It’s time we held the beauty and hair care industry to a standard as high as the one created for us. From type 1A to 4C hair, we are taught our unique strands and hair types are to be wrestled with – frizzy hair to be tamed, straight hair to be curled. To each their own (whatever makes you happy), but one thing is certain: what we do for our hair should be kinder to it, and the planet.
You don’t have to choose between caring for your tresses or the terrain! Care for your hair and the environment (and even save a little money!) with these easy tips:
Wash your hair less. There’s this idea that we need to wash our hair every day, or every other day. This first and most important tip may seem counterintuitive, but washing your hair less has many benefits for it and the planet.
Easing up on washing your hair helps your mane enjoy its own natural oils, saves time in the morning, and helps colored hair retain its hue. Plus it saves resources, like water, electricity used to power styling tools, and shampoo and conditioner, which saves you money!
Cool it with the styling. The curly-headed want pinstraight, the fine-haired want bouncy spirals, and wavy locks are ironed out or tightened around rollers — tale as old as time. While heat styling is an amazing way to get creative with your natural tresses and achieve the look that suits your vision, cooling it is cool, too!
Think about the electricity used by your hair dryer or straightener with one use. Say 15-30 minutes time. If you blow out or dry your hair every day, that’s up to six and a half hours of 1500 watts consumed! That comes out of your energy bill, which is powered by a number of energy sources that draw from the Earth.
Choose brands committed to recycling. It’s estimated 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, and curbside programs don’t accept most of them! Colorful plastic, small pouches, and multi-piece (aka pump tops, tubes and caps) items are generally considered difficult-to-recycle because they require separating or it would cost more to process than simply throw them away.
Keep this in mind when you’re reupping on shower essentials or trying out a new formula, and look out for brands committed to making sure you have an easy, accessible solution. The Schwarzkopf brand of Henkel hair care works with us to offer a free program for its hair care, hair color, and aerosol products, awarding TerraCycle points you can redeem for charity the more you recycle – a win for you and the planet!
Simple, sustainable choices await us every day, and the ones you make towards hair care will help impact the industry and influence the brands and companies you love to do better, and inspire friends, family and peers to do the same!
How do you care for your hair and the planet? Tell us in the comments!