Sustainable Lash Artists: Going Green

When you think about building a sustainable lash business, what comes to mind? Your first thought might be recyclable packaging or thinking of ways to reduce waste in your day-to-day salon life, but have you thought about the products you use? At Avari Beauty, we care deeply about our planet. As an advocate of ethical and sustainable beauty, our mission is to provide professional estheticians with eco-conscious product options that improve their client satisfaction, boost their bottom line, and support the environment. To put it simply, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at. We want to change how our industry thinks about green beauty practices and make it easier for professionals to implement a proactive and conscious approach to sustainability in their salons. 

Eco-Friendly Beauty Supplies: What Is Your Why?

Beauty may be skin deep, but our passion is deep within. Since our creation in 2015, we've been exploring ways to align with our dream of fostering more earth-friendly beauty practices. Why? Because in 2018 alone, the beauty industry in the U.S. created more than 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic! When you combine this with the fact that since 1950, only 9% of the world's plastic has been recycled, you begin to see the problem. Sustainability isn't simply creating recyclable products; it's considering the impact of every aspect of a product's life cycle—from raw material to disposal. 

When we began developing Avari Beauty's Sustainable lash extensions, we knew that creating a waste-conscious product was non-negotiable. After years of observing client experience, research development, and a lot of soul-searching, Kari Tribble, Avari Beauty's founder, decided to make a change. 

As Kari explains, "In the first years of my business, I bought hundreds of plastic trays filled with eyelash extensions because that was all that was on the market at the time. It made me ask myself, what impact is all of this plastic having on the environment?"

Kari began to research and learn more about polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) plastics (the plastic typically used to create lash extensions), and what she learned troubled her. 

"As I researched, I discovered that PBT lashes fall off and eventually end up in water systems, lakes, soil, garbage facilities, etc. This is a huge problem because PBT is not biodegradable, at least not in our lifetime."

Microplastic pollution is a major problem that affects our oceans, lakes, and coastal areas. These tiny plastics enter the food chain when they're consumed by wildlife such as fish and shellfish, eventually working their way up into larger animals, like humans. Even more alarmingly, microplastics can leach chemicals into our water, affecting the health of any organism that relies on the water source.

"Once I was aware of the effects microplastics were having on our planet, I started to problem solve. I wanted to create products that not only reduce waste in my salon but also make it easy for other professional to feel good about their environmental impact."

Kari began to develop Sustainable Eyelash Extensions, the beauty industry's first eco-friendly, biodegradable lashes for professionals. Avari Beauty's first earth-friendly eyelash extension product was created from entirely recycled HDPE fibers. As they are made from recycled fibers, these eco-friendly lashes have a much faster degradation period in soil and water than traditional lashes. But Kari didn't stop there!

"I loved that we could finally offer professional lash artists a sustainable alternative, but I knew we could do more. So I continued to work with my suppliers to create biodegradable lash extensions that would break down even faster."

After exploring lots of options, Kari decided that renewable lash extensions made from plant cornstarch were exactly what she was looking for. These easy-to-work with lash extensions are created from cornstarch, which means that by 120 days, they are almost entirely biodegraded when composted. Studies are still being conducted as to how long they biodegrade in other environments, but we do know they will still biodegrade a lot faster than traditional materials. After many months of development and testing, Kari worked with clients to assess these innovative new lashes. Needless to say, they were a hit! Avari Beauty clients reported that they loved how soft, comfortable, and lightweight the lashes are to wear. This was the confirmation Kari needed to add Avari Beauty's newest sustainable lashes to Avari Beauty's professional product line.  

Of course, lashes are just one part of the sustainability equation. We constantly strive to minimize our waste and improve our company's impact on the earth. For instance, our lash packaging is easily recyclable and made from natural plant fibers to reduce waste and plastic use. In addition, we have made the switch to eco-friendly salon supplies wherever possible, such as sustainable Bamboo mascara wands. Bamboo is a robust, fast-growing grass that self-regenerates from its own roots, making it an earth-friendly alternative to plastic. And finally, if we have to create any trash, it's going to be biodegradable trash—literally! We said 'goodbye' to plastic trash bags that take hundreds of years to decompose. Instead, we switched them out for a more eco-friendly option—corn starch extract! These sustainable trash bags naturally decompose into carbon dioxide and water within just a few months, so that we can worry a little less about our waste. 

We understand that responsible business practices are always evolving, which is why our mission to contribute to a more environmentally sustainable beauty industry is ongoing. We're dedicated to continually learning and improving so that we can help every professional pursue more eco-friendly practices in the beauty industry.

When you purchase Avari Beauty products, you're not only supporting charities that protect the environment, indigenous tribes, and animals, but you're also supporting a more sustainable future for your business. Click here to shop our earth-conscious, cruelty-free, pro supplies.