Skincare is a great way to relax and reconnect with yourself. No wonder, almost everyone loves it. However, most of us prefer clean skincare products over the rest as they are safe for both our skin and the planet. If you are looking for gifts for someone who cares about the environment and loves skincare, then we suggest you give them sustainable & eco friendly gifts for skincare. It will not only show, how well you know the person but will also count as a thoughtful and conscious effort at your end.
If you are looking for suggestions, we got you covered! But first…
How To Find Sustainable & Eco Friendly Gifts For Skincare Lovers?
It is essential to think it through when you plan to give someone sustainable & eco friendly gifts for skincare.
- Start with knowing what skin type the person has – dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin.
- Try to find out what products and brands they are currently using.
- Stalk them a little, ask common friends and family about their preferences, when it comes to skincare.
- Confirm if they are having any specific skin-related problems. If so, try finding products that will help them remedy the problem.
- Check if the person is allergic to certain ingredients.
Once you know what you are looking for, search for sustainable & eco friendly gifts by brands that are working towards environmentally friendly skincare products. Check the ingredients and the company’s sustainability standards. Don’t forget to look for packaging materials. Sometimes the ingredients are eco-friendly, but the packaging is not – so be thorough with your research!
If the brand ticks all the necessary criteria – Voila! You have found one of the best sustainable & eco friendly gifts under skincare, for someone who cares about the environment.
Ingredients You Should Look For In Skincare Products, And The Ones You Should Avoid
Let’s have a quick look into the ingredients that go in these skincare products. The good guide here will help you choose the right products for your loved ones.
Skincare Ingredients For Dry Skin
Dry skin lacks moisture and needs ingredients that can hydrate and seal the moisture, along with soothing the skin from within. Generally, people with dry skin tend to show signs like skin irritation, dry patches, and chaffy/ flaky skin. To help these conditions, one must use products like toners and moisturizers with ingredients such as:
- Aloe vera – Gives your skin an instant boost of hydration naturally. Helps in healing dry patches and chaffy skin.
- Lactic acid – Exfoliates skin, removes dead skin cells, and brightens complexion.
- Glycerine – Other than moisturizing it also helps to maintain pH balance of your skin.
- Vitamin C and E – Essentials antioxidents your skin needs to prevent and heal environmental damage.
- Ceramides – Outer most layer of skin that helps retain moisture and prevents conditions like redness and skin irritation.
Skincare Ingredients For Oily Or Acne-Prone Skin
Oily skin is a result of excess sebum production in your pores. The most common issue related to oily skin is acne. It is extremely important to protect your skin from pollution if you have an oily skin type, as more pollution equals more oil. The same goes for stress. The right skincare products for people with oily skin should be lightweight, water-based, that help prevent and reduce acne, unclog pores and help shield one’s skin from pollution. Such ingredients include:
- Retinol – Made from Vitamin A, helps to reduce enlarged pores, wrinkles and signs of aging.
- Niacinamide – Form of Vitamin B-3 essential for skin. It’s anti-inflammatory properties help reducing irritation and redness caused by acne.
- Salicylic acid – A good exfoliating agent to keep pores clear which eventually reduces breakouts.
- Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) – promotes collagen production, clears pores by breaking down trapped oil and dirt, and reduce pigmentation.
- Benzoyl peroxide – Helps to unclog pores, fights bacteria and prevents breakouts.
Skincare Ingredients For Sensitive Skin
People with sensitive skin have to be the most careful when scouting for a new skincare product. As you never know which ingredient will affect or react with your skin, and in what ways. An all-time favorite patch test is super essential when you are trying a new product, and when you have a sensitive skin type. Some ingredients that always work well with sensitive skin are:
- Turmeric – Has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, which helps heal and fight skin conditions like acne, and skin irritation.
- Aloe vera – Cooling properties help soothe skin and anti-fungal properties help treat infections, rach and itchy skin.
- Calendula extract – Anti-oxidant, helps protect the skin and anti-inflammatory properties help calm skin irritation.
- Honey – Balances good bacteria on skin, exfoliates keeping moisture intact and speeds skin healing process.
- Oats – Prevents dryness by sealing moisture and forming a barrier between the skin and the atmosphere.
Even though these ingredients are commonly found in skincare products for sensitive skin, some of these might still work for you, as skincare is completely subjective and can vary from person to person. So, the best thing to do is to find what works for you and stick to it. And on days you feel like experimenting, go scouting for something new that suits sensitive skin!
Ingredients You Should Completely Avoid
Certain ingredients in skincare products should be avoided entirely irrespective of your skin type, as they can cause unnecessary skin irritation, allergies, and some even fall under the category of carcinogens. Such ingredients include:
- Parabens – Artificial presevatives that can cause skin irritation, fertility issues and hormonal disbalance.
- Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers – A probable human carcinogen, released after application of certain products like nail paints or bodywash which is dangerous when inhaled.
- Sulfates – Can cause skin and eyes irritation and dryness. Many products with sulfates are tested on animals.
- Silicones – Makes a barrier on your skin which can sometimes trap impurities within, which results in breakouts.
- Fragrances or perfume – can have chemicals which can be a cause of skin irritaion and allergies.
