One of the first things that I really had to work at changing when I decided to reduce my waste was skincare. I have always been really keen on trying lots of sheet masks, mud masks, new exfoliators and other unnecessary stuff. I also really enjoy wearing make-up and wear it almost every day, which means I have to remove it almost everyday. I used to use make-up wipes to do this, meaning that I was getting through at least one make-up wipe a day, sometimes two if I had worn a lot of make-up. Using make-up wipes also wasn’t that good for my skin, as I was just drying it out (like many teenagers with oily skin do). So, the first thing I swapped was my make-up wipes.
I started by replacing my wipes because I watched a tv show called The War on Plastic, which mentioned the amount of plastic in different types of wipes including wet wipes, cleaning wipes and make-up wipes. This was plastic that I didn’t know I was using, so I decided to ditch the wipes. Instead of wipes, I now use make-up remover pads which you use and then throw in the wash. I use them with coconut oil, which breaks down the make-up so I can wipe it all off my face. I then use a facial cleansing bar make from oats and honey, and then I use my moisturiser (which is just nivea, and is not zero waste). This is another swap I’ve made that is easy in principal, because I have to wash my clothes and these little pads are easy to throw in and come out good as new. The only difficulty was breaking the habit of using a wipe, particularly after going out at night or after drinking, when I’d rather just do something easy. But, once I broke out of that mindset, it has really helped me to reduce my waste, and it has really benefited my skin too – it isn’t as dry and doesn’t feel stretched after I’ve taken my make-up off.
If you use make-up wipes, I would really suggest swapping them for something reusable, because it’s pretty shocking how much plastic is in a packet of wipes.
Waste Makes Waste 