A Partnership With A Purpose To Help Clean The Ocean
Kaelin Jutras, founder and CEO of Herbal Skin Solutions once said, “Everything starts with a need.” And that cannot be truer today. Environmental awareness is not only a need but a necessity.
In 2016, Herbal Skin Solutions began to create a botanically based esthetic line. This line was created with sustainability in mind. The goal was to create an eco-friendly and environmentally safe product. From start to finish, the company is committed to delivering a high-quality product. The formulations are 100% sulfate-free, paraben-free and cruelty-free. What could be better than that?
One of the best things about partnering with Herbal Skin Solutions is that they are aware of their consumers’ needs on an eco-conscious level. People want transparency when they purchase a product. Where does it come from? Is it environmentally friendly? Herbal Skin Solutions is at the top of the game where that is concerned. They research ways to ensure their products maintain the clean and green mindset of many of their consumers.
Companies are increasingly aligning with one another to address the importance of the environmental impact on the world around us. The partnership between Ocean Blue Project and Herbal Skin Solutions takes sustainability seriously. By working together, we can help reduce our carbon footprint. This union pulls plastic from our rivers, lakes, and oceans and creates awareness that our actions have consequences.
Any collaboration must make sense for all parties involved. This means seeking out like-minded people and organizations that share a common goal. And for the environment and our oceans, the goal has never been more apparent.
If the last two years taught us anything, it was to simplify our lives. When the pandemic hit the world came to a standstill. But behind the fear and uncertainty, there was a glimmer of hope for the Earth. Right before our eyes, the Earth began to heal itself. There were, for a moment, no cars on the roads, no pollution from emissions, cleaner air, and cleaner waterways.
This served as a wake-up call that our actions have unintended repercussions for the health and vitality of our oceans and our environment as a whole.
The Enemy in the Atmosphere: Fossil Fuels
My brother lives on the West Coast. I remember he called for the weekly “family check-in.” I heard the fear in his voice. This was the height of the pandemic. But toward the end of the conversation, I heard hope. He said he had gone for a walk and realized that the smog had dissipated. He said, “I’ve been here for years, and the air has never smelled or looked cleaner.”
It’s true. The number of chemicals that we pump into our products, our atmosphere, and our oceans are astounding. Herbal Skin Solutions continues its partnership with Ocean Blue Project to help offset carbon emissions. A number of countries have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. What does this mean? It would provide affordable energy supplies and universal energy access. The goal is to create a more cost-effective, environmentally efficient, clean energy source. This will pave the way for increased use of solar power and wind instead of toxic fossil fuels.
We use an overabundance of fossil fuels to keep things like production and manufacturing going. This process, no surprise, is killing our planet. When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon into the air, forever altering our climate and the health of ourselves and our planet. Marine life is especially affected. When those particles are released into the atmosphere, fish can mistakenly take them in as a food source. This can lead to reproductive issues, sickness and even death.
Parabens and Plastic- a toxic combination
What are parabens?
Parabens are preservatives. On a global scale, companies use parabens to help them increase the shelf life of their products. These are products we use every day. Shampoos, deodorants, makeup, and skincare just to name a few.
Skin is a living, breathing organism. As estheticians, we were taught that what we put on top of our skin was just as important as what we ingest. Plastics take a long time to break down. This pollutes our oceans which pollutes our food source. Everything is connected.
So, if we use skincare products with parabens and sulfates in them and wash them off where does it go? Down the drain, through the pipes which eventually lead to our oceans. It goes without saying that this action alone negatively impacts our oceans. An estimated 88% of marine life have been impacted by microplastics. Another staggering statistic? It is estimated that up to 90% of seabirds and 52% of turtles accidentality feed on microplastics and other toxins that we have put in their path. We created this mess. We need to find a permanent solution to undo the damage that we have caused on a global scale.
That’s why partnering with Herbal Skin Solutions in an effort to keep our oceans clean is so important. When we join together with like-minded people that promote environmental awareness and sustainability, the possibilities are endless.
So what can we do?
Read your product labels. Make sure the product you intend to buy is free of parabens, sulfates, and other harmful chemicals. The products we buy have a ripple effect on our health and the vitality of our oceans.
Avoid plastic packaging. This is a hard one. Plastic has taken over on a global scale. It’s cheap to produce, durable and difficult to break down. But it continues to do damage to our environment, our bodies, and our oceans.
Become familiar with upcycling. This is a way to creatively reuse and repurpose the products we throw away. For example, an old tent tossed into the trash can be repurposed into a grocery bag. You can wash it, reuse it and help reduce plastic use. It gives what was once trash a second life. You know the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Ocean Blue Project uses the process of upcycling by collecting plastic from our oceans and beaches and recreating a more sustainable product. This process creates less waste and doesn’t contribute to pollution.
Participate in a community clean-up program. This will teach the next generation the importance of our environmental impact. How do we start? Look for beach clean-ups near you. These benefits rivers, lakes, and oceans.
To date, Ocean Blue Project and Herbal Skin Solutions have recovered 1500 pounds of plastic. They also participated in a clean-up in Florida. But it doesn’t stop there. More clean-up crews are on the horizon. Next year clean-up crews will be assembling in the San Francisco Bay area and the Oregon Coast.
Ocean Blue Project works with volunteers throughout the year. These include students, universities, groups, and local communities. Search for a clean- up event near you or enter our mailing list to receive the most current information on how to help. Become a water warrior.
Support efforts to reduce ocean pollution. That is why the partnership between Ocean Blue Project and Herbal Skin Solutions is essential. Working with like-minded companies will help us achieve a common goal for the greater good of our environment and ourselves.
Megan McCormack is a licensed esthetician, case manager, and ocean enthusiast.
