Yes, You Can Afford Ethical Beauty!
I hear this a lot. And I get it. A few years ago, I thought the same thing. There are really expensive ethical beauty products out there. And, trying new products just to find out they don’t work is expensive, not to mention hard on the environment. But, I assure you, you can afford ethical beauty. And often,
Ethical beauty is less expensive than the conventional beauty products you are already buying.
Don’t believe me? I get it. If you compare a conventional item to its ethical beauty counterpart, yes, you will usually find that it is more expensive. Many of the ethical beauty ingredients are more expensive to grow or produce, any certification costs money, and the packaging is usually a little more expensive.
Ethical beauty products generally contain fewer fillers and other cheap ingredients like water and emulsifiers (which, btw, at the end of the day makes them less expensive per use, but more on that later…).
Ethical beauty is often fair-trade beauty, which costs more to produce. It is also usually animal product- and cruelty-free. This doesn’t necessarily make something more expensive, but if the beauty industry has been using something for decades (like parabens) and the ethical companies need to come up with an alternative, then that is an added cost.
And, like the rest of the beauty industry, you are often paying for marketing, packaging, and the “luxury” of the product. But you don’t have to do that! Seriously, you don’t.
What you want is simple, effective, ethical ingredients that work.
Here are X things you can do to afford ethical beauty:
1. Simplify
First things first. Ethical beauty starts with simplifying.
Pare down your products to the necessary, and you immediately have a more ethical beauty routine (without changing products at all). Just as in ethical fashion, buying fewer products is better for the earth. It is also much cheaper, obviously.
With conventional products, often one of our products creates the need for others. They solve one problem, but create another. Our shampoo dries out our hair and makes it frizzy, so we need an anti-frizz spray. Our cleanser rids of us of so much oil that we get red, irritated, flaky skin, so we need a calming serum.
By switching to gentler, ethical beauty products, we often are also able to eliminate some of our other products, again saving a little money and becoming more sustainable.
Finding products with simpler, fewer ingredients can also sometimes be less expensive. Finding single ingredient products that work for us, including items found in our kitchens, can be the least expensive way to go. And finding products that don’t have fillers (especially water) can make something that is a little more expensive up front, last so much longer that it ends up being much cheaper.
This may take some trial and error, and obviously what works for me may not work for you, but a few of my single ingredient products that are pretty inexpensive are coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and bentonite clay (this stuff lasts forever!).
2. Take stock of what you already have.
We can also simplify by taking a look at our products and being honest with ourselves. Do we really need four or five masks? What about our collection of hair sprays, toners, lotions, and nail polish? Figure out what you have and what you need, and then buy accordingly.
3. Shop Mindfully.
Just like ethical fashion, being mindful when we buy new products is not only the more ethical approach, but also can significantly save money. I have definitely bought beauty products that I don’t need, and still have to remind myself when I walk into a drug store or department store (or Sephora, keep me out of Sephora!) that I don’t need anything.
Buy products with the mindset of replacing things you have run out of rather than because you heard great things about it or it is the trendy thing in beauty. And, before you buy, be sure you don’t have it already. I am absolutely guilty of picking up a new night cream because I forgot that I bought a backup the last time Sprouts had a sale.
Just because it is ethical doesn’t mean it is ethical to buy it.
Again, ethical beauty is just like ethical fashion. If you don’t need it, you shouldn’t buy it.
Even if it is made in the most sustainable, cruelty-free, ethical way, if you don’t need it and you won’t use it, it is not ethical. If it is just another blush, eye liner, or lip gloss that will take up space in your bathroom, it isn’t ethical.
It also isn’t cost effective. So, resist the urge to buy and you’re on your way to being able to afford ethical beauty!
4. Don’t replace all at once.
Now that you’ve taken stock, you know what you need and what you will probably need soon. Once you’ve finished something, replace it. Don’t run to the green section of Sephora or Credo.com and buy everything you use. Don’t go on an ethical beauty shopping spree, even if it is at an ethical beauty shop. Go slow and replace with things that are the same price point that you usually use, and only replace as necessary.
5. Start with the basics.
In my opinion, you need to do three things for your skin every day: clean it, moisturize it, and protect it from the sun. Do these three things, drink plenty of water, eat a well-balanced diet, and minimize stress every day, and likely you’ll have pretty good skin. For me, this about does it.
At night, it is nice to have a serum or a night creme. I like a toner, but don’t think it is necessary for everyone (I know, lots of beauty people will disagree – and if you do, I have some suggestions here). It is also nice to have a mask or two (I love bentonite clay once a week. Cheap and lasts FOREVER!).
Start with these three things (cleanser, moisturizer, and sun protection) and go from there. See how simple, basic beauty works for you and then determine what else you need. Keeping it simple is one of the best ways to keep it less expensive.
6. Build from there.
Once you’ve got your basics covered, start switching item by item. Start with the things you have the least loyalty to. Most of us care very little about our body soap (and if you’re not already using Dr. Bronner’s, why not?), but quite a bit more about our shampoo. So, replace the soap first. Then move on to things that are more important.
7. Trade and Repurpose.
I have certainly made a few mistakes in my ethical beauty product lineup. It takes some trial and error (just like finding that perfect mascara did). If you end up with something that just doesn’t work out, try to repurpose it.
I have a conditioner that made my hair completely oily and stringy. I put it in a spray bottle with mostly water and a bit of peppermint oil, and now it is the leave in conditioner/detangler for my little guy (peppermint is supposed to be a lice preventer and he’s a preschooler, so…). I have another conditioner (same problem) that I used as a shave cream.
If you can’t repurpose it, see if you have a friend with different skin or hair and trade. I have found a few really great products this way.
Obviously, you don’t want to waste the products, but you also don’t want to hold onto any products that aren’t working for you.
8. Be aware of false promises of ethical beauty.
“Natural,” “organic,” and “non-toxic” are all beauty buzzwords. Marketers know that people are looking for a cleaner, safer, more eco-friendly product, so they use the buzzwords to sell more products. They then increase the price. It works. So, be aware of when something is being greenwashed.
Learn to read labels, or refer to the and avoid products that are labeled with false promises of natural beauty. Find a few brands that you love, and stick with them.
9. Be aware of overly fancy packaging.
To me, part of any ethical beauty product is its packaging (or lack of over-packaging). I prefer glass bottles and no additional packaging. Be aware of products that are over-packaged. Beautiful packaging is great while it is on the shelf, but you are going to throw it away as soon as you get home, right? Often an overly fancy packaged product is an over-priced product, so look for a simple package.
But, you didn’t start reading this article for me to tell you to stop buying beauty products did you? Of course not. You are looking for solutions! So, here are 5 of my favorite drugstore ethical beauty buys and my top ten clean beauty products at Target. And, before you do anything else, get yourself some Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap. It is probably the cheapest and best soap you’ll ever need. We use it on literally everything!
If you stay away from harmful, toxic ingredients, pay attention to what works for you, stick to the basics, and don’t fall for the “eco-luxury” marketing (just like you shouldn’t fall for the luxury marketing in conventional beauty products). I think you’ll find that you can afford ethical beauty.
For more tips on switching over to ethical beauty, click here, here, and here.
P.S. You can also find affordable ethical fashion!