Choosing personal care and household cleaning products with an awareness of their environmental impact is a practical approach that starts with a few simple criteria: ingredients, packaging, and certification. Drugstores offer a wide selection of eco-friendly products without compromising on effectiveness.
Skincare Products: What Is Their Environmental Impact?
Conventional cosmetics and cleaning products may contain substances that persist in the environment: chemical UV filters harmful to corals, microplastics in scrubs, non-biodegradable surfactants, and reprotoxic preservatives. Their single-use plastic packaging generates significant amounts of waste. Choosing certified alternatives directly reduces this impact.
What Are Eco-Friendly Cosmetics?
Eco-friendly cosmetics are based on three criteria: the natural origin of ingredients, the biodegradability of formulas, and the sustainability of packaging.
- Organic cosmetics: COSMOS Organic or Ecocert certified—ingredients of natural origin, free of petrochemicals
- Natural cosmetics: COSMOS Natural — plant-based formulas free of endocrine disruptors
- Solid cosmetics: plastic-free, concentrated—up to 80% less water than equivalent liquid formulas
How do you choose environmentally certified products?
Certified labels guarantee criteria verified by independent organizations.
- COSMOS Organic / COSMOS Natural: organic/natural cosmetics, traceable ingredients, biodegradable formulas
- Ecocert: a recognized French certification for cosmetics and household products
- EU Ecolabel: household products with low environmental impact
- FSC / PEFC: paper and cardboard packaging sourced from sustainably managed forests
- Avoid claims such as “natural” or “green” without certification—they do not meet any legal standards
Solid formats and refills: why switch to them?
Switching to solid and refillable formats is the action with the most direct impact in a beauty routine.
Which ingredients should you avoid for the sake of the environment?
Certain cosmetic ingredients pose documented environmental problems.
- Microplastics (polyethylene, polypropylene in scrubs): persist in water — banned in rinse-off products in Europe
- Chemical UV filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate): harmful to coral reefs in tropical areas—opt for mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide)
- Cyclic silicones (D4, D5, D6): endocrine disruptors, bioaccumulative
- Non-biodegradable surfactants (SLS, certain PEGs): persistent in wastewater
Eco-friendly Household Cleaning: Which Products?
Household cleaning products account for a significant portion of exposure to indoor pollutants. Certified, biodegradable alternatives exist for every use.
- Eco-friendly organic household cleaning line: concentrated formulas certified free of endocrine disruptors
- Organic bar or liquidsoap: a versatile, biodegradable cleaner
- Concentrated products to be diluted: reduce packaging and transportation
- Refillable containers for common household cleaners
