Fashion for the Earth
Time to Let Nature Walk the Runway
September 11, 2025
It’s New York Fashion Week, and before we stop to admire the glitz and glamor, we need to celebrate fashion and beauty’s ultimate, timeless inspiration: Nature.
For centuries, designers have been inspired by the natural environment around them, finding a muse in everything from flowers for delicate floral prints to the underwater world for fabrics that mimic the flow of water. And since ancient times, natural ingredients were used for beautification purposes to achieve healthy-looking hair and skin.
Unfortunately, this admiration for nature has not translated to awareness of the industry’s impact for much of history. The Industrial Revolution brought the first boom in mass produced clothing, and the destructive impacts of the fast fashion textile industry has done even more damage.
The beauty industry is no better. The glass bottles and jars that used to contain cosmetic products have been widely replaced with their cheap plastic counterparts, contributing to global pollution on an epic scale. The industry generates over 120 billion units of plastic packaging every single year, with about 95% of this discarded after a single use and only around 9% – 14% actually recycled.
Much of this plastic ends up in landfills and our oceans. In terms of weight, the beauty industry produces approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic waste annually.
What is more, toxic ingredients that leak from this plastic packaging and the products themselves, which are harmful to both humans and the environment, still find their way into our oceans when people toss their trash away and wash the products off their face and into the sink. Microplastics were even intentionally added to many beauty products themselves to help exfoliate, despite their harmful effects on human health and wildlife.
But not all hope is lost – there has since been a growing emphasis on using biodegradable and organic ingredients in makeup and skincare to reduce the harmful effects on the environment.
Instead of just using nature for our own gain, we need to return to our roots (both literally and figuratively) and recognize nature as a partner. There is no better way to reflect that than through the natural ingredients used in cosmetics, so here are 5 ways cosmetics work with nature to achieve a beautiful result on both ends.
Planting the Seeds for Healthy Skin
Our skin is our body’s first line of defense against anything from germs to scrapes that can cause harm, which is why people have always been looking for ways to keep it healthy. It turns out we don’t have to look too far for the best methods, because they might just be growing in a nearby garden.
The purpose of moisturizing is to restore the water content of our skin, keeping it flexible, and replenish its natural protective barrier. The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of our skin, plays a crucial role in regulating the body’s water content, and can appear dry and flaky if it is not sufficiently hydrated, which can become a serious concern in people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Humectants, substances that attract and bind to water, are a preferred ingredient in moisturizers seeing as they can draw water up from deeper layers of the skin to the stratum corneum and even from the air if humidity is above 70%.
One well-known natural ingredient often used to help retain our skin’s moisture is the gel of aloe vera, a cactus-like succulent plant that grows in tropical regions around the world. It was used in ancient societies such as those of Greece and China for benefits such as wound healing which have since been verified.
Aloe vera contains mucopolysaccharides, long-chain sugar molecules that are naturally found in the body, that function as humectants that help skin retain its moisture. It also promotes collagen and elastin production, two molecules that make skin more elastic. And the best part? Aloe vera’s sustainable cultivation practices, not needing much water and even preventing soil erosion, make it an excellent choice for brands that are seeking to be more conscious of their impact on the environment..
Another natural ingredient you might notice on the ingredients label of many cosmetics is jojoba oil. Hailing from the seeds of the jojoba shrub native to the arid parts of the United States and Mexico, it is the preferred choice of many moisturizers due to its similarity to sebum, the oil naturally produced by our skin, resulting in a smoothing effect that makes it a natural emollient.
Plant Extracts Saving the Day with Electrons
There are countless microscopic reactions occurring in our skin cells at all times, and these can often yield highly reactive molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are missing a negatively charged particle called an electron, so they try to steal one from other molecules like proteins or DNA, damaging them in the process.
This is where antioxidants come to save the day. These are molecules that bind with free radicals and neutralize them by providing them with the electron they desire.
There are several natural antioxidants, with some common ones used in cosmetics being green tea extract and rosemary. Green tea extract contains antioxidants called catechins that provide it with potent antioxidation and anti-inflammatory effects, and studies have found similar effects in rosemary.
In order to maximize the beneficial effects of these ingredients, it is also important to clean off dead skin cells to reveal the newer layers underneath, which brings us to some natural exfoliants.
An Explosive Exfoliant
Skincare involves more than just retaining moisture – it also involves exfoliating the skin to clear dead skin cells and unclog pores which, in addition to making the skin appear shinier, allow better absorption of moisturizer.
One surprising exfoliant found in nature? Volcanic ash, or more specifically, certain minerals found in it. Evidence shows that bentonites and montmorillonites, two clay minerals found in volcanic ash, have several potential skin benefits, including improving wound healing and promoting skin hydration. Natural zeolitic volcanic tuff, a rock that forms from volcanic ash, has also been shown to have excellent exfoliation properties.
However, it is important to consider that it can also cause skin irritation for some people, so it is important to always read the label of the product and for people to consider their own skin needs before using it.
Minerals Blocking the Sun
While it is important to get some sunlight in moderation, the sun is one of the biggest concerns of skin care seeing as it can damage skin, leading to risks of cancer, sunburn, and skin aging. It is always important to protect against ultraviolet radiation.
Some ingredients that we have already discussed like aloe vera and green tea extract have been shown to have some protective properties against the sun, but these effects are minimal.
Mineral-based sunscreens are the best bet in terms of effectiveness and environmental safety, specifically those made from titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are much safer for the marine environment than chemical sunscreens containing ingredients such as oxybenzone. It is important to keep in mind, however, that no sunscreen is completely safe for our oceans, so it is best to practice mindfulness when using it and opt for a hat when you can!
There’s Still a Long Way to Go
While cosmetics made from natural ingredients are more likely to come from brands aligned with sustainable practices, it is not a guarantee. The packaging might still be made from plastic or other similar nonbiodegradable materials, and using natural ingredients will not help the environment if they are harvested without any regard for the ecosystem from which they came.
The beauty industry alone contributes at least 120 billion tons of packaging waste every year. It is time for companies to make the shift to biodegradable packaging like wood plastics composites and cellulose-based materials to offset this worrying trend.
What Can You Do?
While there is still a long way to go in minimizing the toll the cosmetics industry has on the environment, there are a few things you can do to help.
First, sign our petition “The Fashion Industry Must Change” calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to create regulations in the fashion industry to help protect the environment.
If you want to show off your own sustainable fashion, send a 1-2 minute video to “My Planet My Closet” and inspire others to help our planet through their own personal fashion!
Remember, one common theme of all the beautification methods discussed in this article are that they are rooted in keeping our skin healthy. It’s time for us to return the favor to the world around us and help keep nature healthy, so that the world’s beauty can shine along with ours.
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