Sustainability, Recycle, Biodegradable, Glass, PET, Metal
Do you know how excited I was to learn of Mexican resident and chemical engineer Scott Munguía who designed technology for the production of bioplastics from avocado seeds! I mean seriously what can’t avocado do??? And how proud I am of the amazing innovators coming from Latin America! I even sent him a tweet hoping to get his attention to see if it’s even possible to use for cosmetic packaging. Unfortunately or fortunately! he’s a busy man so I’m still waiting on his response!
So until technology catches up with components that can encase cosmetics we’re left with making the best with what we’ve got!
Let’s have a conversation about packaging!
Seriously had I known about the difficulty having to find eco-friendly, sustainable packaging for Sanara skincare I would have started a company sourcing sustainable packaging because it has been a task….to say the least! And I know it’s much needed for the indie beauty brands that can’t afford custom packaging because the MOQ’s are not within our budget.
I went into creating my own skincare for my own well being and then I created Sanara for the well being of all people. Having lived with Psoriasis I no longer wanted to buy products just because I was offered a “great deal” but I wanted to be a conscious consumer. Just like you.
Conscious consuming doesn’t stop at the ingredients you put on your skin it also entails the packaging you in case it in.
“So how does one really package a wellness lifestyle?”
A few things I’ve learned about packaging.
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If you use natural ingredients especially essential oils you must have an opaque container to protect the product from UV light. Ok. That narrows down my search…what’s next?
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I investigated… Is biodegradable packaging even possible for skincare? Lesson: "Biodegradable materials ... come with their own challenges," said dermatologist Dr. Erum Ilyas. "The materials need to maintain stability for products that contain water or oils." The reality is that the cosmetics themselves could start to prematurely breakdown the packaging and lead to a shorter shelf life.
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Ok…so I guess glass is my only option? While glass sounds like the next best option, it’s actually not always the case so I did some digging on glass containers pro’s and con’s.
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You have to consider if this is going to be in the shower. My products are going to be in the shower so…..a slip, a trip, and drop; you’ve got glass everywhere! I’m not looking to create a problem to “fix” the issue I’m trying to solve and send anyone to the ER, so right off the bat I knew glass is not the wisest option for Sanara.
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Glass weighs much more than PET requiring shipping to work harder to get to its destination emitting even more CO2.
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Also, let’s not forget the additional packaging needed to prevent your product from breaking in transit. Coincidentally, I ordered some glass containers for my kitchen that just arrived this weekend. I could hear the broken glass as I brought it into my home. Ugh! Not my favorite thing cleaning up glass and I don’t want that for you either.
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“The best option is “no-waste” packaging, which doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of packaging altogether.— DR. ERUM ILYAS
”Technically ‘no waste’ is meant to refer to products where no portion is sent to landfills, oceans or incinerated. I think of it as a ‘waste-management’ goal to minimize the amount of waste produced,””
Re-purpose, Re-use, Re-love
I always wanted to create skincare that was beautifully packaged that you would be proud to display in your bathroom. But what if I also created packaging that my customers could actually re-purpose, re-use and re-love?
I’ve never been one to be confined to a box of what eco-packaging should be contained in so . So I created the re-purpose, re-use, re-love mission for our containers.
“If there is anything I’ve learned from my Latin upbringing, we do the best with what we’ve got!! We re-purposed before re-purposing was cool!”
I created 2 videos that show you how you can re-purpose, re-use and re-love your container to be a forever loved planter. You could either end up with creating a beautiful space with beautiful plants by re-purposing your Sanara container or an automatic gift for your loved one!
“ So if you think about it, you’re using good for you, plant-based skincare, and then planting a plant after each container is used up with the very container that once contained your plant-based skincare! If that isn’t full-circle and sustainability I don’t know what it is! ”
Re-purposing_Sanara_Yerba_Maté_Bath_Soak_container_301466644_1080x1080_F30 from Rebekah Jasso Jensen on Vimeo.