A strong case for eco-friendly makeup brushes

Evolving technology is providing tools to help the environment. As consumers, our decisions and actions can help the environment. All we really need is a change in mentality.

In the cosmetics, makeup brushes are considered consumables. This means that these require replacement every now and then. Unfortunately, plenty of brushes from popular brands use plastic for handles. Every time you replace your makeup brush set, you are adding to the pile of throwaway plastics in the environment.

This is unfortunate because, in reality, we have the choice of stopping this. There are eco-friendly makeup brushes.

Eco-friendly makeup brushes use biodegradable handles. Wood the material of choice because of its biodegradability. It is quick to degrade and breaks down into nutrients that nourish the soil. It does not stay long in landfills.

At this point, your critical mind might be thinking that wood comes from trees. Cutting down trees just to reduce plastic use seems counterintuitive to protecting the environment. You are absolutely right.

Just because makeup brushes have wood handles doesn't automatically make them eco-friendly. Some are only substituting one environmentally-harmful practice with another. There are smarter and truly eco-friendly solutions.

One of the best examples are the bamboo makeup brushes. Bamboo is an excellent choice of material for brush handles. It is a fast-growing plant and can be grown almost anywhere. In fact, it thrives in depleted soil and helps return nutrients to the soil. It doesn't require chemical fertilizers and pesticides to grow. It also doesn't require irrigation.

Bamboo reaches maturity and is ready for harvesting in three to five years and it doesn't require replanting. When harvested, the stem is left in the soil where it will sprout a new shoot and the growing process starts anew. As a raw material, bamboo is renewable and very sustainable.

Unfortunately, not many cosmetic companies are quick to adopt bamboo and other materials for their products. As consumers, how we spend our money will incentivize the big companies to doing something food for the environment.