Guest Blog - Pura Vida - Plastic Free Beauty

Plastic Free Beauty – Making your beauty routine a more sustainable one - By Pura Vida Stores

Ever wonder how much plastic you come into contact with on a daily basis?

The beauty industry is notorious for selling products in plastic. It’s cheap and affordable, but lasts longer than a life time. Not forgetting that many of these products are still tested on animals or have traces of harmful chemicals. 

So, what is the problem? Not only has it been proven multiple times that plastic contains harmful ingredients, such as parabens, but it also breaks down into microplastics that are causing disruptions to our eco-systems and all the wonderful creatures, including us. As well as emerging evidence that microplastics could be linked to certain diseases.

What can we do? Let’s start by reflecting on our own actions. It might seem very overwhelming when beginning your plastic free journey. From my very own experience gradually replacing any plastic beauty items once you have used them up, is the easiest way.

Here are a few beauty items which I sell in my zero-waste (Pura Vida Stores) shop that can replace your current plastic products.

1.      Love The Planet Make-Up

This company pride themselves with cruelty, chemical and plastic free make-up! Love The Planet send us the make-up in paper pouches which are made up of paper, starch and cellulose film, made from wood fibre. Pura Vida sells foundation, blushers and eyeshadows as a refill option. Many of our customers buy 2g of powder at a time, usually in a tin or little glass pot. You can either bring your own pot or we sell little tins for 50p, which is a popular option. When you eventually run out, pop back in store and fill up your pot!

2.      AyurDevon Remedies

AyurDevon located in Westward Ho! Offers an ethical, sustainable and plastic-free hair and skin care range. Liquid and bar soaps are handmade using the cold press method, with organic oils and is palm oil free. Products such as the liquid soap, facial foam wash and cleansers can be bought as a refill option in my zero-waste shop.  These products are commonly used within our beauty regimes to remove make up etc… and can significantly reduce single use plastic by having this option to refill your bottle. 

3.      Beauty Kitchen

Beauty Kitchen make sustainable and natural beauty product with a programme called Return – Refill – Repeat. This enables customers to purchase Beauty Kitchen’s aluminium/glass packaged beauty products and return their empty containers to us! (Or other companies who stock Beauty Kitchen) Once Pura Vida Stores receive the empties, we send them back to the company to refill, then repeat! Beauty Kitchen sell a range of hair, body and skin care products, including creams and shampoos.

4.      Buff Natural Skin Care

Buff Natural Skin Care products are 100% natural, vegan and cruelty free. All their packaging is 100% recyclable – Glass, Aluminium and card board with compostable labels. Buff has a variety of special blends and lots of beautiful products from bath soaks to body scrubs and body and massage oils. Not forgetting their wonderful candle.

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly”