How do you define Blue Beauty? Blue Beauty is a movement within the beauty industry that is pushing beyond being eco-friendly and sustainable and making an effort to give back in ways that replenish and protect natural resources and our environment. In fact, industry at large is being beckoned to go blue. As a long-time advocate for green beauty and as I have watched the environment become the most pressing issue of our time, I realized that business could be and should be a vehicle to contribute to the environment, rather than impact it without consequence. And, I also noticed that a lot of the ‘green’ beauty brands that I had worked with over the years have been doing this all along, they were really, ‘blue’ beauty brands.
But what exactly qualifies as going blue? The way I see it, the line between green and blue is actually a fuzzy, beautiful bottom of the ocean sea blue-green. Implementing practices that are sustainable and help us live and conduct business in a way that is lighter on the planet is what I define as ‘being green’. These practices and initiatives are very important, and we must not lose sight of the need for us to continually evolve with technology and innovation that will help us be greener. Taking steps to give back to causes, and taking action that helps to improve our environment is how we ‘go blue’. Going blue means that we are willing to do more than our part and that we are making an effort to contribute back to this one precious planet we inhabit. When it comes to being green and going blue, it’s important to recognize that it is all-important.
I want beauty and personal care companies to be able to look at their business operations, formulas, marketing practices and packaging and consider how they can be lighter on, or in some way contribute to our environment, not because it is trendy, but because we are all in this together. And to that end, my hope is that we can learn from each other, share best practices and leverage and share innovation that will help us all co-exist sustainably. We all know we need to reverse the damage that has been done to the environment. The beauty industry is a $445 billion dollar annual global industry of consumable products. It is not sustainable in its current form. We need to evolve, and we are. Blue Beauty is shining a light on this evolution. It’s a conversation amongst peers who want to see us all win.
Green Beauty – Striving to operate as sustainably as you possibly can
Using minimal packaging that is recyclable or biodegradable
Using organic, fair trade and non-gmo ingredients
Using only biodegradable ingredients (no silicone, dimethicone, paraffin wax, PEG’s etc)
Using bio-degradable packing materials – cornstarch peanuts, paper wrap, paper tape, cellulose etc. No bubble wrap, plastic tape or styrofoam
Using sustainable palm oil – palm done right
Eliminating extraneous packaging
Creating refillable packaging
Being mindful of where packaging is manufactured, minimizing the carbon footprint and ensuring that components of your packaging are indeed recyclable
Educating consumers on how to properly recycle your packaging for minimum impact
Working with local vendors, to minimize carbon footprint
Printing on certified FSC (forest stewardship council) paper, typically slightly more expensive
Choosing to power your facility with green energy if available, using solar energy
Eliminating single-use plastics from the work environment, everything from cups to pens
Incentivizing employees for taking mass transit to work
Blue Beauty – engaging in business practices that give back to our environment
Pledging 1% for the planet
Giving to One Tree Planted or other organizations that focus on reforestation
Giving back to another environmental organization, the surfrider foundation
Investing in farmers or producers who can grow and tend to more land in a way that benefits the planet
Investing in regenerating a plant that is endangered, like Sandalwood
Using packaging that in some way can be used the benefit the planet. Plantable packaging….
Using materials that have been upcycled, like using social plastic in your packaging etc.
Sponsoring community events; beach cleanups and volunteering time to environmental organizations