Environmental Treatment Guidelines

Ruuby Environmental Policy

Hi there! Here at Ruuby, we strive to make our services as environmentally friendly as possible, so here are some tips and guidelines to making sure the treatment you offer is as gentle to the world around you as it is to your clients. This will be an evolving guide based on your feedback and the latest news in sustainable beauty.

General:

Consultation forms: try to move towards digital consultations, rather than paper consultations, to cut down on paper waste. We will be supplying these consultation forms using Typeform.

Allergies: Always ask the client if they have any allergies and check your products’ ingredients. Some natural products are more likely to cause reactions.

Try to limit the amount of single use products in your kit, and if something must be disposable, try to find a natural alternative. Try purchasing products for your kit that can be refilled, or are better quality, meaning you spend less in the long term and reduce waste.
Transport: We encourage you to use public transport if and when you can as this will lower carbon emissions. We recognise that this isn’t possible for everyone, so if you must drive a car try renting an electric or hybrid for however long you need, using Zipcar or similar.
When washing towels, try your best to use eco friendly softeners and detergents, low temperature, short cycles and if you can, hang dry them. If you are able to, invest in a high efficiency washing machine and avoid tumble drying.

Positive Luxury is a great site for when you need to find sustainable brands that match Ruuby’s ethos. We’ve given some examples for certain treatments here, but feel free to check out the complete list here.

Waxing:

Opt for using a metal spatula instead of wood, as a metal spatula sterilises as you dip it into the wax due to the heat, meaning you can reuse it. Wooden spatulas require trees to be logged, as well as the fact that they are single use, making them quite unsustainable.
Try to find pure cotton waxing strips that don’t contain polyester, as polyester is a type of plastic fiber that can cause problems in the environment.
We encourage you to use organic waxes that, when disposed, won’t linger or leach toxins into the environment. An example of a cruelty free, organic wax brand is Outback Organics, who also have a vegan line available.
If you’d like to train in and offer it, Sugaring is 100% organic, however not vegan due to the honey content.

Massage:

Opt for using a reusable bed cover rather than couch roll as couch roll creates waste as well as requires logging of trees.
Try to use sustainable oils, and avoid oils containing palm oil. Palm oil plantations have been the cause of major forest loss in Asia as well as the decline of Orang-utans and other forest species, so this oil is hugely unsustainable.

Aromatherapy Associates has vegan, 100% natural body oils, essential oils and face oils. They have a short list of products that aren’t vegan, which you can find here. They are also cruelty free and accredited by Positive Luxury.

Makeup:

Try to find brands that have the cruelty free logo, and try to also keep vegan products in your kit so clients have options. Some examples of eco-friendly makeup brands are Guerlain and Trinny London, which are accredited by Positive Luxury. Daniel Sandler is a more affordable brand that is against animal testing, however some of their products still contain animal derivatives so always check/ask the client to check the ingredients. Zao Makeup also is an affordable eco friendly, vegan brand that has refillable bamboo containers, with free shipping in the UK.
Try to avoid products containing palm oil for the same reasons given in the massage section.
We encourage you to use reusable makeup pads that you can find cheaply on Amazon. They can be washed and reused many times over. If not, please try to find pure cotton pads that don’t contain polyester. Some eco-friendly makeup wipes exist, however these still come in plastic packaging, so try your best to avoid.

Hair:

Blowdrys:

Try to use natural products in the hair, including serum and hairspray, or refrain from overusing aerosols as they contain chemicals harmful to the atmosphere. A good brand is Natulique as their products are vegan and natural.
We encourage you to get a good quality hair dryer/GHD as the better quality this is, the more efficient it will be.
Try to use metal section clips as these will generally be more durable than plastic ones and more easily recycled.

Kiehl’s is a Positive Luxury accredited brand that has hair products you can use when styling your client’s hair. You can see the work they’ve done here.

