I’m really happy about sustainable fashion being a thing now. Anyone else? It’s been over 10 years since I first started becoming aware of our impact on the planet, and in that time we have seen catastrophic destruction to ecosystems and parts of the world as a result of climate change (as I type this the Amazon is on fire *sheds a tear*), and unfortunately it’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Perhaps for you it feels like nothing you do will make a difference, but I’d rather live by my values, even if it feels like a drop in the bucket.
If you are like me and care even the slightest about the impact your lifestyle has on the planet then you probably desire to make some changes to your lifestyle.
The big question is HOW.
I believe in simple swaps and ways to make a difference without going totally off the grid. As a whole we are creatures of habit and naturally resist changing how we shop for our favorite products, eat our favorite foods, and discard the associated waste. Fortunately I believe we are going in the right direction and soon it will become easier and easier to make smarter choices.
One thing I’ve been doing lately is shifting from consuming Fast Fashion to focusing more on Sustainable Fashion.
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast Fashion refers to the trendy, of-the-moment designs at a cheap price point that move quickly from the catwalk into your closet. They are often replaced by newer designs within a season or two or fall apart after several washes due to their low quality production. The production, consumption, and disposal of Fast Fashion is alarmingly harmful to our planet. I talk all about the facts of fast fashion in my next post.
What is Sustainable Fashion?
Sustainable Fashion is a movement towards creating a global shift in fashion production and consumption that has less of a negative impact on the environment.
This is done on many levels. First, at the production level, clothing companies are now producing textiles with less chemicals and toxic dyes, thereby releasing fewer toxins into the water supply. Factories are also now considering the ethical treatment of their workers, ensuring they have a safe environment in which to work, as well as the basic human rights of factory workers.
Next, at the consumption level, the sustainable fashion movement aims to urge buyers to become more mindful about the clothing they are purchasing. As educated consumers who care about the environment we must know what type of an impact we are making through where we spend our dollars. By shifting away from shopping at fast fashion retailers and look toward high quality, ethical brands we can begin to tip the scales toward sustainable fashion becoming a major industry.
Lastly, sustainable fashion hopes to reduce clothing waste at the end of a garment’s lifecycle. Think of all the clothes you’ve ever worn in your life. Now imagine them all in a landfill. That’s where they go, unfortunately. By creating more opportunities for textiles to be recycled, and changing our habits with regard to our habit for flippant consuming and discarding of clothing after a few wears, we can hopefully reduce the amount of waste we are creating.
I also want to note that nothing is more sustainable than reusing or buying second hand.
Why is it the future?
More than 50% of consumers plan to switch brands in the future if another brand acts more environmentally and socially friendly than their preferred one
75% of consumers view sustainability as extremely or very important.
More than a third of consumers report they have already switched from their preferred brand to another because it credibly stands for positive environmental and/or social practices.
We’ve been seeing this shift in the food industry as we focus on local food, demanding organic, and bringing mindfulness back to grocery shopping. Similarly the fashion industry is beginning to see the same shifts in the values and desires of customers.
We’re not just demanding more products anymore like the generations before us. We are demanding transparency and choose brands that align with our values, not our checkbook. Sustainable and ethical fashion is not a small niche market anymore.
It’s up to us to become educated and mindful consumers. Are you going to support ethical and sustainable fashion brands?
The answer is yours. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Here’s a quick, bite sized blog post to help inform you on the realities of fast fashion.
It is estimated that more than half of fast fashion produced is disposed of in under a year. Ellen MacAthur Foundation
The Institute of Sustainable Communication suggested that the fashion industry comes in the second position as the biggest polluter of clean water.
In the United States, clothes are only worn for about a quarter of the global average. Ellen MacAthur Foundation
Some garments are estimated to be discarded after just seven wears.
The textiles industry relies mostly on non-renewable resources, including oil, to produce synthetic fibers, fertilizers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce, dye, and finish fibers and textiles.
In 2015, greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production added up to 1.2 billion tons of CO2. More than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
20% of industrial water pollution globally is attributable to the dyeing and treatment of textiles
It has been estimated that around half a million tons of plastic microfibers shed during the washing of plastic-based textiles such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic end up in the ocean.
