Vegan, all-natural, cruelty-free, ethically sourced, zero-waste cosmetics without the plastic? Is that possible?
Yes, it is! Read on...
Gaia's Little Helpers is a soon-to-be-launched cosmetics brand run by the same family team behind March Hare Herbalism. Plant based remedies aren't just great for your body's internal health, you can use so many plant products on your skin too. As someone who suffers from multiple allergies and very sensitive skin, I've been making my own cosmetics for many years now, but the more I learned about the current beauty industry - the damage to the environment caused by so much plastic waste and the exploitation of workers for ingredient production to name just two unsavoury aspects - the more I realised that this was something that needed to be shared. I think that more and more people are becoming concerned about the effects of what they put on their skin, both in terms of possible risks to their own health and in terms of the damage to the environment caused by its production or its subsequent contamination of waterways.
So, what are going to be selling? We will shortly be starting out with a range of facial skincare products: cleansers, moisturisers and other similar products designed for specific skin types. We will then add a line of 'daily essentials', such as deodorant and shaving cream. Eventually we hope to include hair-care, shower and bath products and make-up, to become a one-stop shot for all your beauty needs.
But what makes us different? There are thousands of beauty brands on the market, so why choose us? Well, we like to think there are lots of reasons, so here are some of them!
But what makes us different? There are thousands of beauty brands on the market, so why choose us? Well, we like to think there are lots of reasons, so here are some of them!
Have you ever looked at the ingredient list of one of your cosmetic products and been baffled by all the complicated names you don't even know how to pronounce, let along what they actually are? That won't happen with our products. The product descriptions on our website (which will be launched once we start trading) don't just list everything that's in the product, we also tell you exactly what each ingredient is, where we got it from, and why it's in the product. We do this because we have nothing to hide, and we want you to feel empowered through an understanding of exactly what you're putting on your skin.
Did you know that scientists have predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish? (Source: The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics & catalysing action) Cosmetics play a huge part in this because the majority of containers used for cosmetic products cannot be recycled for one reason and another (see Resources below for more information). So, how are we aiming to tackle this problem? Firstly, we've converted a lot of products which would normally be sold in plastic bottles into bar form, such as shampoo bars which you can use like a bar of soap. We wrap these in recycled paper packaging, with natural soya wax where necessary. Secondly, all of our liquid and balm products are sold in glass bottles or jars, with aluminium screw tops wherever possible. That way, if they do end up in the oceans at least they're biodegradable, but we still want to avoid that, so all you have to do is return the containers to us (either in store or by post), and we will sterilise and reuse them. And for every container you return to us, you can claim £1.50 off your next order! Note that at present some of our containers do use a small amount of plastic in pump or dropper dispensers. This is because we haven't yet been able to source a suitable alternative to plastic, but we actively working on a solution. We can at least still sterilise and reuse these to minimise waste.
Did you know that scientists have predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish? (Source: The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics & catalysing action) Cosmetics play a huge part in this because the majority of containers used for cosmetic products cannot be recycled for one reason and another (see Resources below for more information). So, how are we aiming to tackle this problem? Firstly, we've converted a lot of products which would normally be sold in plastic bottles into bar form, such as shampoo bars which you can use like a bar of soap. We wrap these in recycled paper packaging, with natural soya wax where necessary. Secondly, all of our liquid and balm products are sold in glass bottles or jars, with aluminium screw tops wherever possible. That way, if they do end up in the oceans at least they're biodegradable, but we still want to avoid that, so all you have to do is return the containers to us (either in store or by post), and we will sterilise and reuse them. And for every container you return to us, you can claim £1.50 off your next order! Note that at present some of our containers do use a small amount of plastic in pump or dropper dispensers. This is because we haven't yet been able to source a suitable alternative to plastic, but we actively working on a solution. We can at least still sterilise and reuse these to minimise waste.
