal ingredients and these products have not been tested on animals. This is the case with many other beauty products. So if you have a vegan lifestyle, it is even more important to pay attention to this.
Made from natural ingredients means that as few chemical ingredients as possible have been added to the product. In JOIK products, for example, 99.98 of the ingredients are natural. In addition, as much as possible of the raw materials are organic.
An important aspect of green cosmetics is the packaging the product comes in. It should have as little impact on the environment as possible. For example, a packaging can be zero-waste, less waste and/or plastic-free. With zero waste packaging, all elements of the packaging can be recycled well. For example, our Werf soaps are only wrapped in paper. In addition, you use the whole soap and so no residue is left behind. With less waste, most of the packaging can be recycled. An example of this is our deos in a cardboard sleeve. The shell can be recycled, only a small piece of plastic remains. Plastic-free is also a well-known packaging term. In this case, the products are usually packed in cardboard, paper or glass.
Find our collection of natural cosmetics here.
What are the benefits of natural cosmetics?
Choosing natural cosmetics not only gives you a good feeling, but much more! It is not only better for people, the environment and animals, but also for the toxic substances that are otherwise absorbed through the skin and that can disturb your hormonal balance.
Microplastics
These days, there is also a lot of concern about microplastics - tiny pieces of plastic - which are also found in many products and which not only pollute the (drinking) water, but also the soil and the bodies of animals and people. Fortunately, there is now a lot more awareness about this, but it is sometimes difficult to be sure in the local drugstore that a product is microplastic-free. Natural cosmetics products do not use microplastics in their products, but natural alternatives. For example, our Naïf face scrub contains natural lime grains for exfoliation.
For some make-up inspiration, check out our fun insta-reel here!
What should you look for when buying natural cosmetics?
Do you find it hard to think of where to start? There is no need to throw everything in the bin right away! We recommend step by step to improve your routine. For example, if you often suffer from skin rashes, start with your skin care products, or if you often have inflamed or irritated eyes? Start with your mascara. This way, you solve a problem and don't spend a fortune on new products. This way you will also find out which brands you like and gradually get abetter feeling for which products suit you.
Two important things to look out for when buying natural cosmetics are labels, the list of ingredients and the packaging. We will tell you more about these three below.
Certifications
In order to be able to see at a glance whether a certain product meets your requirements, a number of quality marks have been created. There are many, but the largest and also most important in the Netherlands are:
- Cosmebio
- Ecocert
- BDIH
- Soil association
- Cosmos
- Natrue
- Slow cosmétique
- Choose Cruelty Free
- Leaping Bunny
- Peta cruelty free
- Certified Vegan
- Vegan Society
The name of these labels generally already tells you what they are about, usually this is animal testing-free, vegan or organic.
Ingredients & raw materials
The biggest giveaway when checking out a product is still the list of ingredients. What is good to know is that the largest ingredient will always be listed first, after which the quantity per subsequent ingredient will decrease. So, for example, you might prefer a product based on water, because this will be the largest ingredient and a good base is.
Animal raw materials
When you have a vegan lifestyle, you look for products that are made without animal by-products . Ingredients you want to avoid include sebum, silk extract, carmine and beeswax.
Dyes
There are a number of dyes that are mined in mines of third world countries . Supervision of the conditions in these mines is limited. There is regular mention of child labour, low wages and lung diseases which can be associated with the extraction of these substances. Examples of these dyes are red and yellow ochre, ultramarine, chromium oxide and manganese violet from the above-mentioned problematic mines.
Packaging
As discussed earlier, it is also good to look at the packaging of a cosmetics product. Is it plastic-free or zero-waste? Great! Think for example of shampoo bars in cardboard or the bio plastic (made from sugar cane) packaging of Naïf products.
It is about the journey
We would like to help you on this journey to preserving your bathroom and make-up bag. Below you will find an overview of our products per category. And of course you can always send us a message for advice!
Hair Care
Do you often suffer from an itchy scalp or perhaps flakes? Then it's a good idea to switch to a natural shampoo and conditioner. Often, drugstore shampoos and conditioners contain a lot of unnatural substances that make your scalp irritated, dry out or even inflamed. These fine shampoo and conditioner bars from Happy Soaps are also good for the environment and much easier to take on trips.
Skin Care
Want to try some products first without buying the full-size? Then choose the The Face Kit from Naïf. Would you like advice on yourskin care ritual? Feel free to send us a message, we'd love to help!
Deodorant
A product you probably use every day, maybe even several times a day - deodorant. Many non-natural products contain heavy metals and minerals that can not only disrupt your hormones, but there are also findings that your deo can affect your thyroid gland and certain substances have been linked to breast cancer.
Go for a roller, stick or cream as they don't contain propellants (like aerosols). Our natural deodorant from Loveli is also refillable, so it's extra good for the environment!
Make-up
If you are prone to skin irritation or irritated eyes, we recommend switching to natural-based make-up. Check out our beautiful products from Benecos or BohoBoho, with intense pigmentation and kind to your skin.
Oral Care
For the ultimate smile, you brush sustainable, of course! Fine toothbrushes made of bamboo, that saves a lot of plastic.
Hand sanitizers and mouth caps
The last, but certainly not the least category in these times - hand sanitizers and mouth guards. Keep yourself safe with our fine compact sanitizers from HAAN. HAAN spends 20% of its profits to make water wells in Africa. 1 30 ml bottle provides 134 litres of clean drinking water . So disinfecting your hands is at least fun!