Ok don’t freak out. I know this is a lot to take in, but you powerful women out there want to be the most educated consumer you can be, and sometimes that means knowing things you wish you didn’t know.
Check out my similar posts on the rise of the sustainable fashion movement and simple ways you can minimize your fast fashion impact.
Pin it! Share it!… Bop it! Twist it!
References:
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future,(2017, http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications).
Hartline, N.L., Bruce, N.J., Karba S.N., Ruff, E.O., Sonar, S.U., and Holden, P.A. (2016) Microfiber Masses Recovered from Conventional Machine Washing of New or Aged Garments, Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 50, No.21, pp.11532-11538
One thing that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is how much plastic and paper waste a single person produces in a day. There are so many things that we use once and throw away without even thinking twice about it. Unfortunately we’re getting to that point where we really should be more conscious of what our consumption is doing to the planet. Especially during the holidays it’s hard to comprehend just how much plastic and paper is wasted and thrown into the landfill.
Luckily you don’t have to take it to extremes to make a dent in the waste that you are creating this holiday season. There is a powerful Zero Waste Movement happening right now that focuses on making simple swaps for every day items, which means less going into the garbage at the end of the day.
Here are some ideas to get you started being a more conscious consumer. Especially now that the holidays are upon us, a time when there is so much unnecessary waste.
Minimize Single Use Plastic
Simple things like having reusable travel utensils in your car so you don’t have to use plastic forks and knives at Starbucks (I’m totally guilty of that). Same goes for plastic straws, which are wreaking havoc on marine life. By getting some reusable stainless steel straws you can make a simple swap that also helps the environment.
More and more people recently have made it a habit to take their reusable grocery bags to the store, but have you ever though of how much plastic you are wasting with the produce bags you put your greens and other veggies in? Their lifespan is only as long as the veggies you put in them, then they go right in the trash. A smile solution is taking your own produce bags to the grocery store along with your own grocery bags. Same goes for Zip-lock bags, which I use almost every day when I go to work. Instead try using the cute Stasher Reusable Food Bag.
Many businesses and towns are even doing away with plastic bags and straws all together! My hometown got rid of plastic bags in grocery stores and charge people for each brown bag they use. Not only does it cut down on plastic bags which pollute out environment, but the extra charge (which was only like 5 cents or something) was enough incentive to try to remember my reusable bags each time I went shopping.
Another thing is to be aware of what you are purchasing, either as its or just in general. Are you getting gifts for people that come in a ton of plastic packaging or requires bubble wrap because of shipping? Note I’m a huge fan of online shopping for the sanity it saves me, but these are things to be aware of.
Waste Free Gift Wrapping
One of the biggest waste issues around the holidays is all of the gift wrapping and boxes that get thrown out. When I think about it I find it kind of insane that we will use expensive paper for the sole purpose of ripping it up and throwing it out after 5 seconds. I mean, I love how presents look all pretty and wrapped up, but there are more creative, and sustainable ways, to make presents look beautiful.
One way is to use reusable gift wrapping. I found these stretchy fabric bags that can fit around different size boxes and can be used over and over. If you’re not into reusable gift wrapping you can always skip the wrapping paper and reuse gift bags. I know in my family we never have to buy new ones because my mom has a whole closet full of saved gift bags that we just use year after year.
Get creative with brown paper bags. I love using brown paper bags from the grocery store (when I forget my reusable grocery bags of course!) and cutting them up to use as wrapping paper. They are a blank canvas for making fun art that makes each gift unique. Using paint, crayons, stamps, and stickers is a great way to decorate them for any season or holiday, and it’s free! One year my mom used brown paper to wrap all our presents and used Christmas-ey stamps and twine to make them look beautiful! It was an art project in itself, and made wrapping more enjoyable.
