Summer is finally upon us, hooray! We’re loving the bright mornings, warmer weather and longer days. As ever, a change in season brings with it a change in beauty routines, so this week we’re looking at making some essential summery tweaks to our regime. Without further ado, here are our top tips for making your summer skincare routine sustainable for 2021.
Building a sustainable skincare routine
Regular readers will know that here at Little Soap we’re huge advocates for following a green beauty routine and that if you’re new to it all, the best approach is to take it slowly. We don’t want you going out and replacing all of your skincare products with sustainable alternatives as that would create waste and that’s not what we’re about. Instead, use the time while you’re using up your existing products to research the items you want to replace them with. Read your labels, understand the ingredients being used and find out as much about the brand as you can. Build a wish-list of sustainable products for the ultimate skincare routine.
Skincare must-haves
So what do we need to tweak to make our skin glow throughout the summer months? Here are our top three sizzling skincare must-haves…
- Suncream: hopefully you’ll have been wearing suncream already, since experts agree it should be used as part of your skincare routine from around April to October in the UK as a minimum. Most face creams will have some UV protection as standard, but now is the time to invest in a little more protection as the rays intensify over summer.
- Lip balm: essential year all round. Anyone who’s experienced sore and chapped lips will agree, but especially during the summer. Don’t leave the lip balm out of your skincare routine!
- Body moisturiser: we probably don’t need to explain this one. Your skin needs moisture all year round, but during the summer you might find it needs a little extra TLC.
Making your skincare sustainable
With the basics in mind, choosing sustainable options for your beauty bag doesn’t need to be difficult- but it will require a little work. Here’s a quick guide to getting it right:
- Research your brands carefully. Choose brands that are following good eco practices, don’t test on animals, and carry products with recyclable packaging. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with those brands to ask them about their policies- if they’re eco conscious, they’ll be only too happy to let you know about it.
- Start with one product from your chosen brand and test it out first before you splurge on more. It can be tempting to snap up the entire range, but as highlighted above we want to reduce the amount that we consume, not increase it. Try one sun cream from one brand, and see how it works for you before you splash out on any more.
- Try to make your own products at home if you can. A quick google or a search on Pinterest will bring up plenty of DIY recipes that might just be the answer you’re looking for. Again, do your research and take your time.
- Avoid single use items. Ditch the disposable skin wipes and avoid single-use plastics. Opt for reusable cloths to cleanse the skin rather than cotton wool pads and try to avoid products in plastic bottles pots.
- Recycle your containers. Some brands offer products that can be re-filled, while some will take back old containers to recycle and re-use. Again, it comes down to research so if you can, choose brands who offer this service.
