Whipped TLC: Using Beauty Ingredients That Are Kind To The Environment

When it comes to environmentally friendly beauty products, natural is the way to go. These single ingredients and products that contain them tend to require much less processing than their chemical counterparts, using up less of the earth's resources and often coming with a smaller overall "carbon footprint". For the best environmentally friendly beauty products, look for those labelled as certified organic and free trade: this means that it was grown in a way that protects the environment and those that worked to produce the item were paid a fair wage for their labour.

For Acne: Tea Tree Oil

Unlike benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, two of the most common "mainstream" ingredients used to treat acne, tea tree oil is a single, all-natural and environmentally friendly beauty product that can work just as well, if not better, in minimizing existing breakouts and preventing new ones. It has antimicrobial properties, which help to kill the bacteria causing acne and prevent new bacteria from growing.

The Ultimate Moisturizer: Honey

Both women and men constantly slather their bodies in artificial ingredients and chemicals in an effort to moisturize their skin. An environmentally friendly alternative to this is good old-fashioned honey. A natural humectant (meaning it draws moisture to the skin and helps the skin to hold on to it) it also has antimicrobial properties. It is ideal for moisturizing the body, face, and hair, and its antimicrobial properties make it ideal as a binder for a natural body scrub.

Evening Out Your Skin: Turmeric

There are countless products on the market today that aim to give you an even, smooth skin tone. Believe it or not, the same ingredient that gives curry its vivid yellow colour can also give you the youthful skin you've always dreamed of. Turmeric acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, calming your skin and reducing redness. It is so effective that even major, non-all-natural brands use it in place of other synthetic ingredients.  

Add Incredible Texture to Your Hair: Salt

It's not just for flavouring your food! Salt is one of the most readily available ingredients in the world, and it can give you enviable, beachy waves, replacing more chemical laden texturizing products. When mixed with water, sea salt helps to activate the natural wave or curl in your hair, giving you volume and texture.

Reusing Products: Coffee

Perhaps the most environmentally friendly beauty products are those that are repurposed: this cuts down on waste, the utilization of precious resources and reduces your carbon footprint. Although coffee itself is not one of the most environmentally friendly products available, most people drink it anyway. Rather than throwing out or wasting your coffee grounds after you finish a pot, how about reusing them? Coffee makes an excellent ingredient in an all-natural scrub, especially when mixed with honey and brown sugar, and the caffeine in coffee grounds can help to tighten skin temporarily, giving a more youthful appearance. Rather than purchasing additional products to meet these beauty needs, you can simply empty your coffee grounds into a bowl and get started on a spa day at home!

Guest post contributed by beauty writer Samantha Harvey on behalf of Posh Online Bingo.