Action Step: Here’s something I want you to try…
Tomorrow from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, notice how much you throw away, or how much unnecessary paper and plastic are a part of your everyday life. Paper towels, ziplock bags, the plastic wrap on food containers, junk mail, makeup remover pads, produce bags, receipts, all of it. Just by becoming aware of how much unnecessary waste you accumulate in one day can be a big motivator in making tiny changes.
And if you’re really interested in learning about more ways you can live a zero waste life (or close to it) is to check out the book, aptly named Zero Waste Home.
I am an affiliate of Amazon, which means that if you make a purchase from any of these links I may make a small commission, as no extra cost to you. This helps me maintain and run this website and keep putting out good content for you all to enjoy. Thank you for supporting Bloom & Spark!
We spend so much time talking about what goes in our bodies, avoiding pesticides, eating clean, shopping organic, yada yada yada. So wouldn’t it make sense to also look at the skincare products that we put on our skin every single day?
In Part 1 of this series I shared what happened when I looked at the ingredients in my skincare, and how you can find out what’s in your most frequently used products too.
In Part 2 of this series I laid out the top offender ingredients you don’t want to see on your labels. I’ve found the ingredients part of this whole process to be the most overwhelming, I don’t pretend to be a scientist and know what all these long words mean, so to have a list of everything in one place made it much simpler!
Why Doesn’t “Natural” or “Nontoxic” cut it?
Federal regulations around skincare haven’t changed since the 1930’s, so terms like “natural,” “nontoxic,” “plant-based” and “free of” have no legal basis in the personal care industry. Each company can decide what those terms means to them.
The term “greenwashing” refers to marketing products making them appear healthier, cleaner, and safer than they really are. “Oh yea put a big green leaf on the label and make the box out of brown paper that looks like it’s recycled, now it looks healthy!” I know I’ve fallen for it before. Basically we have no way of knowing what each manufacturer’s version of these terms are because there’s no regulation, so they can basically say whatever thy want.
Where to start?
I love the Environmental Working Group’s website! It’s the best resource, I’ve found, to learn about safer brands. The EWG has it’s own verification system to label products as safe, so you don’t have to go doing all the research. When you see the EWG VERIFIED™ mark on personal care products, you can trust that they meet their strictest standards for your health.
In my research I found a few brands that stood out on the verified list. One is Beauty Counter(BTW, this is totally not a sponsored post, and I don’t work for them…although after learning everything I have learned about them I kinda want to work for them now haha!). First and foremost before being a company that sells beauty products they have a strong social mission.
They are a company that advocates for stricter guidelines and regulatory laws in the government to help change the beauty and personal care industry from the using types of questionable ingredients that other countries have long since banned. This company is starting to make major waves in the beauty industry by demanding more from an industry that has never been transparent when it comes to the ingredients they use. Finally, yeah their products are all verified by the EWG.
I also was introduced to a company calledNative which makes antiperspirant. While not yet verified by the EWG (I’m sure they will be at some point), they have a great list of ingredients and are free of aluminum and parabens.
Why does that matter? Well, like everything else these days there is some controversy surrounding the link between these chemicals and breast cancer. Some say it’s linked, some say it’s not. Either way, if you had your choice if putting chemicals on your armpits or not, you would probably choose to go without chemicals, right?
Also you can order a bunch of scents in travel size so you can try them all out and see which one you like!
I also was able to find EWG verified products in my local Whole Foods, just look for the little symbol somewhere on the label.
Tips for switching to safer products
1.Don’t go throwing away all of your products at once! Finish out what you have and slowly start replacing them with brands that use safer ingredients. I’m going one product at a time, as I run out of something I am replacing it from a brand I have researched and trust.
2. Do some research, but don’t drive yourself crazy. This is all in the name of better health right? To start finding brands and products that meet high standards head to the EWG VERIFIED list. Let the experts do the heavy lifting.
3. Be realistic, and remember it’s ok to make exceptions for things you love. It’s ok if you don’t have 100% of your products on the safe and verified list right away, or ever. I personally have a Bobbi Brown lipstick that I (and every other woman in my family) have been using for years, and I’m probably not giving it up.
