It is not breaking news that the environment is in need of our help. It is not enough that we recycle at home, cut down on unnecessary packaging and avoid single-use plastics, or that we indulge fads like Veganuary each year or partake in meat-free Monday. These changes should stem into all facets of our lives, including our practice and there are two main reasons for this. The first is that there are plenty of aspects of running a cosmetic and aesthetic practice that are harmful to the environment (single-use plastics, hazardous waste, high-energy consumption, etc), so identifying these areas and making changes where, and if, possible will reduce carbon footprints in the long term and could also save practitioners money by reducing running costs. The second reason is that both current and potential patients are more aware of environmental and social issues and are making sustainable changes in their own lives, as this awareness is changing the way that they shop and make purchasing decisions, too. Therefore, if practitioners are not taking the initiative and making more environmentally friendly business decisions, then patients will go to the clinic that is and that most aligns with their outlook on the world and lifestyle choices. For a lot of businesses, recognising this is not the shocking or most difficult part, actually knowing what changes to make and understanding what it means to be more sustainable is, along with figuring out where to start and what direction is best to follow to support their beliefs, business and customers.
»Although there is no vegan alternative to Botox (yet), there are other treatments and products out there that help with anti-ageing and are both vegan and cruelty-free«
Due to so much ambiguity surrounding climate change and what actually constitutes making a difference, along with the way people hop on and off trends so quickly, it can be challenging to know what will make the biggest impact. It also poses a lot of questions: where to begin? Will it be expensive to implement change? Will it be worth it? How will I know which direction to go? What is the difference between anything? Can aesthetics really be all these things safely?
In this article, the author has tried to answer some of these questions by exploring some ethical approaches to practice to help practitioners make informed decisions with how they want to proceed, and many might be surprised to learn it is not as complicated as it seems. The areas that will be explored are holistic, vegan and sustainable approaches, all of which are kind to the environment.
Any change, no matter the size, is easier to sustain when you believe in what you are doing and understand the difference that these changes will make. One way to go would be to just focus on one area, for example, if you are vegan, you could look at only sourcing and supplying vegan and cruelty-free products and treatments. Alternatively, take the time to roll out initiatives that ensure everyone is catered for: the environmentally conscious, the die-hard vegans and those more inclined to a natural approach to beauty.
A vegan approach
The Vegan Society estimate that there are over 600 000 vegans living in the UK today—a figure that is said to have quadrupled in the past 5 years (The Vegan Society, 2019). Brands are responding to the increase in demand for vegan products, demonstrating that they are certainly worthwhile catering for. The largest cloud of ambiguity probably surrounds vegan products and treatments and those that claim to be ‘cruelty-free’, as, quite confusingly, a product can be vegan, yet not cruelty-free and vice versa.
For a product to be considered vegan, the ingredients must be free from any animal-derived ingredients
Why be vegan?
A vegan will not consume or use anything that is derived from animals, so it extends further than just avoiding meat like a vegetarian, a vegan will also avoid products that come from an animal, such as eggs, dairy and leather, etc. Research from The Vegan Society has advised that people who follow a vegan diet have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancers (The Vegan Society, 2020). For many, being vegan goes further than just a dietary choice and wanting to avoid cruelty to animals in their living conditions and slaughtering process, a lot of vegans choose this as a way of life because of the detrimental effects that breeding livestock for meat has on the environment. An example of this is the amount of crops and water used to feed and nourish the livestock and the carbon emissions released during the manufacturing process and transport among many other negative contributions. Research undertaken at Oxford Martin School's Future of Food programme estimates that, if everyone went vegan, the carbon footprint from food production would be reduced by up to 73% (Springmann et al, 2016), therefore creating a significant drop in greenhouse gas emissions.
What makes a product vegan
For a product to be considered vegan, it must be free from any animal-derived ingredients. In skincare, this includes ingredients such as beeswax, honey, milk proteins, collagen, keratin and lanolin, along with certain types of acids, alcohol, lipids, glycerine and squalene.
