Best Health – August-September 2019

best health AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2019 81

THE UGLY TRUTH: PLASTIC IS

the go-to for most beauty packag-

ing and contributes to the mate-

rial overwhelming our planet.

Giving up your favourite fill-in-

the-blank isn’t the only solution;

having more people who think

like Melodie Reynolds is. “I

always say that we’re not a cos-

metics company; we’re an envi-

ronmental company that sells

products that you can use every

day,” says the Victoria-based CEO

of Elate Cosmetics. On the way to

creating her conscious beauty

brand, Reynolds was struck by the

excessive, unsustainable packag-

ing left behind from a single

lipstick purchase. “I realized that

this is the other piece,” she says.

“The ingredients need to be clean

and not hurt people or animals,

and the packaging has to be

sustainable and not contribute to

landfills.” Since launching in

2014, the brand has used bamboo,

a self-generating natural source,

for its packaging and housed its

powders in recyclable aluminum

trays, wrapped in seed-paper

envelopes that, when planted,

sprout Canadian wildf lowers.

While making thoughtful prod-

ucts that exist in a closed-loop

system, Reynolds is committed to

helping consumers make a suc-

cessful contribution. “We’re

currently working on education

programs and making them easy

to follow,” she says. “Reusability,

recyclability and even compost-

ing are only relevant if the circle

is complete once the customer has

done their part.”

From Chanel to Weleda to

L’Oréal Professionnel, a growing

number of big companies are also

supporting sustainability in a

range of ways. Choosing to focus

on a different angle – the human

element – when it comes to the

plastics problem, The Body Shop

recently committed to transform-

ing the lives of waste pickers in

Bengaluru, India. These workers,

who are often female and poverty

stricken and work in distressing

conditions, collect and sort 6,000

tonnes of plastic that’s otherwise

destined for waterways each day.

Through the development of its

first Community Trade Recycled

Plastic program and working with

Plastics for Change, the company

is dedicated to incorporating

increasing amounts of the recy-

cled material into packaging

while providing waste pickers

with fair wages, access to

improved working conditions and

education, financial and health

care services.

BEAUTY BOTTOM LINE

Progressing to a more sustain-

able beauty routine starts with

making informed choices. Reyn-

olds, who admits that she’s still

working on it like everyone else,

supports baby steps. “A million

people choosing to remove one

item from their consumer list,

whether based on packaging or

not, is much more prolific than

one person who is totally zero

waste,” she says. “It’s important

that we all make those choices

together. You don’t have to do it

perfectly.” bh

Designed with magnetic

details, this bamboo

compact creates a smart,

customizable and

refillable option.

ELATE COSMETICS VIBRANT

LIPSTICK IN GRACE, $22,

PRESSED CHEEK COLOUR

IN TITIAN, $22, PRESSED

EYECOLOUR IN BELOVED,

CREATE EYECOLOUR EYE

SHADOW IN UNION, EARTHEN

AND ORACLE, $16 EA.

AND BAMBOO CAPSULE

PALETTE, $2 2

This 100 percent recycled plastic tube

contains organic carrots that were deemed

less than perfect for supermarkets.

THE BODY SHOP CARROT WASH ENERGISING

FACE CLEANSER, $16

This lotion was made with

ethically sourced rose oil

and a label that comes off

cleanly from its 100 percent

recycled plastic bottle for

post–blue bin success.

LOVE BEAUTY AND PLANET

MURUMURU BUTTER & ROSE

DELICIOUS GLOW BODY

LOTION, $14

BESTIE