Beauty products represent a $445 billion dollar industry. Due to public pressure in recent years, the industry is slowly waking up to the value of the Green Beauty industry comprises of $22 – 24 billion. That may only be 5% of the profit share, but the trend towards green beauty is climbing.

The more people that demand products that do not contain microbeads or synthetic chemicals that pollute the waterways, the greater percentage of the industry green beauty will consist of. Many companies are abandoning microbeads as more and more countries ban them, and more companies are seeing the cost saving virtues of synthetic testing methods.

The simplest way that people can help affect this change and make the beauty industry synonymous with the green beauty industry is to be mindful of their purchases and keep these steps in mind before checking out at the till.

1) Check the packaging. Some products, such as bar soaps, do not need packaging and can be sold in bulk or in paper. Try to avoid excess plastic – there is never a need for soap to be packaged or wrapped in plastic. Try to avoid plastic packaging whenever possible, and if it is the only option check if it is made from recycle plastic.

2) Opt for natural ingredients. Natural ingredients do not lead to any synthetic substances being washed away or going down the drain in any other way (they can be flushed through the human body and drained out through sanitation or improperly disposed of). Also natural ingredients tend not to require a rigorous testing procedure that often includes animal testing. If a product claims to be cruelty free and contains a synthetic ingredient although they may not test on animals, the origins of the synthetic may.

3) Environmental record. Many companies advertise their B Corp status on their packaging, if they do not before purchasing, it can always be researched. Also check if they use renewable energy or support environmental charities. Highlighting these credentials has long been a tenant of Inherent Skincare.