Buy with a conscience Before I started to study fashion and beauty, I wa s already used to buying conscientiously and thin king beyond the price. A few years ago, I started to get more curious abo ut vegan products, if they were also cruel free an d how sustainable they were. We should all be in terested in this matter since it’s the future of our pl anet that is at stake and the life of our animals. You can read two different articles, on two When I refer to ‘’products’’, it’s a whole range goin g from beauty products- like skincare and make-u p to hair products.
different brands but that have the same focus: how sustainable they are, if it’s cruel free and if they are also vegan. And my main goal is to make people think with more conscience when
I started to google more about this a few years ag o, maybe 6 years and all because I saw a post on Instagram, where they got together all the brands that were cruelty-free, vegan and the ones that w
buying products and if they are hurting the world and some specific animals that go through numerous numbers of testing all because of us.
eren’t any of that, that was the alarming call that g ot my attention.
To write both articles I did thoughtful and deep research, going through different websites to
Unfortunately, with the research that I started doin g at the time, I found out that even if a product is
make sure that the information was true and trustworthy.
vegan it doesn’t necessarily mean that is also cru elty-free, and vice-versa. So it’s essential that wh en we are buying products, we look for both symb ols- the vegan and the cruelty-free, if you don’t mi nd using products that are not vegan, just look for the cruelty-free, because in my opinion that’s the most important.
These are two different articles, where you can read
about
Garnier,
their
sustainability
measures and their products and about Primark’s sustainability when it comes to their skincare and make-up products, which many people use because of the relation pricequality, which is actually pretty decent for such low prices.
GARNIER GARNIER GARNIER Garnier is a French cosmetic brand that belongs to L’Oréal, and they produce skincare and hair care pr oducts, and it was founded by Alfred Amour Garnier . They patented their first hair product in 1904, a hair lotion. And they always based the formulas on natu ral products, so this first product was the first-ever plant-based. It’s a world-leading beauty brand, and they have b
They have partnered with TerraCycle, a highly awarded recycling company and their main goal is to stop wasting, ‘’Eliminate the Idea of Waste’’. This company was founded in 2001, and it became one of the fastest growing green companies in the whole world.
een creating and building a positive image in the be auty community with their sustainability measures a
TerraCycle works with old products than they use
nd by being accessible to every person.
and transform them, into new products with a new purpose. By working with TerraCycle, Garnier
Right now, all products from Garnier are officially cr
reduces the amount of waste that is sent to landfills
uelty-free confirmed by the Leaping Bunny Progra
because they collect the waste possible and
mme. But not all products are vegan, yet.
recycle it.
The brand believes that they are ‘’taking care of the world around us’’ with their actions. Accordingly, with some information that I found onli ne when doing my research, Garnier’s target marke t group is women between the ages of 18 to 34.
To make this happen all we need to do is send them our empty containers from Garnier, with a TerraCycle logo (usually, you can find it in the back), and by doing that simple gesture, you are reassuring that that container doesn’t go to waste and you are helping the planet.
The brand has been trying to help the beauty world greener, and to do that they committed to solidarity sourcing, renewable energy, ecodesigned
formulas,
and
packaging
from
recycled plastic. Solidarity sourcing means for example that the avocado oil, aloe vera, and the argan oil that they use on products are from a sustainable source and that is also fairly traded.
But there are some tips when recycling, first, you need
They have been working with energy that is
to look for a symbol that is going to tell you how much
produced by a plant, and that plant is fed with
recyclable it is.
at least 45% of renewable energy.
As you can see in this image:
Garnier also tracks the water footprint and the biodegradability of their formulas, this way they can plan eco-designed formulas. When it comes to the packaging, their bottles of shampoo and conditioner (without pumps or caps) are made of 100% recycled plastic.
As you can see, it goes from 1-7 and the numbers identify the type of plastic and how recyclable it is. One and two are the most friendly packages for the environment. Some products that you can’t recycle are lipstick, spray can deodorant, hair gel and mascara, etc.
They have prevented more than 11 million empty bottles from ending up in landfills. Both Fructis shampoo and conditioner bottles are made with at least 50% of recycled plastic from post-consumer. But they are trying to make that percentage grow even more. At least 30% of the post-consumer recycled plastic is used to make the bottles for the SkinActive products. Also, the Nutrisse cartons are 100% recyclable and certified, making sure that people know that the products come from a company that thinks about the environment. My favorite products are the Hair Food products, I believe that it’s called the Ultimate Blends, they work amazing, they all smell like the real fruit (they have banana, watermelon, papaya, aloe vera, coconut, goji, macadamia), these products are for specific hair types- coconut for curly hair, papaya for damaged hair, watermelon for fine hair. etc. They are made with natural ingredients, it’s 100% recyclable meaning that all bottles can be recycled and reused as much as we can, working with ethical sourcing, they are also cruelty-free and made with a vegan formulameaning that no animal-derived ingredients were used. Garnier
also
tracks
the
water
footprint
and
the
biodegradability of their formulas, this way they can plan eco-designed formulas. When it comes to the packaging, their bottles of shampoo and conditioner (without pumps or caps) are made of 100% recycled plastic. They have been working with energy that is produced by a plant, and that plant is fed with at least 45% of renewable energy.