Let me know in the comments how you plan on switching to safer products. I would love to hear from you, and I will keep sharing my journey as I make the switch over on my Instagram! And share this with a girlfriend if you want to help spread the word about safer products. Pin the image below!
*Note: this was NOT a paid or sponsored post. I don’t get paid by any of these companies to share this here, I purely was doing this for myself, and to help educate others which is what this blog is all about! I’m sharing these particular companies here because they are just what I’ve started using, but you should find which brands work for you.
As I said in part 1 of this skincare series, I’ve been really interested in cleaning up my personal products, taking out any harmful skincare ingredients, and replacing them with ones that are safer for me and the environment. When starting to research products and ingredients I came upon a startling fact…
While the European Union has banned 1,328 harmful chemicals and ingredients, the United States has only banned 30.
omg say WHAT?!?!?!?!
That means there are thousands of chemicals Americans use and eat every day, that in other parts of the world are not deemed safe for humans. We’re talking pesticides, food additives, dyes, preservatives, chemicals in personal products like cosmetics, toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo. That’s freakin’ messed up and I’m really not cool with it!
Are you as baffled as I am? This is one of the most shocking and upsetting statistics I have heard in years. It makes me think “WTF is wrong with us? Why are are so backwards on this?”
Here’s why. In short, most countries take the stance that if there is credible evidence of danger to human or environmental health, preventative action is taken by banning the product, whether or not the science has yet to prove it’s unsafe.
The US, on the other hand sees it as an “innocent until proven guilty” type of deal. Meaning if there is concern over a product, it will not be banned until certain and conclusive studies have been conducted, proving a high level of harm.
You can see my article in part 1 of this series, when I took a startling look at the ingredients in some of my daily skincare products. I highly encourage you to check out the Environmental Working Group’s website to look at the safety of ingredients in your products.
But for now this is what I want you to be aware of. Please, ladies look at your labels!
HARMFUL INGREDIENTS YOU SHOULD AVOID
Benzalkonium Chloride A disinfectant used as a preservative and surfactant associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies. Found in: sunscreens, moisturizers.
Butylatedhydroxy Anisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene Synthetic antioxidants used to extend shelf life. They are likely carcinogens and hormone disruptors and may cause liver damage. Found in: lipsticks, moisturizers, diaper creams, and other cosmetics.
Coal tar hair dyes and other coal tar ingredients A byproduct of coal processing that is a known carcinogen. It is used as a colorant and an anti-dandruff agent. Found in: hair dye, shampoo.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) A chelating (binding) agent added to cosmetics to improve stability. May be toxic to organs. Found in: hair color, moisturizers.
Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA) Surfactants and pH adjuster linked to allergies, skin toxicity, hormone disruption, and inhibited fetal brain development. Found in: hair dyes, mascara, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, dry cleaning solvents, paint, pharmaceuticals.
Formaldehyde Used as a preservative in cosmetics. A known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. Present where quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol (Bronopol), and several other preservatives are listed. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath.
Hydroquinone A skin-lightening chemical that inhibits the production of melanin and is linked to cancer, organ toxicity, and skin irritation. Found in: skin-lightening creams.
Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone Chemical preservatives that are among the most common irritants, sensitizers, and causes of contact skin allergies. Found in: shampoo, conditioner, body wash.
Oxybenzone Sunscreen agent and ultraviolet light absorber linked to irritation, sensitization and allergies, and possible hormone disruption. Found in: sunscreen, moisturizer.
Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl- and others) A class of preservatives commonly used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Parabens are endocrine (or hormone) disruptors, which may alter important hormone mechanisms in our bodies. Found in: shampoo, face cleanser, body wash, body lotion, foundation.
Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others) A class of plasticizing chemicals used to make products more pliable or to make fragrances stick to skin. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and may cause birth defects. Found in: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, hairspray, and plastic materials.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds) PEGs are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. Depending on manufacturing processes, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which are both carcinogens. Found in: creams, sunscreen, shampoo.
Retinyl palmitate and Retinol (Vitamin A) A nutrient that may damage DNA and speed the growth of skin tumors when used topically. Found in: moisturizer, anti-aging skincare.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES) SLS and SLES are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. SLES is often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which is used to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath.
