By now, you would have heard of the term ‘green beauty‘, which refers to the earth-conscious products that continue to do good to the environment long after it has completed its task in nourishing your skin. Now, the sister trend of green beauty is on the rise, and it’s called ‘blue beauty’.
Where green beauty sometimes encompasses the environment in totality, blue beauty focuses on products that are doing good for the oceans. After all, the beauty industry is one of the biggest culprits in ocean-bound pollution, so any movement that tries to mitigate or undo that damage is one we can certainly get behind.
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The numbers don’t lie either. An estimated 100 billion kilograms of the total plastic is produced each year – which is about half – goes into single-used plastics like that little plastic film that sits inside your sheet mask. 80% of the debris in the ocean is plastic waste, which get broken down into microplastics and eventually find their way back into our bodies. Some experts also estimate that plastic will soon outweigh the total amount of fish in the ocean by 2050. Scary.
The blue beauty movement will prove that looking and feeling good doesn’t have to come at the cost of the ocean. Read on to find out what constitutes blue beauty, and find 10 of our faves blue beauty products to start you off!
Now that we’ve established what blue beauty is, how does one peg a product to the movement? Here are three ways you can narrow it down.
Firstly, look for products made from ocean-bound plastic (OBP). This method essentially diverts plastic waste that’s bound for open waters back into the production chain, thereby giving it a second life.
Secondly, look for products that come from sustainable brands. We’re talking biodegradeable packing, environmentally friendly ingredients, renewable or recyclable exterior packing.
Lastly, where OBP or sustainable brands aren’t accessible, find beauty brands who donate to ocean-saving causes and missions.
Blue beauty category: Reuses ocean-bound plastic waste
Refresh yourself after a long day out with an ocean-loving body wash! The formula is enriched with Atlantic kelp extract, which ensures skin is comfortably hydrated and ultra-smooth, and also boasts a blend of plankton extract and magnesium, which seeks to energise the body by encouraging cell renewal and reducing stress damage.
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Blue beauty category: Reuses ocean-bound plastic waste
Infused with blue-green algae – a marine-derived active ingredient that helps tone and smoothen skin – this body wash also works in the stimulating scent of ethically sourced eucalyptus oils for a spa-like shower experience.
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Blue beauty category: Reuses ocean-bound plastic waste
This Montreal-based beauty brand uses shore-found algae in its mixture so as to ensure that no harvesting is done from the ocean floor. Plus, bkind uses OBP in all of their plastic packaging, and are available in bulk to reduce packing waste. This face mask soothes and purifies tired skin, drawing out grime from the pores.
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Blue beauty category: Sustainable brands
Packaging is made from post-consumer materials in a bid to keep them out of landfills, and are either partially or entirely renewable. This super nourishing serum helps to deliver a powerful dose of calming goodness to sensitive skin or broken skin barrier.
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Blue beauty category: Sustainable brands
Housed in a 100% recyclable cardboard packaging, this deodorant stick also does away with nasties like parabens and sulfates so it’s as gentle on your skin as it is on the environment.
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Blue beauty category: Sustainable brands
Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, which is what makes Luxe Botanics’ line such a dream. This brightening cleanser taps on the vitamin C-rich camu camu berry to deliver brighter and clearer complexion. Furthermore Luxe Botanics teams up with local communities in Malawi, the Amazon and the Maasai Women in Kenya to impart biodiversity skills to harvesters, helping to fund education and business projects across Africa.
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Blue beauty category: Sustainable brands
Squalene is great for our skin, but because it’s derived from hunted sharks, it automatically makes this ingredient controversial. Biossance’s labs have developed a stable form of squalene from sugarcane called squalane, and this miracle ingredient has helped save 2 million sharks a year. This ultra-hydrating face cream replenishes your skin with lipids to deeply moisturize dry and tired skin sans the greasy feeling after application.
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Blue beauty category: Brands that give back
Aside from giving your peepers a bright pop of aquamarine blue, Chantecaille is a brand built around the idea of giving back. Case in point: one of the brand’s causes is Vibrant Oceans, which seeks to end consumption of endangered wild animals like manta rays and whales.
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Blue beauty category: Brands that give back
Lightweight yet effective at hydrating and locking in moisture, this face cream from One Ocean promises to restore your skin’s natural bounce and glow. The brand also regularly donates to ocean-saving programs like Oceana, which seeks to rebuild over-farmed marine species populations and ocean conservation in Canada.
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Blue beauty category: Brands that give back
Osea’s brand name stands for Ocean, Sun, Earth and Atmosphere, so naturally, clean beauty is coded into its DNA since its inception more than two decades ago. Alongside partnering ocean-saving causes and initiatives, the brand uses vegan and cruelty-free formulations in sustainable packaging. Interested to try their products but unsure of their efficacy? Give this set of best-selling minis a go on your next staycation to enjoy its skin-loving benefits and luxurious textures.
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