One of my favorites make-up-related products is the reusable microfibre pads to take the make-up off, and you can just wash them again, as many times as you want and they only cost £8.99 for 3 pads. It’s an easy way of helping the planet because if people stopped using make-up wipes and disposable cotton pads it would help not to produce more garbage, which leads to the pollution that contributes to climate change. I recommend Garnier products since I used them daily like the shampoo, the micellar water, etc. And I recommend them because they work very well, meaning quality with the price very accessible. Also, the products are cruelty-free, which is very important for me, as it should be for everyone. Just imagine a rabbit suffering just because they are testing a new product for you? Losing an eye? Getting an ear cut off? Suffering? I can’t, that’s why I buy cruelty-free products. And if they are vegan, it’s a plus. And in my opinion, the brand is leading when it comes to sustainability measures, they hope to use zero virgin plastic by 2025, saving 37,000 tonnes of plastic, EVERY YEAR. So the goal is to use only compostable, recyclable, and reusable plastic when it comes to packaging but right now, they are trying to work with cardboard-based packaging, to see where it goes. And all of these actions, make me believe that they are sustainable
Primark is an international retail company that sells the late st fashion hits, homeware and beauty products at quality b ut low prices. It’s one of my favourite places to shop, and I bet it’s one of yours too!!! It has so much variety, and you c an find everything you need there.
As a student, I don’t have tons of money to spend shoppin g so it’s nice to have a store where you can get cheap clot hes or products but with quality so it’s perfect for us, who h ave a small budget. They are incredible inclusive when it c omes to sizes and also foundation shades, it’s one of the many reasons that I like to shop there. I always try to buy their cosmetics and their skincare produ cts because all products from Primark are cruelty-free and most of them are also vegan, and they work very well for s uch a low price.
Their first store opened in 1969, in Dublin (Ireland) and the original name was Penneys and some stores are still calle d Penneys back in Ireland. Today they have stores in thirte en countries across Europe and America, they now have o ver 380 stores. They changed the name to Primark because when they firs t started to expand outside Ireland, they founded an Ameri can store called JC Penney that used the name Penney’s t oo.
Primark Primark Primark
The cheap prices are, of course, one of their uni que points as their slogan says ‘’look good, pay less’’. But they also know that they are doing it b ecause people keep buying there and loving the ir products and clothing lines, and for example, t hey are a leading brand when it comes to doing dupes of bags, clothes, etc.
One of their biggest hits this last year (2020), w as the dupe of the Louis Vuitton Multi Pochette t hat everyone wanted but it was so expensive th at the Primark dupe was gold for us, people wh o can’t afford a Louis Vuitton but liked the model .
The company is also a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a global alliance between suppliers, brands, retailers, advocacy groups and labour unions and academics. And the goal is to create apparel, home textiles and footwear industry that aims to stop producing no unnecessary environmental harm.
Primark buys its clothes from countries like India , Pakistan, China and Bangladesh, as most of th e other fashion retailers. But they have a strict c ode of conduct, where they try to ensure that th e factories respect the rights of their employees.
Primark was one of the first stores to start using paper bags instead of plastic bags back in 2002, and they also have been introducing initiatives to start reducing waste and packaging. Did you also know that in the States, Primark donates
And they are also very strict when it comes to th
the unsold items to those who need them more by
e use of child labour, it’s prohibited. This is in th
partnering with the charity Delivering Good? Very
e Primark Code of Conduct, based on standard
important to have such a known brand taking actions
s that are set by the International Labour Organi
like this.
sation (ILO) and the Ethical Trading Initiative (E TI).
And even though they are a big company that has a lot of success, people still think that fast fashion isn’t sustainable and that they have no ethic when it comes to how their items are made.
They were one of the first retailers to sign the accord on th e Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and after a disas ter that happened, a factory that collapsed, Primark was al so one of the first’s to help the victims and the families affe cted, both with financial support, food and first aids. And since then, they have continued to work with non-profit organisations and local partners to make sure that any sup port and funds that they give to workers and their families a re secure, and they also help with guidance and advice.
Primark launched its first sustainable cotton products in 20 17, it was a range of women’s pyjamas. They did use cotto n purchased from female farmers, that was participating in a programme that they created called Sustainable Cotton P rogramme. These pj’s became a permanent fixture in Prim ark stores until these present days.
Most of my make-up is from Primark and even though their prices are incredibly low it’s high on quality, and as I said b efore they are all cruelty-free and most of them are also ve gan, as most of their products like shampoo, skincare, etc. I have such a pale skin tone that it’s hard to find my shade when it comes to the foundation, but there I can always fin d it! I find it so important that everyone can have a chance t o buy make-up if they enjoy it because it’s very accessible t o all pockets.
So if you want to try a foundation but you don’t want to spend much, try them out. My favourite has to be the Primark Perfect Finish that is a dupe of the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating, and this foundation from Primark is perfect for someone who has oily skin, wants high coverage and you can build it.
Another foundation that I recently tried and loved was the Primark Pro Radiant Matte Foundation, which is very lightweight, perfect for summer because even though it says that is matte and medium to high coverage, it’s not, it’s very glowy and low coverage but you can build it as you desire, it’s perfect for a simple summer look. I also love their clothes, but I always try to buy with a conscience so I always try to buy clothes made from recycled cotton and the pieces that I found worthy.
In my opinion, Primark is doing better for the world and I think that even though they are a fastfashion company, you can still buy there. And yes, I find them sustainable, and they are trying to be even more.
Ana Ferreira for Carbon’s Magazine