How cosmetics affect climate change
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What is climate change?
First of all, we must clarify that we confuse climate change and global warming, that although they are related, they are not the same and that global warming is the cause of climate change, that is, it is the increase in temperature of the planet caused by emissions into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases derived from human activity and that are causing variations in the climate that would not occur naturally.
In short, the main cause of climate change is global warming.
And what is causing global warming?
One of the main causes of climate change is greenhouse gases. Surely you have heard of the greenhouse effect, the natural process that causes the atmosphere to retain part of the Sun's heat and allows the necessary conditions for life on Earth. The problem is that the excessive activities of human beings are increasing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and it retains more heat than necessary, causing the average temperature of the planet to increase and what we hear so much these days to occur, warming overall
In addition to greenhouse gases, the increase in the world population and the need for more resources, as well as the disappearance of forests and jungles and the destruction of marine ecosystems, all of them responsible for returning oxygen are causing an environmental collapse whose consequence is global warming.How cosmetics affect climate change
The cosmetics industry is one of the most polluting industries for the environment. This is because many of the processes for the manufacture of cosmetic ingredients, products and packaging include actions against the ecological and maritime system, and even against animals.
Here we show you the 5 biggest environmental problems created by the cosmetic industry:
- Mass production of plastic. Approximately 70% of waste from the cosmetic industry is packaging, which is equivalent to 20 billion plastic containers each year. Of these, 8 million end up in the oceans.
- Air pollution. Products such as lacquers or deodorants pollute the air like a car does. The transport that many cosmetics travel from the other end of the world contributes to increasing the carbon footprint. These carbon emissions accelerate global warming processes and pose a risk to our health.
- Waste of water. Yes, the most used ingredient in cosmetics is water and this resource is decreasing. The United Nations has predicted that 52% of the world's population will live in water-scarce regions by 2050.
- Destruction of the seabed. Many cosmetic products that are directly in contact with water, such as shampoos, gels or sunscreens, contain harmful chemical substances that damage the seabed, even destroying reefs. Parabens and triclosan are the main culprits and have been labeled endocrine disruptors and linked to cancer.
Climate change also has consequences on your skin.
Due to the deterioration of the ozone layer, melanoma cases increase by 10% a year. The consequences of sun exposure are increasingly harmful, today two hours is enough for you to show signs of redness when exposed to the sun.
Climate change also brings us premature aging causing an increase in wrinkles, blemishes, dryness and loss of luminosity and firmness of the skin. In addition, the increase in the temperature increases the cases of skin sensitivity , with irritations becoming more frequent and these cases increase if we talk about cities where pollution is greater.
In turn, the lack of environmental humidity also causes our skin to dry out. It is vital today to moisturize the skin frequently and even more so in summer.
Climate change is already a reality and we are beginning to suffer its consequences. If you want to help reduce your ecological footprint and be part of the solution, not the problem,la zero waste natural cosmetics gives you the peace of mind of betting on products that are good for your skin and the planet.