Sustainable Beauty Products – Where to Begin

By: Haylee Elmore

 
Sustainability has always been an important issue to some, but in the past couple decades has become a
major concern for so many more people. The everyday person has seemingly adopted a great care for the
environment. It all comes down to being more conscious of our own individual footprints we make on the
environment. This includes using products and supporting brands which also have a commitment to
sustainability, to ensure a better environment for ourselves and future generations. 
 
With that being said, most people don’t know where to start with their sustainability journey, and what
beauty products are worth investing in. There are many resources that a person can use to find products
that both are good for their skin and keep it clear, while also working in combination with sustainable
makeup products that look good on top of their skin. These resources can consist of a licensed
sustainability professional, makeup artists, friends/family, or just beauty gurus online who dedicate their
time to reviewing and testing out products, and then sharing their thoughts with their following.

One of these sustainable beauty gurus, who has quite a large following, is Melanie Hamner. Melanie has a
large following on all her social media platforms, the main one being Youtube, where she has
accumulated over a million subscribers. In an interview with Melanie, she told me that a lot of her
following will reach out to her directly, asking for product recommendations and tips on how to get
started in the sustainability and beauty world. 

A problem many people are facing is that they do want to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but can’t seem
to find a perfectly balanced product. By this, I mean that works while also having an aesthetic that people
are willing to spend their money on. 

A lot of Melanie’s following reaches out to her feeling lost. They don’t know where to begin and can
sometimes feel like they are out of the loop when it comes to sustainable beauty. One of the first things
Melanie tells her following is that “it’s okay to feel lost. It’s really hard to find a product that has
everything a customer wants. A lot of times, a product will look cute but not work for their skin, while
other times it may work for them but not have the aesthetic that people are willing to spend their money
on.”

During our interview, Melanie actually said that she has always used a mix of different brands for her
skincare and makeup, but has recently switched over to all Glossier products in her everyday routine.
Glossier is a makeup and beauty brand designed to cater to the needs of the everyday girl. The brand is
pretty minimalistic and has products that could suit everyone. Glossier announced in January 2022 that
they are now a 100% sustainable company, including but not limited to: product ingredients, packaging,
shipping partners, and ensuring the products are biodegradable after use. 

“I’ve been responding to messages from my followers and recommending Glossier to them,” Melanie
said. “I’ve always just struggled to find nice products that worked well on my skin but were also
sustainable. So when I found Glossier, it was the best of both worlds.”

Simply put, everyone wants to be a better person and do the best things they can for the world. However
it's not always easy! It often comes with extra research work and a price tag. While a lot of sustainable
brands and products are on the high end of the price tag, Melanie manages to find a simple medium.
Glossier is committed to selling high-end products ranging from low to high price-point, usually meeting
somewhere in the middle. 
While getting into the world of sustainable beauty is something that many people strive for and
oftentimes feel lost, it doesn’t always have to be so scary. There are so many great brands out there that
do have quality products at a reasonable price point. However finding these products can take some trial
and error. Utilizing resources such as beauty gurus, knowledgeable store employees and licensed
professionals can help lead you in the right direction to starting your sustainability journey and bettering
the environment for generations to come.