Most woman, myself included, and even some men I know have a very specific beauty routine that consists of specific products used at specific times. For me, it's not that I haven't wanted to go natural and organic with my beauty routine I just find it really difficult to pull myself away from the products I use. In the past my skin has also had a tough time adapting to using new products. I think this is why so many people have a hard time switching to eco-friendly cosmetics and skin care products.
Don't get me wrong; I switched from Blistex lip balm (in the tub) to Burt's Bees all natural lip balm and I will never go back. There are definitely some wonderful natural products out there that will work better for you than what you may be using now, it's just a matter of finding, trying and testing them.
I read a great article recently that talks about understanding the "trade-offs" of using natural products. I think it's important to understand that there are a number of things we are used to from the products we use that occur from ingredients that aren't natural. For example, it is the sulfates in soaps and shampoos that cause the big soapy suds that we typically associate with getting clean. Natural products that don't contain sulfates won't produce the big soapy suds but are still getting us as clean as the non-natural stuff. Another example is natural fragrances versus perfume. Perfumes have ingredients that are added to increase the length of time the product will smell and therefore tend to last longer than natural fragrances that don't have any of the artificial additives.
If you are having a hard time rationalizing switching up your beauty routine than try doing the following:
- Look at all of your usual products and ask yourself am I bored of any of these or are any of these not working well for me anymore? Start by looking at trying natural alternatives to these products. What do you have to lose? You might find something that you love.
- Look at the rest of your products and see f you can purchase any of them in bulk. By buying a 1 litre bottle of shampoo instead of 4 250 ml bottles, you will cut down on unnecessary packaging. You will also save a bunch of money because buying in bulk is usually cheaper.
