A Hairstylist's Guide to a Sustainable Wedding Season

2021 bridesmaid with fresh florals

Happy wedding season, fellow stylists!

It’s early May and the hustle and bustle of the season is upon us. As the bridal industry continues to thrive and catch up due to the pandemic, there are eco-conscious approaches you can take to ensure an earth loving summer!

Let’s talk about...

PRODUCTS:

Is the product itself vegan/cruelty free?

Vegan products don’t use animal derived ingredients in their formulas. 

Cruelty free products do not test on animals. 

If they are not using animals for products, this means there is a lower chance for skin irritations since these products contain more natural ingredients.

Cruelty Kitty is a great resource to check out cruelty-free and vegan products.

How safe are your products?

In the time where cosmetics aren’t regulated the way they should be, America is far behind the understanding that we cannot keep putting people in harm’s way through the cosmetics they use. As stylists, safety and health are important for our clients and our industry. Luckily, there are ways to help you determine what products you can use to better ensure your clients’ well being! Redify can help you identify what is safe or not in your hair products (and everyday products)! To make a further difference, support and read about the Safer Beauty Bill Package so we can use products without the worry of what’s in them.

Can you easily recycle or reuse the container?

Product bottles are usually produced with #1 or #2 plastic (better known as PET or HDPE), which is one of the most recyclable plastics. Most recycling businesses accept this.

Other great product containers can be made of aluminum or glass and both are highly recyclable. 

Hairsprays and dry textures sprays can be tricky since they are usually in aerosol cans, which can be a toss up if it’ll be easy to recycle or not. Some recycling businesses do take them (after they're empty) but they are not usually accepted in curbside pickups. Switching to a spray is a little bit easier because the bottle itself is easier to recycle. Earth 911 and Recycle Nation scopes out what communities or businesses near you accept the materials you're looking to dispose of!

Does the company that produced the product practice the support of the protection of earth in some way?

Do they practice what they preach or are they just for show? Companies that are concerned about climate change will start to shift practices that focus on sustainability and ethical practices.

Do they work with a charity or foundation that invests in earth’s best interests?

Are they making the changes they need to reduce their own carbon footprint?

It’s important to support these businesses because they are working with a strategy that is long term. Keeping the preservation of our environment in mind includes long term planning, climate change can disrupt business if they can’t do what they need to due to its effects.

TOOLS:

What materials are they made out of?

Could your plastic tools and so on be replaced with something else? There are so many other materials that companies use to make their products. Recycled plastic (PCR), bamboo, wood, straw… the list goes on. 

Tools you could replace are combs, clips, hair/makeup brushes, makeup applicators and packaging, and so on.

What is the impact from using them?

Are you able to recycle, repurpose, or not have to worry about the tool’s breakdown process? Plastic can take up to 400+ years to decompose unlike materials such as bamboo and wood which can be 6 months. Recycled plastic tools already use way less energy and resources to make than virgin plastic tools.

To make sure the materials for the products are sustainably sourced, you can usually tell if a company is greenwashing (lying about their sustainability) when they can’t give a straight answer or are not transparent about their process.

Are there ways to lower your impact?

Obviously hot tools are important for upstyling, so picking out quality ones are essential. We look for quick drying and heating properties to help speed up our services, but that means it also cuts your energy consumption as well!

To cut energy usage further, using an Advanced Power Strip (APS) will solve your problems of having more than a few hot tools ready when needed and also stop draining energy when the tools are not in use. 

How to dispose of them responsibly after they are well loved?

Hot tools can usually be taken to a scrap metal yard. Most likely not everything will be recycled (because of their plastic handling) but at least the metals in it will be taken care of and repurposed (also you can get a little bit of money from them!)

ACCESSORIES:

It’s best to stay away from cheap Amazon pieces, more times than not they break quickly and become useless, adding more trash than necessary.

Try looking at companies that already have a good reputation with eco-friendly practices or small businesses that create unique pieces. There are a lot of cool accessories that are made from recycled materials, bamboo, wood, etc. That will help invest in people and bigger operations that benefit the public more than bigger corporations that don’t take a stand on these values.

My personal favorite accessory is fresh or dried florals! Take a few pieces from your bouquet to add a little enhancement to your style. Plus, it’s easy to take out and throw in the backyard to decompose naturally when your client is done.

Good luck everyone and hope you have a wonderful and successful busy season!

For a shorter and product-based resource, here’s our infoguide on it!

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