Lifestyles: The Perfect Fall Dewy Look: 5 Sustainable Tips

As we grow more and more informed, we’re starting to understand that nothing, no matter how small or apparently unrelated, is truly without bearing on the climate crisis. Something as seemingly tiny as buying another bottle of your favorite face serum reverberates, in true butterfly effect fashion, across the ocean. Literally. So today we’re talking about how you can revamp and get the most out of your autumn skincare routine while keeping it green.

Why Do You Need A Fall Skincare Routine?

It seems like you were just coming up with one, right? Literally two seconds ago. Or more accurately, three to six months ago. The fact is, like the seasons of our beloved planet, our bodies are cyclical, and ever-changing. While extra moisture and increased sun protection might’ve been what you were craving back in May, your body’s needs are changing with the coming of winter.

What An Ideal, Sustainable Fall Skincare Routine Looks Like…

To kick things off, let’s look at a few key things you should be prioritizing in your skincare routine this autumn.

1. Ditch Your Cleansing Wipes:

We’ve all been guilty of falling for the mirage of face cleansing wipes. They’re useful, they’re quick, and many of them come in cutesy packaging. At considerable expense, though, to the planet. And to your skin, so it’s a lose-lose situation.

As winter approaches, we want to go gentle on our skin. And the sad fact about these loveable wipes is that they’re often laden with harsh chemicals to ensure their cleansing potency (ethyl alcohol, triclosan and artificial fragrance, to name a few).

While they may appear useful, they’re actually polluting the planet, as well as tearing at and over-drying your skin. Not to mention half of them leave you still needing an alternative wash to get all residue out.

Sustainability Tip: Look for an eco-friendly face cleansing balm that’s low (ideally zero) on harsh chemicals, and made from fairly-sourced, skin- (and planet-) friendly ingredients (i.e. charcoal, bentonite clay, green tea, etc.).

Take your exfoliation down a notch.

2. Take Your Exfoliation Down A Notch:

We tend to view exfoliation as this miracle trick that will magically cure all your skin’s perceived “imperfections”. And while exfoliation can act as a powerful tool to revitalize and encourage new skin cell growth, it’s very easy to overdo it, especially after summer.

During the hot season, experts advise that we actually increase our exfoliating practices to remove dead skin cells, as well as excess creams, oils and stubborn sunscreen. During autumn, however, you need to be mindful that your skin is being exposed to a rougher environment. As the weather naturally cools, you need to consider the ingredients you’re putting on your face. You want to use gentler exfoliants during the fall, as to give your skin a better chance against harsh weather.

Sustainability Tip: Consider swapping store-bought exfoliators for DIY. A great planet-friendly practice is to use natural ingredients you have at home, like (fair-trade) coffee grounds, honey, sugar, and olive oil, to make your own exfoliating scrub. It’s not only healthier for you, because you avoid exposing yourself to harsh synthetics, but also friendlier for our big green ball.

Be gentle when exfoliating your face. As for the rest of your body, consider opting for a plastic-free exfoliating cloth or dry brush to get the blood flowing (and keep the planet rolling!).

3. Upgrade To A Thicker Moisturizer:

While nobody enjoys layering on that thick cream that just seems to sit on your pores and not do anything, it may be necessary as the weather gets cool. Your usual, lightweight moisturizer might’ve been great for summer (even ideal), but as harsh wind threatens your skin barrier, you need to double-up defenses and make the switch to a thicker moisturizing cream.

Sustainability Tip: As you shop around for your skin’s next best friend, stay mindful of ingredients. Try to avoid ingredients like sulfates (often found in cleansers) and parabens (a known danger both to you and to the environment) which are shockingly common even in what we consider “good” skincare brands. Educating yourself on safe ingredients both for you and the planet might take a minute, but in the end, you’ll both be safer and happier.

4. Fight The Temptation Of Long, Hot Showers:

Picture this. It’s a cool November evening, you’ve just come home after being out and about, running chores all day. You want nothing more than to hop into the shower and just lose yourself under that hot stream for hours and hours.

Well… You might want to hold off on that.

For one thing, not to ruin your vibe here, but it’s kinda wasteful. Sitting under that running hot water for as little as eight minutes costs the planet a grand total of 16 gallons of water. While having running water come freely from a convenient tap in your home is great and may seem like an endless supply, try to remember you’re using up a finite resource, not to mention energy.

Besides, steaming hot showers, while great in theory, could be better for your skin. They may warm you up in the moment, but they’re actually destroying your skin barrier and leaving you more prone to irritation, dry skin, and other unpleasantness.

Sustainability Tip: Instead of leaving the water running, turn off the tap while you apply your products and don’t sit in the shower just to warm up. Instead, teach yourself a few easy self-massage techniques to at least warm up your feet and hands (since the extremities are the ones most affected during the cold season, anyway).

5. Think Beyond The Products You Use:

After all, healthy skin is heavily impacted by what’s inside. A healthy diet can also mean a sustainable diet, which means keeping yourself healthy (and thus with better skin) while also supporting our world. At the end of the day, glowing skin won’t matter if everyone around us is struggling, so why not get both in one go?

Consider switching to a sustainable diet. Read up a bit on the area where you live to discover what’s in season locally (not across the ocean!). Try to introduce more fresh locally-sourced produce into your fall diet. Look for more plant-based protein options (like beans and grains), instead of meat-based sources to reduce your ecological footprint.

Sustainability Tip: When shopping for your new diet, keep an eye out for excess packaging, non-recyclable materials, cling film, etc.

General Sustainability Tips For An Eco-Friendly Beauty Like Yourself:

Here are a couple more tips and tricks that we encourage that apply to all sorts of skincare shopping.

1. Please Be Sure To Look For Reusable Containers: We know those cute little bottles and jars have huge visual appeal, but for the sake of this world we share, seek out brands that offer reusable containers. Just as cute, and green, too!

2. Consider Multi-purpose Products: With sustainability a growing concern, more brands are coming out with multi-purpose products like cleansers that act as make-up removers, hair products that both cleanse and condition, etc.

3. Educate yourself on the brand: Beyond the ingredient list, run a quick background check on any new brand you’re thinking of introducing into your routine. Try to opt for brands that give back to the planet in some way. That’s the zero-effort, lazy option for nurturing your skin and our world.