5 Ocean Friendly Skincare Swaps You Need to Make Now

Did you know that what we do in the bathroom ends up in our precious oceans? The skincare, beauty and hair products we use enter our waterways and oceans when we shower or wash our hands. Personal care products and sunscreen can also be washed directly off our skin into the oceans when we swim.

Not only are the ingredients in our skincare and beauty products ending up in the ocean, but so is the packaging.  A staggering 8 Million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year and is killing our precious marine life.

Beauty is one of the biggest industries in the world, however it is also one of the most polluting industries. Here at Edible Beauty, we are doing our best to make the beauty industry conscious.

We make a conscious effort to use only the most pure, natural ingredients that are not only good for you, but are also good for the planet. This means we do not use synthetic polymers (eg silicones, PEGs and polyethylene) that don’t biodegrade and end up in our ocean, we do not use chemical sunscreen ingredients like octinoxate and oxybenzone which destroy our coral and marine life and we avoid parabens and fragrances that have been known to cause long term damage and reproductive issues to our marine life. We also make an effort to package our products in glass, or recycled, biodegradable packaging. Below, we provide 5 of our favourite ocean-friendly skincare swaps to help you become a more environmentally-conscious beauty lover.

Instead of microbeads, use natural exfoliants

Microbeads are tiny balls of plastic that are commonly used in exfoliants. Microbeads are less than 5mm in diameter and do not degrade or dissolve in water (environment.gov.au). If washed down the drain, they enter our rivers, lakes and oceans, and have a damaging effect on our marine life and the environment.

Ocean Friendly Swap: Natural Exfoliants

Opt for products that use natural exfoliants such as rice grains. Our Desert Lime Micro-Exfoliant is a gentle, natural exfoliant that uses natural rice grains to gently dislodge and dissolve dead skin cells and impurities to reveal a smooth and radiant complexion. It also contains Gingko Biloba, a soothing herb which supports skin cell turnover and provides a boost of antioxidants to the skin.

Shop our natural ocean-friendly exfoliant here.

Instead of disposable makeup wipes, use reusable makeup remover puffs.

Most disposable makeup wipes are made from or contain non-biodegradable plastic fibres such as polypropylene and polyester. These disposable wipes can take up to 200 years to breakdown, and often end up being flushed into our water systems where they are being eaten by and killing our marine life.

Ocean Friendly Swap: Reusable Makeup Remover Puffs

Our Eco Enchantress Makeup Remover Puffs are made up of 70% bamboo and 30% cotton. These puffs are washable and reusable for at least 3 months of use! This saves 90 disable wipes from ending up in our oceans and landfill. Our Makeup Remover Puffs are also biodegradable, and only take 4-6 months to breakdown!

Shop our ocean-friendly Makeup Remover Puffs here.

Instead of chemical sunscreens, use a natural, physical sunscreen

4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enters our reefs every year! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found that sunscreen chemicals cause coral bleeching and death, can induce defects in young marine life, can decrease fish fertility and reproduction, and can even cause a sex change in some fish. 

Harmful chemicals commonly found in sunscreens include Oxybenzone, Benzophenone-2 (BP-2), Octinoxate, Homosalate, Avobenzone and Methylisothiazolinone 

For more information on how sunscreens can affect the oceans, read our blog post here.

Ocean Friendly Swap: natural, physical sunscreen.

Look for a natural, physical sunscreen that contains either Zinc Oxide, or Titanium Dioxide. These minerals create a layer on top of the skin that effectively blocks ultraviolet rays, are reef friendly, and do not degrade to cause harmful free radicals. Also look out for ‘non-nano’ or micronized sunscreen, as these contain particles that are large enough to not be ingested by coral.

Our Basking Beauty Natural Sunscreen is 100% natural and reef safe! It contains non-nano Zinc Oxide, is water resistant for up to 4 hours, is free from nasties, cruelty free and suitable for adults, children and babies! 

Shop our ocean-friendly sunscreen here.

Instead of products packaged in plastic, use biodegradable or recyclable packaging  

It is estimated that there will be more plastic in the sea than fish, by the year 2050 (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2017). According to a report by Zero Waste Europe, the beauty industry creates 120 billion units of packaging per year.   

We believe that beauty brands should be doing what they can to reduce the amount of plastic they use in their packaging, and make a more conscious effort to use recyclable, sustainable and biodegradable packaging options. 

Ocean friendly swap: recycled, recyclable, and/or biodegradable packaging. 

One of the core principles of the Edible Beauty sustainability ethos is using sustainable and earth-friendly packaging that does not contribute to landfill and does not leach harmful toxins. Our wellness products are stored in recyclable packaging, while our skincare is packaged in Miron glass, which can be recycled or reused. Our natural sunscreen is packaged in recycled, biodegradable material that will not contribute to landfill.

At Edible Beauty, we are doing our best to not only be sustainable and eco-friendly, but to do what we can to have a positive impact on the environment. As a consumer, we hope you will join us in making more environmentally conscious decisions when it comes to beauty and wellness products!