20 Pledges for 2020: How to have a sustainable - and happy - New Year

Truly ethical and sustainable beauty brands aren't easy to find. Can Jessica Jones go a whole year without using anything else?

A woman holding and filling up glass container with lotion at the zero waste store.  (Getty Images)

2021 is poking its head around the corner and, although coronavirus is not going to magically fade away into the dark corners of 2020 come January 1st, many are looking forward to welcoming in a new year. 

Along with the New Year usually comes hope, excitement and overly ambitious New Year resolutions that are destined to disappear in less than two weeks.

I can safely say that the pledge I made at the start of this year to transform my personal care and beauty routine into a sustainable one throughout 2020 is the only New Year's resolution of mine that has ever actually lived to see February. 

In truth, this might be partly due to the fact that I was being held accountable to the pledge by way of documenting it in these articles. However, no one would really have known if I had bought the new Huda palette. 

I’m not trying to play the smug role of the selfless do-gooder, but my main motivator for sticking with my pledge was that I was doing it more for the environment than myself.

So, I want to suggest an idea to the reader: instead of trying to kid yourself that you are going to somehow become a triathlete overnight, how about aiming to make your bathrooms and beauty cabinets more eco-friendly?

I’m not suggesting that you throw away all your shiny new body scrubs and Lynx deodorants as soon as the New Year hits - in fact, please donate unwanted and unused products to places like The Hygiene Bank or Beauty Banks to save them going to waste - but before hitting the sales, it could be worth considering if you could make one or two changes that would reduce your waste.

If the thought of changing everything about your routine is a daunting prospect, then a good way to begin is to pick out the bits that interest and excite you the most. After all, anything is better than nothing. 

I didn’t change everything at once as this would have been expensive and wasteful, but I found that, by implementing small changes one by one, I could gradually make big changes without it feeling too difficult.

An easy change to get you going could be swapping a plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one or a bamboo electric toothbrush head. Instead of plastic cotton buds, invest in a reusable alternative like this one from LastSwab or these compostable Cotton Swabs. 

And while we’re at it: stop using face wipes! They are so damaging to the environment and it is much better for your skin to use a gentle cleanser with reusable cotton pads or a flannel.

Going zero-waste with a few products and steering clear of plastic is also something that can make a huge difference to the environment without causing a massive difference to you. 

Shampoo and conditioner bars last ages and are often packaged in cardboard boxes. Maeterna  uses packaging so environmentally friendly that you can literally plant it because there are wildflower seeds pressed into the post-consumer recycled paper. 

Refillable products can also save on waste, for instance Rituals have designed refillable hand soaps and body creams.

Sometimes I just wasn’t able to avoid packaging, so I opted for recyclable choices whenever I could. Sustainable beauty has not fallen behind in a world where packaging is just as, if not more, important than the product itself and for skincare that satisfies all your aesthetic desires try Aesop, FaceTheory or REN Skincare.

I was surprised at how invested I became in my pledge as the year went on. 

I saved money by making my own face masks, hair masks and body scrubs. I found things that didn’t work for me and things that I loved and have since re-purchased. 

So many amazing sustainable brands exist now and more and more are appearing as the market for sustainable beauty is growing. In 2019, there was a 23% increase in the certified organic beauty and wellbeing industry sector according to the annual Soil Association Certification Organic Beauty & Wellbeing Market Report.

After a year of sustainable beauty, I will never be returning to the products I used to buy. I am looking ahead into 2021 to find new ways of cutting down on my waste and further still making my personal care and beauty routine more environmentally friendly.