Synthetic flavor or fragrance An engineered scent or flavoring agent that may contain any combination of 3,000-plus stock chemical ingredients, including hormone disruptors and allergens. Fragrance formulas are protected under federal law’s classification of trade secrets and therefore can remain undisclosed. Found in: all types of cosmetics.
Toluene A volatile petrochemical solvent that is toxic to the immune system and can cause birth defects. Found in: nail polish.
Triclosan and Triclocarban Antimicrobial pesticides toxic to the aquatic environment; may also impact human reproductive systems. Found in: liquid soap, soap bars, toothpaste.
*this list is actually known as The Never List, put out by Beauty Counter. I found it the most comprehensive, yet simple to understand list out there*
If you find this disturbing, the best things you can do are to look at the ingredients in the products you use every day, share this with a girlfriend (’cause we look out for each other), and start looking for products with safer ingredients. I’ll show you how to do that in part 3 of this blog series!
So for a long time I have kept telling myself that the next time I need a new cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo, etc. I’m going to really do my research and find products with safer skincare ingredients for both my body, and the environment. I’ve heard about how lots of skincare ingredients in our everyday products are pretty harmful, and considering how many products we all use, it was important to me that I start cleaning it up.
Well, ingredients lists are confusing to say the least. I don’t recognize, nor can I pronounce, any of the terms, and I didn’t know where I could turn to get some answers. I finally came upon the Environmental Working Group website, which has been a really helpful resource, and I encourage all of you to go check it out.
It allows you to research not only ingredients, but you can also search for the products youse to find if they are deemed safe. They also have a special mark they put on products that are verified by the EWG which recognizes products that meet EWG’s strictest standards for your health. SO you know which products don’t contain chemicals of concern. I found this especially helpful, and now am striving to only buy products that are EWG verified. Here’s what the mark looks like:
I like to keep my standards high, and this seems like it will help me, without hours of frustrating google searches.
So with this new information right at my fingertips, I decided to check on three of the products I use on a daily basis (I use more than 3, but to avoid an extremely long post, I kept it to 3 so you could see how it works).
Product #1: Dove go fresh deodorant (cool essentials scent)
This one came back with 12 ingredients of concern (yikes!). The highest concerns include contamination concerns, irritation, persistence, and bioaccumulation.
Score: 4/10 (moderate hazard) *just for reference the higher the number, the higher the hazard*
Top 4 Suspect Ingredients
Fragrance– skin irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology
BHT– Cancer (WTFFFFFF), organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption, developmental/reproductive toxicity.
Cyclopentasiloxane– organ system toxicity, neurotoxicity, cancer, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology.
Steareth-100- organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology.
Product #2: Obaji Medical Gentle Rejuvenation Soothing Cleanser
This one actually game back pretty good with a low overall concern (7 ingredients of moderate hazard,and 10 ingredients of low hazard)
Score: 2/10 (low hazard) woop woop!
Top 5 Suspect ingredients:
Thiethanolamine-use restrictions, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), contamination concerns
Homosalate-use restrictions, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, contamination concerns
Octisalate– use restrictions, allergies/immunotoxicity, ecotoxicology
Phenoxythanol– Irritation, use restrictions, organ system toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity
So, luckily nothing came back in the severe hazard range, the the Obagi facial cleanser was just one point away from it, which is upsetting because I got it from my aesthetician at a medical spa and paid a pretty penny for it. I expected it to be the best one, alas, it wasn’t. Either way it’s a eye opening experience to see the chemicals that I am putting on my body every day.
In the next post in this series I’ll share about the ingredients you DEFINITELY don’t want in your products and how to start finding safer products.
Hi, I’m Caroline! Welcome to Bloom & Spark, an intuition led, wellness based lifestyle blog. With a focus on mindfulness and sustainability this space is for creating authentic engagement in what it means to live well. Here you will find insights and lifestyle tips for yoga & meditation, simple recipes, purposeful living, and realistic sustainability. Manifesting Generator, Gemini,
</>
