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In today’s world, our choices as consumers have the power to shape a healthier planet. When it comes to skincare, the impact of big companies mass-producing products at scale is far-reaching—both for our health and the environment. It’s time we all become more conscious about the true cost of the products sitting on our shelves.
The Dark Side of Mass Production and Harmful Chemicals
Many large skincare brands prioritize profit, often producing products in vast quantities to serve global markets. To do so cheaply, they turn to synthetic ingredients and harmful chemicals—preservatives, sulfates, parabens, and artificial fragrances—that can be potentially damaging to our skin and health. But beyond this, these chemicals also have serious environmental consequences.
During manufacturing, toxic by-products are generated, often released into waterways or the air, polluting ecosystems and harming wildlife. Once the products are used and disposed of, the chemicals don't just disappear; they enter our wastewater systems, soil, and even our water supply, impacting aquatic life and ecosystems for generations.
The Toll of Plastic and Waste
Most skincare packaging is made from plastic, which is notorious for taking hundreds of years to decompose. While recycling is often touted as the solution, the reality is much grimmer. A significant amount of recycled plastic is shipped overseas, where it is either dumped in landfills, buried, or burned - practices that cause catastrophic environmental and health impacts for communities nearby.
Burning plastics releases toxic fumes, contaminating the air and poisoning local populations, often in vulnerable communities lacking proper waste management infrastructure. This cycle perpetuates environmental injustice and global pollution, at the expense of our planet’s health.
The Illusion of Recycling and Corporate Responsibility
Big corporations often put the onus on consumers to "recycle," but the truth is that most recyclable waste isn't really recycled in a meaningful way. Instead, it leaves our shores and ends up in landfills, incinerators, or illegal dumping grounds, creating damage on a global scale. It’s not just an environmental issue—these practices threaten the health of communities, wildlife, and ecosystems worldwide.
A Different Approach: How Lily Bee & Me Minimizes Its Impact
At Lily Bee & Me, we believe that skincare shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet. We’re committed to making conscious choices that reduce our ecological footprint while providing safe, effective products. Here’s how we do it:
Small-Batch Production: To avoid waste and overproduction, we manufacture our products in small, artisanal batches based on customer demand. This approach minimizes excess and ensures freshness, reducing unnecessary waste.
Natural, Ethical Ingredients: All our ingredients are ethically sourced from certified suppliers who can provide evidence of organic certifications and ethical practices. We prioritize natural, plant-based ingredients that are gentle on skin and kinder to the environment.
Avoiding Harmful Chemicals: Unlike many mass-produced products, we do not use synthetic preservatives or harmful chemicals. The natural preservatives we do use are effective but require well-designed packaging to ensure product integrity and safety—something we take very seriously.
Reusable Packaging where possible: We choose premium, reusable containers whenever possible. While our packaging needs to be sturdy and safe for our products—especially since we don’t use artificial preservatives - we carefully select options that can be washed, sterilized & reused and/or recycled responsibly.
Future plans are to incorporate top-up packs at a reduced cost, however research is still ongoing to find suitable biodegradable packaging that will keep the product integrity at a high quality. Watch this space! We'll get there.
Striking a Balance
While we strive to be as eco-friendly as possible, we recognize that there are limits. Some of our packaging materials might not be fully biodegradable without compromising the product's safety or effectiveness. Our priority is our customers’ health and well-being, and we believe that responsible innovation—like selecting high-quality, reusable, and recyclable materials, creating small artisanal batches & carefully selecting our natural ingredients from responsible suppliers can reduce impact without sacrificing safety.
In conclusion, choosing brands that prioritize sustainability doesn’t just benefit the planet - it also supports ethical practices, reduces waste, and promotes a healthier future for everyone. At Lily Bee & Me, we're dedicated to walking that path - creating beautiful skincare that cares for your skin AND the world around us.