Since we're talking about pollution, have you considered just how many chemicals you put down the drain every day if you use synthetic-laden products? Much of our waste water ends up in rivers and oceans, and our waterways have enough to cope with already, I think you'll agree. Microbeads may have finally been banned, but other similar non-biodegradable substances like glitter, or just non-biodegradable chemicals, pose a serious pollution risk. Since all of our ingredients are plant-based, and as close to their natural un-refined state as possible, everything is biodegradable.
And it's not just the environment that can be harmed with synthetic chemicals. New studies pop up all the time highlighting potential risks associated with certain ingredients, and whilst there is still much controversy on this point and we don't want to over-hype here, we like to take things back to basics. Our bodies have been interacting with plant matter for 500 million years plus, so it stands to reason that they're going to be better able to deal with plant-derived chemicals than their synthetic equivalent (this isn't to say that everything made from a plant is safe of course, but just that a chemical that is known to be innocuous when derived from a plant may not be so benign when manufactured artificially). |
While we're on the subject of synthetic chemicals, did you know that there's no official definition of 'natural' in the cosmetics industry, so just because a company markets its products as 'natural', 'green' or 'eco-friendly', that doesn't actually tell you very much. It's impossible to make products from plants without any artificial processing taking place, but we strive to keep this to a minimum with our ingredients. And when we say that all of our ingredients come directly from plant sources, we mean it! But what about preservatives, you may ask? Yes, even the preservatives in our products are natural. This means that our products have a slightly shorter shelf life that comparable products, but we think that's a price worth paying. So why don't large companies do this? When you mass-manufacture products in factories, and then send them out via distribution centres, it could be many months before the products are even sold to consumers, so you need to use strong preservatives in order to ensure they maintain their shelf life once bought. Since our operation is small-scale, we can produce products on demand, so are able to use milder, natural preservatives.
In this day and age, allergies are all too common. Believe me, I know. I'm hampered with skin that gets allergic to everything! In fact, that's why I started making my own cosmetics in the first place, because everything that came off the shelf caused an itchy rash at best (I've had mild chemical burns in the past from products that other people I knew used without any problem). So if something can be used on my skin, I know it's seriously hypoallergenic! Of course, it's possible for anyone to get an unexpected allergic reaction to any substance, but like we said earlier, our bodies are just more used to processing plant matter, so the mild, natural ingredients we use in our products are much less likely to cause a reaction than harsher, synthetic alternatives.
So, are you convinced yet? Or are you thinking, this is all very nice, but how much is this going to cost me? Well, that's what I'd be thinking too! All too often, eco-friendly products are prohibitively expensive. But when you think about it, this doesn't make sense. You can't put a financial value on the destruction of our planet. So, our aim is to make our products as cheap as possible, by not putting a huge mark-up on them. We use quality ingredients, taking care to source them responsibly, so these aren't cheap, but we strive to make savings elsewhere to keep our costs low. We produce our products in our home kitchen, so we avoid expensive overheads for premises, and of course we reuse and recycle all our packaging. This keeps our products affordable. And don't forget, you can claim £1.50 off your order for every container you return to us!
As soon as our first products are ready to go, we'll be launching a new website where you can purchase directly.
So, are you convinced yet? Or are you thinking, this is all very nice, but how much is this going to cost me? Well, that's what I'd be thinking too! All too often, eco-friendly products are prohibitively expensive. But when you think about it, this doesn't make sense. You can't put a financial value on the destruction of our planet. So, our aim is to make our products as cheap as possible, by not putting a huge mark-up on them. We use quality ingredients, taking care to source them responsibly, so these aren't cheap, but we strive to make savings elsewhere to keep our costs low. We produce our products in our home kitchen, so we avoid expensive overheads for premises, and of course we reuse and recycle all our packaging. This keeps our products affordable. And don't forget, you can claim £1.50 off your order for every container you return to us!
As soon as our first products are ready to go, we'll be launching a new website where you can purchase directly.