The pandemic didn’t just push us to adapt to the ‘new normal’ practice of social distancing and working from home; it also pushed up to take a different approach towards beauty. Take clean beauty for instance — before the pandemic hit, this beauty trend was only popular among a niche and was still in the early stages of being adopted by a big chunk of the population. But a deadly virus has driven us to minimise the strain on our natural resources — in hopes of avoiding any future outbreaks. And a big post-lockdown trend to emerge from this change in perception is — biodegradable hair care.
Research suggests that your hair care habits generate the largest carbon footprint. This is calculated based on the amount of water used to wash the hair, energy consumed to style it and the hair care products themselves. Ahead, why clean hair care is gaining momentum and will make the biggest impact.
No harmful chemicals
Biodegradable hair products are formulated without baddies like sulphates, silicones and parabens. These ingredients are bad for the environment — they are known to cause a plethora of allergic reactions as well as organ toxicity and environmental damage (yikes). Plus, they also strip moisture off the hair and leave your strands dry and brittle — taking you several steps back from your hair goal. Thus, switching to cleaner products that are made from ethically sourced ingredients is your bet.
Sustainable packaging
Say no to plastic! Opt for recycled and biodegradable bottles and packaging that won’t end up in the landfill. There’s a growing affinity towards products packaged with decomposable material or can be reused to curb waste generation.
BB picks: The Love Beauty & Planet haircare range
Better for your hair and scalp
Nasty ingredients, like silicones or alcohol, are added in products because they can mask hair issues. But IRL, these ingredients only work on a superficial level. For instance, silicones will add shine to dull hair but not nourish it inside out. Or alcohol can clear an oily scalp but also dries it out. As such, switching to environmentally friendly and clean ingredients makes sure that your hair and scalp is actually nourished with healthy ingredients.
Not tested on animals
Clean beauty products aren’t tested on animals (yay), which means they are cruelty-free. Also, most of these clean beauty brands also make huge contributions to organisations fighting against animal cruelty, which gives us all the more reasons to make the switch.
Can do double-duty
There is a reason why clean hair care products are pricier than their artificial counterparts — the quality ingredients and sustainable production practices lead to heightened costs. But this makes the products so wholesome that they can be in more ways than one. For instance, botanical hair oil can double up as a frizz control serum that doesn’t weigh your mane down. This also means that the ingredients are gentle on your skin, which is crucial as many skin issues like hairline acne and dryness can be caused by harsh chemicals present in hair care products.
Written by Sumona Bose on Aug 13, 2020
Sumona Bose is a writer, skincare junkie and a self-professed makeup connoisseur. Equipped with a Master's degree in Fashion Management and over 3 years of experience writing in the beauty and fashion space, her passion for learning new things has no bounds. Working closely with dermatologists, beauty excerpts, makeup artists and hairstylists, she brings you the best of all things beauty. From trending skincare ingredients to makeup looks that help you slay, she manages to bring something new (and vital!) to our readers every single time. Her hobbies include home workouts, watching foreign films and binge-watching makeover shows!