Colour:

We encourage you to find vegan, organic hair dye solutions, such as henna based hair colour, so have a look at this link to gain a better understanding of the options available to you: 10 Best Vegan Hair Dyes That Actually Work. However, be wary of customers with allergies. Natulique is a good vegan hair brand that has colour options.
Please use reusable pots and brushes, and try to find brushes with non-plastic bristles. If you want an even eco-friendlier alternative, check out Eco-Conut Hair Dye Tool Kit which comes with a coconut shell bowl and long life brush, both of which come in 100% recycled packaging.
Try to use corn starch/PLA based disposable gloves, as these are biodegradable and can be composted, rather than plastic or latex gloves.

Cuts:

When cutting a client’s hair, try to put a reusable tarp under their chair to catch the hair that’s being cut, that way the hair can be easily collected and disposed of without the use of a plastic trash bag. If possible, ask the client if you can use their vacuum cleaner to clean up any stray hairs.

Nails:

When doing acrylics and gel extensions, explain to the client that while acrylics are more durable and will have to be replaced less often, they are made up of plastic polymers that will be introduced into the environment as fine particle dust when removed. Gels, on the other hand, are a safer alternative for the client, therapist and the environment as they are made up of the same ingredients as gel polish.
We encourage you to use an LED lamp as they require a shorter curing time, meaning that they use less power. Also, try to use the most energy efficient bulbs you can find when replacing them inside the lamp.
There are great alternatives to shellac, which are vegan and cruelty free. Our new partnership with Manucurist means you’ll be able to have an eco friendly kit available to purchase on our therapist store. Their Green Flash gel line and Green polish line guarantee a 9-free eco friendly experience.
Try to use reusable tools and towels that can be sterilised and washed over and over again, as this will reduce waste.

Tanning:

Brands such as Vita Liberata (100% vegan & cruelty free), and Sienna X (100% cruelty free with vegan solutions and barrier cream) are the brands we know you like to work with, so be sure to thoroughly read the ingredients of your solutions to make sure there aren’t any animal derivatives
Try to find pure cotton hair nets and underwear for your clients so they aren’t contributing to plastic waste once disposed of.

Facials:

Dr Murad (has a vegan line of products and can customise a vegan regime) is a really high end facial brand that we recommend you use, especially because they are certified by PETA to be cruelty free. Neals Yard Remedies is also an organic facial brand that takes steps to combat climate change and protect the world around us.
Try to use corn starch/PLA based disposable gloves, as these are biodegradable and can be composted, rather than plastic or latex gloves.
If you can, buy a good quality steamer that isn’t made of plastic, as not only will this last longer and be less likely to break, it can also be recycled as an electronic appliance.

Lashes:

Lash Perfect’s microblading, lash lift and lash adhesives are all vegan, and Elleebana’s lash lift kit is vegetarian friendly and cruelty free (as it still contains ethically sourced lanolin, which is vegan depending on your definition). Nouveau Lashes’ lash lift kit is not vegan however is cruelty free and many of their products are certified vegan.

Try to use pure cotton lash shields when placing them over the lower lash of the eye, as these won’t have plastic fibers that could cause damage to the environment when disposed of.

Brows:

We encourage you to find plant based brow tints such as henna tints or similar so that you aren’t introducing any harmful chemicals to the client’s skin or otherwise. The same goes for lash tints.
Try to use pure cotton pads when wiping the client’s brows as these won’t contain polyester fibers that can damage the environment when disposed of.
When threading, try to find pure cotton thread for the same reason as above.

Cosmetic Injectables (please note that only doctors are able to perform these treatments):

We understand that your tools need to be sterilised, so please try to find ways to reduce the amount of waste created, whether that’s signing a membership with Green Health Exchange or using less single use plastic/tools that use less packaging
Try to use corn starch/PLA based disposable gloves, as these are biodegradable and can be composted, rather than plastic or latex gloves.
Try to purchase a reusable face mask rather than single use as, not only are these more cost effective in the long run, they will reduce the amount of waste you create

Black Label:

When travelling to international bookings, try to offset your travel. Using this calculator, you will be told how much it will cost to offset in USD per person depending on flight class. You can then pay to offset your travel. E.g Approximately, 700 miles costs $2 to offset. This site was recommended by the WWF. Certain airlines offer an offsetting scheme as a part of their booking process, Qantas has an impressive scheme, as an example. However, be wary of airlines that hide their offsetting process and don’t offer enough information about where your money is going.