Sustainability is a term that’s usually associated with sacrifices. Living sustainably tends to mean giving certain things up or swapping them for a lesser option. It’s pretty much the opposite of luxury, which is all about splendor and abundance.
This is why it took a while for luxury skincare brands to really embrace sustainability. Now, however, they’re on a roll. High-end brands all over the world are figuring out how to maintain their signature appeal and premium price points while adopting environmentally-friendly practices at the same time. In fact, many luxury skincare brands are now at the forefront of the sustainability movement, and these are the brands worth paying attention to.
Curious about how your skincare routine can be both luxurious and sustainable at the same time? Keep reading as Venofye explains…
Sustainable Ingredient Sourcing
One of the biggest issues faced by luxury skincare brands is the sustainable sourcing of ingredients. Brands often earn their high-end status due to the unusual or rare ingredients that they use. However, these can often contribute to environmental destruction. Even ingredients that aren’t considered to be ‘luxury’, like the palm oil that’s found in 70% of US cosmetics, are often linked to deforestation, carbon loss, and more.
Fortunately, more and more brands are recognizing the problems associated with using these ingredients. As a result, they are now changing their ways. They’re now increasingly sourcing their botanical extracts from regenerative farms that practice forms of agriculture that encourage a diverse ecosystem. Wild harvesting occurs too, but this now tends to be concentrated in areas that can handle it, rather than in environments that are already on their way to depletion.
Of course, even with this in mind, some natural ingredients are always going to be more sustainable than others. You can do your part for the environment by opting for products containing natural ingredients that have a low environmental impact, such as the jojoba and coconut oils in the Venofye Blossom Bee Vitamin C Serum.
Lab-Grown Actives
People often turn to natural ingredients when trying to make their skincare routine more sustainable. There’s a misconception out there that the more natural your products are, the better they will be for the environment.
However, as we mentioned above, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many natural ingredients can have a significant environmental impact, which is why luxury skincare brands have been increasingly investing in biotechnology. Rather than extracting an ingredient from nature, identical compounds are grown in a lab instead. Not only are they much more sustainable since they have a minimal environmental impact, but they can also be created in a way that allows for maximum efficacy.
As the reach for sustainability grows, lab-grown ingredients are only going to become even more popular. Take hyaluronic acid, for example – an ingredient that used to be extracted from the combs of roosters. Now that it is more commonly grown in a lab, it has suddenly become a much more sustainable ingredient that can come with a cruelty-free label. Better yet, all of the experimentation that has surrounded the ingredient has meant that alternative forms of hyaluronic acid have now been developed. Venofye’s Royal Jelly Eye BeeLift, for example, contains sodium hyaluronate. It’s a form of hyaluronic acid that has a smaller molecular size, enabling it to sink into the skin more efficiently so that the skin feels hydrated on a much deeper level.
Upcycling Byproducts
Upcycling has become a big part of sustainability. This practice refers to repurposing a waste material in a way that adds value. This results in an end product that is of a higher quality than the original.
How does this apply to luxury skincare? More and more brands are now turning to upcycling when it comes to ingredient sourcing. There are so many byproducts out there from various industries that contain components that are extremely valuable to the skin.
Take fruit seeds, for example. They’re often discarded by the F&B industry, yet they’re packed with potent phytochemicals that can work wonders on the complexion. The same applies to fruit peels. They’re not used in the same way that fruit flesh is, meaning that they’re considered a waste product. However, they’re often loaded with even more antioxidants than the flesh itself, making fruit peel extracts a potent skincare ingredient. Give the Serpent Thermatox Masque from the Venofye Serpent Thermatox Collection a try, and you’ll see exactly what we mean. This formula makes use of seed extracts from coffee and almonds, along with lemon peel extract. It combines them with advanced biotech ingredients to upcycle them and give them a new and improved purpose!
Multi-Functional Products
While there’s definitely something to be said for skincare products that contain minimal ingredients, this also limits their productivity. If you have multiple skin concerns that you want to target, you’ll likely end up needing several of those minimal ingredient formulas, which only adds to the overall consumption and waste created by your skincare routine.
