Here at Sarah Dale Aesthetics, we understand the importance behind making sustainable choices when it comes to business decisions. We believe that the climate crisis is an issue that no industry can turn its back on. This is why we supply planet-friendly ranges of products and behave in eco-conscious ways whenever we can. Today’s blog post will take you through what we and the two most popular brands in the clinic are doing to help combat climate change, one small step at a time.

The makers of Heliocare, Cantabria Labs, have made significant efforts towards reducing their single-use plastic. They have removed all cellophane from the outer packaging, deeming it unnecessary and harmful towards the environment. Their packaging is now FSC-certified and sourced from responsibly managed forests. They believe that this move will save a total of 6.500kg of plastic across the world and consequently reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Back in 2019, the creators of Heliocare decided to further commit to eco-friendly production by building an environmentally sustainable production centre, called La Concha, powered by a geothermal spring. La Concha supports itself with renewable energy that powers the laboratories. They have also announced their dedication to continuing to respect the environment through their patented technologies based on natural resources, such as Fernblock. Heliocare does not contain any animal-derived components and therefore is classed as vegan friendly. The laboratories never test their cosmetics on animals and are compliant with all the European legislation that prohibits such testing.

In their own words, Medik8’s goal is to become ‘the world’s most sustainable professional-led skincare band.’ Their efforts start with their packaging – they use PCR (post-consumer recycled plastic) and 40% recycled glass. Four years ago, they removed all plastic inserts from their cartons and replaced them with 100% recycled card, which they estimate to save over 3 tonnes of plastic every year. These cartons are FSC certified, which means that the materials are sourced from well-managed forests or recycled sources. To protect sea life, they make sure their products are microbead-free and only use natural exfoliators such as jojoba beads. Some of their formulas require plastic packaging to remain stable and active, but when this is the case, they keep it as eco-friendly as possible by increasing the use of recycled materials. They are looking to incorporate ocean-derived plastic in the near future. Medik8 can confirm that their products are 100% free of palm oil, 100% vegan and 100% cruelty-free. Their buildings are also run from 100% renewable energy sources, and they promote green chemistry, which is the science of making products using energy efficient processes. In addition to their continued support for Cancer Research UK, Medik8 launched The Zipper foundation in early 2019, a charitable foundation dedicated solely to animal welfare.

As a clinic, we also want to minimise our impact on the planet. We try to avoid single-use plastic where we can, and we are very careful with separating recycling and general waste. We have been gradually replacing disposable clinical items with reusable ones when we can still maintain our hygiene standards. For example, we refill our plastic gel bottles rather than throw them away. We opt for sustainable materials when possible, such as wooden spatulas and paper bags. Our plans to improve the eco-friendliness of our cleaning products was slightly delayed by COVID-19, when the priority became safety above all, but by the end of 2022, we want to be using planet-friendly cleaning supplies. Our clinic calendar and records are all digitalised, so we are well on our way to becoming paperless. We unplug all equipment when not in use and offer telephone consultations for clients who would have to travel long distances. When ordering products to the clinic, we prefer to order less frequently and more efficiently, so as to reduce the accumulated carbon footprint of deliveries. We also try to be ethical and give back where we can. One clinic project has been the ‘toilet twinning’ initiative which enables struggling communities to build a basic toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene.

We believe that all small actions make a difference and will contribute to a better whole.

Written by Jessica Moriarty