Last updated: 18th February 2019
Eco-friendly cosmetics and clothing shouldn't be underestimated. After all, many of us have no trouble being health conscious about what we put in our bodies – but what about the products we put on our skin?
We take a look at what eco-friendly clothing and cosmetics are, as well as how to choose the right eco-friendly clothing and cosmetics. Better for your skin, better for the planet.
What is eco-friendly clothing?
At its core, eco-friendly clothing is garments made from fabrics that are derived from environmentally-friendly resources. This can include sustainably-grown fibre crops or recycled materials. Eco-friendly clothing can also refer to how these fabrics are made.
Eco-friendly clothing is made using organic, raw materials such as bamboo that is organically grown without pesticides. Or silk that is made by worms that are fed with organic trees. Eco-friendly clothing is often made from recycled and reused textiles and come from fair trade (those who make the clothing are paid fairly and have decent working conditions).
What are eco-friendly cosmetics?
It's not just your clothing that should be environmentally-friendly – eco-friendly cosmetics are also key to being kind to both the planet and your skin. Natural oils such as coconut, argan and avocado oil are often used in eco-friendly cosmetics, while green cosmetic emulsifiers, surfactants and biocatalysts are derived using a range of plants that can be cheaply and sustainably sourced.
There's never been a better time for the beauty industry to ditch plastic packaging, remove toxic chemicals and synthetics and support sustainably-sourced, plant-derived ingredients. In turn, it's never been easier to be kind to your skin and the planet at the same time. Plus, you'll look and feel great!
How to choose eco-friendly beauty products
Choosing eco-friendly and safe products for our skin is just as important as the food we eat.
Our skin is one of the body’s largest and fastest-growing organs. Little do we know that up to 20 times a day we are using products that travel straight into our bloodstream – slowly but harmfully affecting our health and wellbeing.
While cosmetic and clothing companies will argue that the limited amounts of chemicals used in their products won’t harm the body, using these products on a day-to-day basis can do more damage than we think.
Using the wrong toothpaste, shampoo, face wash, makeup, sunscreen, hand-wash and clothing has harmful effects not only on ourselves but also our children’s sensitive developing bodies.
According to US-based EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database, the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients daily and the average man uses 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients.
The research shows these ingredients can be linked to health problems including cancer, skin allergies, hormone disruption, respiratory issues and reproductive toxicity.
Emmily Banks, eco-beauty and makeup artist shares the importance of using clean products on her blog Depths of Beauty. Here she details the 12 dirty dozen chemicals to look out for in your cosmetic and beauty products.
Boody Cami Tops – Skin-Friendly Bamboo Eco Wear
How to choose eco-friendly clothing
The textile industry isn’t far behind either. Microfibres – small strands of plastic less than 5 millimetres long – are used to make synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. Although they're barely visible, these tiny microfibres are made with synthetic chemicals can be harmful to the skin.
Most synthetic fabrics including cotton, wool, polyester and spandex are treated with chemicals during and after processing – lurking in the garments long after we purchase them. While fabric might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to your health, by choosing eco-friendly products you are not only helping the environment but protecting your family from hazardous chemicals.
Our very own Boody bamboo collections for women, men and babies are created with precisely this in mind. Our bamboo is grown organically without a trace of pesticides, insecticides or fertilisers and our production process uses closed-loop systems contributing to the hypo-allergenic and anti-fungal properties of our garments. It is our mission to ensure that you are putting the highest quality of fabric on your skin.
While we cannot control what goes on the shelf in the supermarkets and online, we have the power as consumers to make a choice to empower ourselves, raise our standards of quality and provide our families with safer, environmentally-friendly alternatives.
How to be an eco-friendly and conscious consumer
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Support natural, organic, ethical and cruelty-free products and practices.
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Try local products – talk to the manufacturers about their processing and get to know the brand inside and out.
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Do a clean up of your bath and beauty products by throwing out (or giving away) anything that has the dirty dozen in the ingredients.
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Learn together – talk to your friends about what products they support.
