Perfume, shampoos, earrings, pendants, and accessories — you could simply take any item you liked from the first beauty swap, organized in Ryazan by the participants of the My Green Bag Eco-Community. It was held on January 30 and 31. The visitors found new cosmetics and costume jewelry, leaving something of their own in return. Read 7x7’s material to know what is interesting about such swaps, how they affect the environment and to learn how to “beauty yourself in an eco-friendly way.”
How unnecessary things become necessary
Beauty swap is "an exchange of jewelry, cosmetics, and other things for beauty." This is how Ksenia Tumasova, one of the organizers of the My Green Bag Community in Ryazan, announced the event. Cosmetic products had to be unused, costume jewelry and accessories — wearable.
"We often store shampoo, perfume, soap people present us with, but we do not like, for example, their smell, or they do not suit your skin type, hair. But some other person would like it, and that is why we organized this beauty swap," explained Tumasova. "A such-themed swap can be called the first in Ryazan. In early September, we held a school free market, where dozens of Ryazan residents exchanged items of school clothing, textbooks, and other necessary things. We have seen that the residents of Ryazan find such events are necessary."
Ksenia believes that the task of the organizers of such events is to gather two categories of people in one place: those who do not know whom to give good, but unnecessary things, and those who cannot afford the same things due to different circumstances.
Costume jewelry, cosmetics, skin and hair care products and accessories occupied three tables in the new design Flacon Space. Women and girls came up to them, tried on scarfs and pendants, chose shampoos and deodorants, got cosmetics and jewelry they had brought from home out of their bags. In two days, about 70 people visited the beauty swap.
Polina, a regular visitor of such events, told 7x7 that at the free market in September, she exchanged her books for several books from a classic sci-fi series, "which appeared to be real page-turners." She admitted that her income did not allow her to buy things she wanted to buy.
“That is why I am here. I have found a suitable a belt for my jeans, a scarf, and two deodorants. A scarf seems to be a piece of nothing, but it does change the way one looks,” said Polina.
Evgenia Nekrasova and her 14-year-old daughter Alina attended the event by chance, on the way to the cinema. The girl chose a hairpin for herself and regretted that she had not known about the swap and had not brought headbands, earrings and pendants she no longer liked.
According to Ksenia Tumasova, such events are not just entertainment for "green" communities, but a step towards getting rid of the craving for "materialism" and an important contribution to the preservation of the environment.
“An eco-friendly lifestyle cannot be forced. First, it is convenient for people themselves, especially for a homemaker. When you get involved in this, you adhere to all the rules — you can see the result: there becomes plenty of space in the house, eco-friendly washing agents and cleaning products do not ruin your skin. Nothing special is required, just understanding and following a few rules,” explained Tumasova.
How to beauty yourself without harming the environment. Five tips from Ksenia Tumasova
- Try to buy ecologically friendly cosmetic products. You need to study the labeling of eco-goods in this regard. Here you need to be careful, because some large companies that produce "natural chemicals" have a tendency for greenwashing and put a label on their goods that does not really indicate the environmental friendliness of the product.
- Beauty industry worsens the environment globally: everyone uses a variety of body care products and almost all of them are sold in containers made of plastic and glass. Hand over containers for shampoos and creams for recycling, instead of throwing them in a dumpster for everything.
- If you are ready to stop using cosmetics sold in containers, switch to cosmetics without packaging and eco-friendly personal supplies. Solid shampoo and conditioners, hair masks, reusable cloth sanitary protection — you already have access to all of this, they are easy to buy online or in a store. For example, a bar of coconut oil can substitute hand cream and lip balm at the same time. These products are good because they are even delivered in cardboard eco-friendly packages, and each type of product is simply wrapped in a paper cover. It means that you do not have to recycle poly packages. The less packaging — the better for the environment.
- Follow the announcements of swaps in your city or town. They can be used to get rid of good things you no longer really enjoy and exchange them for new ones — this way the life of things is extended, you save money and do not clutter up your living space.
- Tell your relatives and friends about all environmentally friendly cosmetics and personal supplies. Do not hesitate to talk to your mothers and grandmothers about it. The older generation is just those people who once led an eco-friendly lifestyle: they used to recycle glass bottles, newspapers, and cardboard and to go shopping with string bags. Young people are also a suitable audience, since an eco-friendly lifestyle is currently on trend.
