Manner Issue 7 | Page 77

MANNER beauty eco beauty THE RISE & REASONS OF The concept of eco beauty has been gaining popularity recently, and now beauty experts and industry insiders; the people that make and market the products we use and love every day, have begun to listen. Words by Liana Shaw T here have been times in the near past where I’ve simply felt overwhelmed with the sheer amount of beauty buys available. It’s never ending. Many brands are launching new products and collections every couple of months and although it has led to some innovative ideas, it gets to a point where it’s just all too confusing. I’m a massive beauty product lover. I love testing out new makeup and skincare, researching the benefits of key ingredients and sharing products I believe in. That hasn’t changed as such. What HAS changed is the way I choose my products and what’s in the products I’m choosing. This year, I’ve been focussing on using clean, green, eco-friendly items more often and it’s been a revelation. It started at the end of last year when I had a reaction to one of the products I’d been using. I still don’t know which one, but I developed dermatitis; the area on the left of my nose and parts of my chin were red and dried out. Something had been too harsh for my skin and I’d noticed too late. I’d also point out it may have been hormonal, but I think a mix of products I was applying too harshly to my face, coupled with my biology, resulted in an annoying skin flare up. And although it was unpleasant (though not uncomfortable, thank goodness) it made me take stock and think about what exactly I was putting on my skin. I’m clearly not the only one. Sales of organic, sustainable and cruelty free beauty products have risen steadily over the years. From my research into brands who follow this ethos, there are more than I realised, which is great. But it’s also meant I’ve been saying goodbye to some beloved brands because I can no longer morally support what they do.  77