Green Beauty means everything to planet-conscious consumers, and its power has paved the way for a new color of conscious consumerism—Blue! Both are “clean” beauty movements that focus on making smart cosmetic choices with an ecology-first approach. In addition to its focus on keeping the ocean clean, Blue Beauty dives deeper—it also encourages people to minimize their carbon footprint, focusing on sustainably sourced products, and looking at ways to make a positive contribution in the long run.

How to go blue

A huge part of Blue Beauty is limiting the amount of plastic waste and chemicals that find their way into the oceans. The reduction of these two things can make a significant impact, and here are additional steps you can take to help.

Identify plastic terms

Entirely eliminating plastic is an ongoing battle, but you can be on the frontlines to avoid using plastic whenever possible. Navigating the Blue Beauty can be daunting, so here is a list to help you understand the world of plastics and its many terms. These definitions can help you make informed choices.

♦ Zero-waste. Zero-waste plastic means responsible packaging is used, and all of it can be reused or recycled.
♦ Plastic Negative. If a company is plastic negative, that means that they’ve created business practices that remove more plastic from the earth than what they put into it. 
♦ Plastic Neutral. If a company is plastic neutral, they’re making efforts to offset the plastic they use by removing a similar amount.
♦ Ocean Bound Plastic. This is plastic that was headed to the ocean but intercepted and recycled before it got there.
♦ Ocean Waste Plastic. This plastic has made its way to the ocean but was collected and recycled.
♦ Post-consumer Recycled Plastic (PCR). This is plastic that consumers have used and recycled. 
♦ Virgin Plastic. Virgin plastic is not recycled at all. Instead, it’s fresh-from-the-factory plastic, and it’s something to avoid if you truly want to be blue.
♦ Single-Use Plastic. Exactly what it sounds like, this is plastic that’s meant to be used once and thrown away–like drinking straws.

Ingredients to avoid

To keep our seas clean and its wildlife safe, here is a list of chemicals that are considered dangerous. Avoiding the purchase of products containing these chemicals will help keep you and the environment clean. Try to avoid using the following ten ingredients for your sake and that of the environment.

♦ Parabens
♦ Sulfates
♦ Polyethylene glycol (PED)
♦ Phthalates
♦ Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
♦ Diethanolamine (DEA, TEA, cocamide DEA)
♦ Siloxanes
♦ Mineral Oil
♦ Synthetic Fragrance
♦ Synthetic Dye

Reusable, recyclable, responsible

These three R’s should be your mantra if you’re trying to go green and/or blue. They apply to just about everyone who wants to make a positive change in their approach to the environment.

♦ Reusable. One big way that companies are introducing reusable items is by giving you refills that let you keep the original container. It’s a great start and can be a big step in the right direction. But you can do more. Don’t just look for reusable products; make creative reuse a part of your life. How can you personally use that container again? Try to think as frugally as your grandma or great-grandma did.

♦ Recyclable. Many cities provide recyclable bins through their recycling programs, so buying items with recyclable containers is a good start. It can be tricky to remember tossing them into the appropriate bin, so an easy way to stay consistent is to keep a small recycle bin in your kitchen. It’s also a good idea to keep note of which types of materials are actually recyclable. Do your part by actively recycling everything you can. To learn more about what you can or can’t recycle, check out your local city recycling program, or check out this handy plastic identification and recycling chart, thanks to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

♦ Responsible. You should always try to be environmentally responsible on your own, but what about the companies you buy from? A little bit of research can go a long way. To make an even bigger impact, look to purchase and support companies making a difference in our planet’s health.

Why Hair La Vie

At Hair La Vie, we’re doing our part to give you top-quality products that offer the performance you want with less environmental impact. We ensure that all of our products are packaged with the earth in mind. Our bottles are recyclable, and we’ve switched to a lower-impact packaging approach for our Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Mask. Finally, our Foundation Collagen Elixir bag is designed to use 86% less plastic than traditional tubs used by other companies.

Final thoughts

Learning what the plastic terms are and then always choosing wisely, avoiding chemicals that can be harmful to you and the planet, and focusing on the three Rs—because these are big changes, it means they can make a significant impact. 

Cleaning up your beauty routine starts one step at a time. First, start paying attention to the list of ingredients. Next, look to see what type of plastics you’re using. Avoid virgin and single-use plastics if possible, or recycle them if you can. And begin thinking with a reusable, recyclable, and responsible mindset. It all adds up, and suddenly you’ve changed your habits, purchases, and your beauty routine to those that genuinely make you feel positive.