#goodvibesbeauty - ĀTHR Beauty Blog

While COVID has had some positive effects on the environment (cleaner air and clearer waters), it’s had the opposite effect on plastic usage. With many grocery stores banning reusable bags and containers, and coffee shops like Starbucks rejecting reusable cups, plastic use is at an all-time high. Not to mention, many areas that previously banned single-use plastic have lifted their bans during coronavirus. Plus, we’re all using plastic-laden, disposable PPE at an inconceivable rate.

So, what can we do? Can we bounce back from this? And how big is the problem really? While a completely Plastic Free July probably isn’t possible during COVID, we can arm ourselves with tips and truths to choose better and bounce back from the plastic pandemic when this is all (blessedly) over.

Look up prison labor and you’ll find a whole host of different opinions – some say it’s a chance for inmates to acquire new skills and knowledge, which can lead to employment once they finish their sentence. The vast majority of accounts though, describe prison labor as essentially ‘slave labor’ – unpaid or incredibly low-paying forced labor, exploiting inmates.

How is this relevant to the beauty industry? Many private companies, including beauty and fashion brands, use or have used prison labor, though most of us have no idea it’s even happening. Just like with sustainable sourcing and child labor, it’s essential to know how our products are being made so we can make ethical buying choices.

As a white female woman, I’ve never been the victim of racial injustice. I know I’ll never fully understand what it feels like to fear for my life when jogging down the street, or feel unsafe in the presence of police.  

But I am here to learn, to listen, to educate myself, to stand with you, and share the truth we all need to hear. I’m here to share my platform to help amplify the voices of black leaders and organizations, to support this revolution in any way I can.

Whether cream or powder, clean or conventional, most cheek products still contain animal-derived ingredients. And to make things even murkier, most non-vegan ingredients can be labeled in multiple different ways and are super hard to spot. So, we’ve put together a list of the most common ingredients to watch for on your blush and highlighter labels!

In honor of the lonnng-awaited arrival of warmer weather, we’re chatting about our favorite part of the rising temps - Flowers! Besides being gorgeous to look at, they're incredibly restorative for the skin. 

We’ve infused Organic Flower Oils into two of our best-selling palettes, the Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette & the Amethyst Crystal Gemstone Palette. And for the month of May, they’re BOTH 25% OFF! Just use code MAYFLOWERS at checkout to redeem.

Today we’re chatting about what makes beauty products safe (as in bacteria-free) – in both the clean and conventional world. Keep reading for: 

• What is Clean Beauty and how did it start?
• But is clean beauty a scam?
• The safety of clean beauty (and all beauty)
• Why preservation & how it works
• True or false: conventional beauty is preserved well and clean beauty isn't
• The types of preservatives & how we preserve our products