Why green beauty is better than a buzzword

Over the years we’ve been introduced to plenty of beauty buzzwords. Whether it be ‘clean’, ‘pure’, or ‘non-toxic’, these phrases sure do sound great, but more often than not the impact usually stops there.

And as we all become more environmentally conscious and strive to make sustainable changes within our own beauty routines and habits, just labelling something isn’t good enough anymore.

What’s more than a word, however, is Garnier’s approach to ‘Green Beauty’.  Like many of us, Garnier is improving the way they do things in order to help our environment thrive. And boy, is it working.

Rather than altering just one thing, ‘Green Beauty’ is an end-to-end approach to sustainability. It’s a chain of events, tackled from all angles.

‘Green Beauty’ is an action and here’s how it’s making a difference.

Solidarity sourcing 

In 2019, Garnier empowered 670 communities as part of its ingredient sourcing program. The program gives people typically excluded from the job market access to work and a sustainable income. 

What exactly are we talking about? Well, you know how there’s argan oil in a lot of the Garnier products you love? Since 2008, the brand has sourced its argan oil from Morocco, which in turn has employed more than 500 Berber women, with guaranteed fair wages and good working conditions. And that’s just one example. 

By 2025, the solidarity program will include 800 communities.

Recycled and recyclable packaging

Choosing recycled and recyclable packaging is an easy way all of us can help improve the health of and impact on our environment. And Garnier is making it even easier for us to find said products, by doing the heavy lifting in production.

As of 2019, 100 per cent of the brand’s cardboard boxes and paper products use instructions with a sustainable managed forest certification, such as FSC.

And in 2020, Garnier launched Garnier Organics, a range which uses as much recycled and recyclable material as possible. 

The fight against plastic pollution

Of course, plastic is another big beauty packaging problem and one that Garnier has already been tackling for some time now. In 2019, the brand saved more than 592 tonnes of virgin plastic by reducing the weight of plastic in packaging. 

And because they know how much we all love a sheet mask session, this year they’ve also reduced the size of the tissue mask sachets, and will remove the inner liner usually included (without compromising performance) to save 108 tonnes of plastic. 

As for the plastic already in our oceans, (remember that end-to-end approach?) Garnier joined forces with Ocean Conservancy in 2019, with 6.8 tonnes of waste collected by employees in beach clean-ups. 

Further to this, the brand is also partnering with NGO Plastics for Change. Tying together both solidarity sourcing and the fight against plastic pollution, this partnership will help to provide a community of waste pickers in India with a fair rate for discarded plastic, to improve working conditions and promote recycling.

Renewable energies

Carbon dioxide produced by industrial sites is a big contributor to climate change, and one that only big businesses and large scale industry really has control over.

Over the last 15 years Garnier has reduced its CO2 emissions on sites by 72 per cent, as well as water consumption by 45 per cent. The goal by 2025 is for all industrial sites to be carbon neutral, by using only renewable energy.

And that’s not even all…

We’ve given you a snapshot into what ‘Green Beauty’ means, but the journey is ongoing. ‘Green Beauty’ is all about transparency, too, and more information can be found on the Garnier website, including a full sustainability progress report, which has been assessed by external auditors.

The world may still have a long way to go, but progress like this is key and one thing’s for sure; it’s more than just a buzzword.

Do you like the sound of ‘Green Beauty’? Did you know Garnier was doing so much behind the scenes?