The difference between cruelty-free and vegan
To be deemed a cruelty-free product, neither the ingredients or the product or brand itself should test on animals at any point during the manufacturing or supply journey, therefore cruelty-free only refers to animal testing. One would think that any product that claims to be vegan would be cruelty-free by nature, and, for the most part, they are; however, certain products, such as botulinum toxin, are required to be tested on animals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to being approved. So, even though botulinum toxin does not actually contain any animal-derived ingredients and is in itself technically vegan, as it has been tested on animals previously, it cannot be marketed as such. Therefore, a strict vegan would not undergo this procedure and would potentially seek an alternative, so offering a substitute would be beneficial to business.
Treatments that can be offered to vegan patients
So, although there is no vegan alternative to Botox (yet), there are other treatments and products out there that help with anti-ageing and are both vegan and cruelty-free, some of which it may never have occurred to practitioners to offer, so could just be re-marketed as vegan-friendly.
Although botulinum toxin contains no animal-derived ingredients, it is not classed as vegan as it is tested on animals
Treatments such as lasers, microneedling (with suitable vegan pre- and post-procedure products applied), light therapy or temperature-based treatments such as Dermalux and Coolscuplt, which deliver a collagen-stimulating, blemish-fighting, fat-burning, anti-inflammatory end result are another option, as well as certain skin peels and non-surgical face lifts. As is evident, there are quite a few procedures that can be promoted to vegan clients, which some practitioners potentially already do, and highlights that it does not mean spending money introducing and promoting new treatments unnecessarily.
Products that can be offered to vegan patients
Due to the nature of vegan products and the cruelty-free certification, lots of brands are offering vegan alternatives or a vegan line that is separate from their other offerings so that they continue to cater to the masses. One example of this is Environ, their products are wholly cruelty-free and they produce a mixture of vegan and non-vegan products. However, there are some brands that have decided to go full throttle. For example, Medik 8 is 100% cruelty-free and, as of July 2019, all the products that they manufacture are also 100% vegan-friendly. A helpful source to check whether any existing products that are stocked are cruelty-free and/or vegan, and to potentially source new ranges too, is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website, as it has compiled a list of brands that are both cruelty-free and vegan. Further useful resources are The Vegan Society and Cruelty Free International, which have compiled something similar too.
A holistic approach
The term holistic is often paired with alternative therapies and medicine and conjures up images of spas and relaxing environments, it is not usually thought of when talking about aesthetic treatments or clinical practice. Holistic essentially means to treat the whole body when looking for a solution for a localised concern. The easiest way to think about it is regarding therapies such as acupuncture, whereby needles are placed over the whole body to help alleviate an issue in another area. The number of people interested in wellness and following a more holistic way of life is increasing, so it is worthwhile exploring this as an additional option for clinics.
A holistic approach in aesthetics
Despite the spa-like connotations, treating patients holistically is a very effective approach when combined with aesthetic intervention. For example, when a patient presents acne, as well as topically treating the skin, a holistic approach would also incorporate an exploration into the patient's diet, for example, and recommend lifestyle changes to help support the results of the localised treatment, such as reducing dairy and sugar. A holistic approach would also explore other areas of the body, such as hormone levels, and means to balance them, performing an allergy test to see if the flare-ups stem from an intolerance to something. In this way, an intrinsic treatment plan can be supplied, and effective results received. It is helpful to think of holistic as an umbrella term for naturally derived, organic ingredients, too, as the patients seeking such products are often interested in their overall health and wellness, and not chemical intervention to upset their balance.
»Having a sustainable plan in place whereby practitioners commit to making changes to current processes also demonstrates to patients not only that you care and are aware, but also that you are serious about your effect on the environment«
‘Clean’ beauty
A new buzzword on the scene is whether or not a product is free from certain chemical ingredients, meaning that they are clean to use, and it is these ‘clean’ products that clients who want to be treated holistically will generally be after. To be considered clean, a product should have no toxins in its formula and its lists of ingredients should be transparent and informative, including any components of fragrances and whether they are linked to any harmful health effects. This kind of conscious consumer will want a product that is free from parabens, mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and glycol; however, even if a product is clean and free from the above, they could be non-vegan or tested on animals, so this would also need to be checked.