This is why many luxury skincare brands have been responding with multi-functional products. Yes, they contain more ingredients than minimal skincare products, but, in the end, using just a couple of these formulas versus several minimal products will mean that you’re using fewer ingredients overall.
The Venofye Orchard Bee Brilliance Cream SPF 30 is a good example. This product functions as both a moisturizer and a sunscreen, meaning that it combines two essential steps of every skincare routine into one. With this single product, you’ll be able to protect your skin from the sun, hydrate your skin, and lavish your skin with powerful antioxidants. Not only is using one product instead of two much better for the environment, but it will save you time and money with your skincare routine too!
Eco-Friendly Packaging
Packaging plays a huge role when it comes to the environmental impact of the beauty industry. Currently, the industry creates around 120 billion units of packaging per year, with the majority of that being plastic.
This is a shocking amount of waste – an issue that many luxury skincare brands are now addressing. A variety of methods are being adopted to reduce packaging waste, with recyclability being one of them. At Venofye, our product packaging has been recyclable for a while. Shop with us and you won’t need to worry about your luxury skincare purchases contributing to landfills.
Refillable packaging is also starting to become more popular. There are still plenty of challenges that need to be overcome in this area, such as how it can be more difficult to ensure product safety and potency. Initial production costs can be higher too, although consumers are often willing to pay more for sustainability.
Devices That Last a Lifetime
Skincare tech has been advancing at a rapid rate, especially in the luxury market. We’ve already explored how biotechnology has been working hand-in-hand with sustainability. However, there are other forms of tech that are doing the same thing.
Skincare devices, for instance, check many of the boxes when it comes to their sustainability attributes. Invest in a multi-functional skincare device, such as the Photonix-2 Eye Wand, and you’ll be able to use that one device to tackle a variety of visible skin concerns. Rather than splurging on new eye serums and eye creams each month, this device will address the appearance of everything from crow’s feet to dark circles to puffiness. You’ll be cutting back on consumption and waste while giving your skin a boost at the same time.
Mindful Consumption Philosophies
Up until quite recently, the skincare industry was all about pushing people to buy as many products as possible. This was greatly exacerbated when the famous 10-step Korean skincare routine came into the limelight. With people often following ten different steps morning and night, this meant that they were using at least 20 different products a day.
Many would say that this is the definition of over-consumption and being unsustainable, especially with dermatologists and other skincare professionals lamenting that no one actually needs to be using that many products each day.
Now that the tide has turned and the ‘skinimalism’ trend, which is all about keeping your skincare routine simple and minimal, has emerged alongside sustainability, the industry is now increasingly encouraging mindful consumption practices. This is great news for sustainability. Rather than telling people that they need a long list of different products to create an effective skincare routine, luxury skincare brands are now helping consumers put together short yet mindful routines.
Want to do the same? Start by establishing the basics. You’ll need a good cleanser, a hydrating moisturizer, and a sunscreen. After that, add in any necessary ‘extras’ to cater to your skin’s unique needs. Go for the multi-functional formulas that we discussed earlier, and you shouldn’t need much more than a couple of other products.
Giving Back to the Planet
While adopting sustainable practices is one of the best ways for a luxury skincare brand to care for the environment, some brands find additional ways to give back to the planet. Donating a percentage of annual sales to environmental causes, for example, helps to offset any potential damage that their products have caused.
Some brands also heavily support environmental initiatives. Not only do they partake in conservation efforts, but they also use their various platforms to educate consumers about being sustainable and eco-friendly. When reputable brands put time and effort into spreading the word about sustainable practices, consumers are usually more than happy to listen.
Luxury Skincare Goes Sustainable
When it comes to skincare, consumers no longer have to choose between luxury and sustainability. The two are now very much intertwined, enabling you to indulge in decadence for your skin without having to worry about harming the environment. So long as you shop from luxury skincare brands that have adopted sustainable practices, you’ll be doing your part for both the environment as well as your skin.
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