Skincare Tips
I love living in Monterey. The ocean is my absolute happy place. I visit it daily even if all we do is drive there and park while the baby sleeps. Growing up we took school trips to local beaches to help clean up or do native plantings while learning about the effects of non-native plants and pollution. I can’t walk past a piece of rubbish on the ground and NOT stop to pick it up. Thank you Olsen Elementary and the Monterey Bay Aquarium for drilling that into me. 🤣 Since I was a kid I worried about how to keep our ocean healthy. With World Ocean Day and now week I want to share a few brands I LOVE that not only are great for my skin but don’t harm the ocean.
What to Look For
Stay away from things like micro scrubs that wash tiny plastic particles down the drain. These tiny beads are almost invisible to the eye but to fish look like food. Microbeads are one of the worst pollutants! They are all but impossible to catch in a filter, have been found in almost every body of water in the US (and other countries) and have even been found in the fish we consume! Look for a scrub that has natural particles or melting beads that don’t end up in our waterways. Resurfacing serums are also great to keep pores clog free and they don’t end up in the drain.
Products with harsh chemicals and PH can also cause damage. Imagine if everyone was washing their hair with a harsh shampoo what would happen to the PH of the local waterway. Since switching to a healthier shampoo like the Briogeo Mushroom + Bamboo, I noticed my color lasts longer and my hair feels less dry!
I stayed to products that are recyclable or made from recycled plastic and are not tested on animals. I try my best to only use vegan products too but I have a soy allergy so that can be tough sometimes. I repurpose things like glass jars that I can use around the house as vases, makeup brush holders, etc. Brands like Khiels encourage repurposing and even does a big donation campaign around creative ways to reuse. Aveda, Origins, MAC, Garnier, Khiels, Lush and others all have recycling programs where you bring the empties back in store for recycling and some even give you points towards full-size products!
What is your favorite skincare tips to help keep beauty products clean and out of our oceans?
Loving this skincare tips feature? Take a look here for more of my beauty favorites!