Holistic products
Nutritional supplements are great recommendations to work alongside any treatment or product regime as part of a holistic program for patients. For example, the brand Zenii provides a range of vegan and cruelty-free skin care solutions, but is also well known for combining these with supplements, which work on optimising inner health while the treatments and products work on external skin health. Offering patients both internal and external programs for their skin concerns would form an effective holistic treatment program.
A sustainable approach
Previously, it has been touched upon what it means to be more sustainable and ways in which to achieve this, such as reducing energy consumptions, minimising waste and recycling, etc. Here, we will focus more on sustainability from the perspective of the products and treatments that are provided, as these, like the meat industry, have a huge effect on the environment in regard to how much water is used in the manufacturing process, excess packaging and transport.
What is a sustainable product?
A sustainable product will not use excessive amounts of water in its manufacturing process or within the product itself. None of the ingredients will have detrimental effects to rainforests or the environment, they will be made in factories that are working on reducing their emissions, be it energy usage or CO2 emissions from transport, the brand will be conscious of producing minimal waste in all areas and where possible. Products will be sold in minimal packaging, usually from recyclable materials, and will often have a refill option. Products that are ‘clean’ are also sustainable in the sense that they contain non-toxic ingredients that will not harm marine life, which demonstrates another crossover, like vegan and cruelty-free products and holistic and clean beauty.
Choosing sustainable products
The company Lush, although not an aesthetic brand, is an example of how much a business has boomed from the growing recognition of unnecessary single use plastics and the need for refillable solutions in the beauty industry. Not only is there this awareness of sustainability, people are seeking out places that have some sort of sustainable program in place. Therefore, by choosing a range of sustainable products or pioneering your own refill and recycle program, the business will grow, attracting the conscious consumer with the added bonus that your effect on the environment/carbon footprint will, in turn, be minimised.
Being more sustainable
Naturally, reducing energy consumption and waste from clinics is a step towards sustainability, as is sourcing and selling sustainable products. However, a refill and recycle initiative would be an amazing scheme to arrange, mimicking the aforementioned Lush with money off as an incentive if customers refill rather than repurchase their items. Having a sustainable plan in place whereby practitioners commit to making changes to current processes also demonstrates to patients not only that you care and are aware, but also that you are serious about your effect on the environment.
Products that are sustainable
L'Oréal and Allergan are trying to become more sustainable and have made quite dramatic pledges such as cutting down on packaging and emissions by the end of this year. Medik8 also, as well as being both vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, has made a commitment to environmental welfare, and now uses recycled and recyclable materials for their product containment and packaging. It has cut back on wastage with its packaging and its products using ‘smart ingredients’, which means less product is needed. A lot of well-known brands are making commitments to sustainability, which again demonstrates the ease of putting together sustainable offerings by using brands that practitioners potentially already use or are aware of.
Rolling out initiatives
Due to the differing tags of all these approaches, it may be difficult to find a product/brand that ticks all the boxes that one wants, which is why it is perhaps easier to decide on one area to focus on that will be best for one's business, or to try gradually rolling out multiple initiatives to capture all possible patients with brands that one is particularly passionate about (because we all have our favourites). To help practitioners further, compiled below are some pointers to think about when gathering information and deciding which way to go in your clinic:
- Create a survey geared towards understanding what patients think about the environment and climate change, their lifestyle, views on veganism and sustainability and the ways in which they recycle. The answers to this survey will help aid decision-making processes
- Do some research to discover which approach aligns with your views on climate change and the environment
- Talk to the brands that you already use—do they offer a more sustainable or vegan/cruelty-free range that you can substitute or take on?
- Research other product options, see where your gaps are and research filling them with vegan/sustainable/natural/clean options
- Make sure you promote what you are doing. For example, can you rebrand/re-market something that you already offer as a vegan/sustainable treatment?
- Educate staff and patients about the ways that you are trying to become more sustainable and eco-friendly
- Explore launching a refill and recycle scheme.
Win-win situations
Although it is a lot to take in, it is reassuring to know that whatever steps or approaches you decide to take will not only grow your business, but will also have a positive effect on the environment and the future of our planet, which, at the moment, are of equal importance, because without a planet, you would have nowhere to practise, so get involved in making a change before it is too late.