Skincare Gifts For Someone Who Cares About The Environment
We have already shortlisted a few products for you, to make your gift hunt easier. We tried to find skincare options which –
- Make one of the best sustainable & eco friendly gifts (of course!)
- Fit right within your budget.
- Are readily available on Amazon.
1. 100 Percent Pure Blood Orange Cleansing Balm
This organic brand is USDA certified, which means, their products have the best quality ingredients without any harmful chemicals. This sustainable & eco friendly gift is worth every penny. The 100 Percent Pure Blood Orange Cleansing Balm cleanser is made with blood orange, coconut oil, olive oil and is quite moisturizing too. It removes the stubborn makeup and all the impurities in one single swipe!
2. Rael Bamboo Face Sheet Mask Gift Set
Rael Bamboo Face Sheet Masks make one of the best skincare gifts for someone who cares about the environment. You ask why? Well, this hydrating gift set has 20 bamboo sheets infused with various clean and botanical ingredients like tea tree extract, vitamin C serum, and hydrating serum. These ingredients will help soothe, plump, brighten, refresh and hydrate your skin. Although, our favorite part about this gift set is that they are suited for all skin types and are free from all harmful ingredients like synthetic fragrances, parabens, PEGs, artificial dyes, phenoxyethanol, sulfates, mineral oil, phthalates, and silicones.
3. Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask
The organic skincare brand that started milk makeup is currently one of the most popular skincare lines in Amazon and Sephora. This eco-friendly skincare line is made keeping skin sensitivities in mind. Herbivore Botanical’s Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask gently clarifies skin with natural beta-hydroxy acid or BHA (White willow bark) and fruit enzymes. This formulation also has Aloe and Blue Tansy essential oil to soothe inflammation, irritation, and redness. It’s perfect for someone who has blemish-prone skin as it de-clogs pores and clears up acne.
4. Ursa Major Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum
This eco-friendly brand uses the most effective ingredients to help you achieve the best skin health. Their forest-infused formulas work well and provide that instant refreshed feeling. And Ursa Major’s Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum is just the same. It’s a featherlight facial serum that provides instant hydration and brightens your skin tone and appearance. After using the facial serum, do apply a moisturizer and sunscreen!
5. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
Your search for gifts for someone who cares about the environment will surely come to an end with Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum. This clean skincare product is packed with antioxidants, fruit enzymes, nutrients that will brighten your skin and improve signs of aging. In addition, this serum is formulated with L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid that will help uneven and dull skin tone. Also, do not skip the moisturizer and sunscreen when using this serum.
6. Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm
Farmacy’s Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm will be your friend’s holy grail product. It will instantly melt their makeup and gently exfoliate the skin too. As soon as it is applied to the face, the balm texture transforms to silky oil Ito lather. As a result, your friend will be able to remove makeup without any residue. An award-winning product, this cleanser has sunflower and ginger root oils, papaya enzymes, turmeric, and moringa extract and comes in recyclable packaging. All of these factors make it one of the best skincare gifts for someone who cares about the environment.
7. First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser
First Aid Beauty’s Pure Skin Face Cleanser is one of the best sustainable & eco friendly gifts you can give to your friend who is obsessed with skincare. This clean skincare face wash is non-stripping and helps maintain the skin’s natural acidity. And this cleanser is so creamy in texture that it leaves your skin feeling light and moisturized. This should definitely make it to your list of sustainable & eco friendly gifts for someone who cares about the environment.
8. Pacifica Beauty Vegan Collagen Cream Set
This gift set comes with a Vegan Collagen Overnight Recovery Cream and Vegan Collagen Recovery Eye Cream. Collagens are proteins that help to repair skin health. This cream set is packed with vitamin C & E, flower extracts, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and collagens made with a plant-sourced fermentation process, which boosts hydration and protects the delicate skin around your eyes. The chemical-free, cruelty-free, and vegan formula in Pacifica Beauty’s Vegan Collagen Cream Set makes it a fantastic gift for skincare lovers.
9. Paula’s Choice CLEAR Regular Strength Kit
Paula’s Choice CLEAR Regular Strength Kit is an amazing gift option for normal, dry, oily & combination skin – including skin prone to cystic acne. This kit comes with a 3-step skincare routine – a Pore Normalizing Cleanser, Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA), and Daily Skin Clearing Treatment 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide. The lightweight formula comes with an SPF 30+ and helps fight breakouts to give you clear skin. Make sure to include this in your day and night routine to get the best results.
10. True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil
This award-winning skincare brand makes some fantastic organic products. The brand uses nature’s most restorative and highly nourishing ingredients to create eco-friendly skincare products that work wonders on the skin. True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil is made with chia seed, kiwi seed, and passion fruit oils – a perfect combination. It not only moisturizes your skin but also smoothens fine lines, wrinkles, and dry patches. And it’s their best-selling facial oil, and it has even outperformed Creme de La Mer moisturizer in clinical trials! Oh and, this organic skincare product is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. We are sure this brand will have some of the best sustainable & eco friendly gifts for your loved ones.
We hope that our list of sustainable & eco friendly gifts helped you find the right one for your skincare-obsessed friend. Also, why just gift someone else? We recommend you try some of these skincare products first-hand and see the difference. Then, maybe you will become a sustainable skincare lover, yourself!
Happy Gifting!
