Alright, besties, it’s 2024, and sustainable beauty is having its moment. If you’re not questioning what’s in your skincare or how the packaging impacts Mother Earth, what are you doing?

Being conscious about your beauty choices is a whole vibe, and the beauty world is buzzing with all kinds of terms you need to know.

Plus, let’s talk about the word of the month, “demure” — no joke, this word popped off on social media and sparked an entire convo about beauty and self-awareness.

Shoutout to beauty influencer Jools Lebron for making this viral with her 38-second video serving all the “very demure, very mindful and very cutesy” energy.

According to Jools, “Your demure is what it means to you. It’s being mindful and considerate of the people around you, but also yourself and how you present yourself to the world.” Love that for the girlies.

So, if you’re on a mission to be the main character in your sustainable beauty journey, here’s a cheat sheet of all the trendy terms you gotta know.

Zero-waste beauty

This one’s for the planet-friendly babes. Zero-waste is all about minimizing what you toss out. Ashlene Nand, founder of Vaycay Beauty, explains, “It’s about products that aren’t adding to our landfill crisis.” Think reusable tins or glass jars instead of plastic. Save the Earth one lipstick at a time.

Waterless beauty

Waterless beauty products are exactly what they sound like — formulas with zero H2O. Why? They cut down on plastic packaging and pack a punch with more concentrated ingredients.

Upcycled or circular beauty

Get this — brands are now recycling food waste into your skincare. It’s all about reducing waste and turning trash into glam. Circular beauty also applies to packaging that gets a second life as new products.

Green beauty

“Green” is the buzzword for all things eco-friendly, but watch out — sometimes it’s used just for the aesthetics. Always check the facts and make sure the brand isn’t just greenwashing you.

Ethical beauty

Ethical means doing beauty the right way. It’s about cruelty-free products, fair wages and no shady labor practices. But be careful — it can be a little vague, so dig deeper to make sure the brand practices what it preaches.

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is the villain of the beauty world. Brands use it to make their products seem eco-friendly when they’re not. Always read the labels and don’t let the marketing fool you.

Post-consumer plastics (PCR)

PCR plastics are made from recycled items, but once they’re used, they can’t be recycled again. It’s still a better option than new plastic, though. You’ll see more brands hopping on this trend to lower their carbon footprint.

Fair trade

Fair trade is all about making sure workers in developing countries are paid fairly for their work. For a company to get that coveted Fair Trade certification, they need to ensure safe and healthy working conditions too.

Carbon-neutral and carbon-negative beauty

Carbon-neutral beauty means brands are balancing out their carbon emissions by supporting climate initiatives. Carbon-negative brands go one step further — they remove more carbon than they emit. 

B Corp Certification

If a brand is B Corp certified, it’s a big deal. It means they balance purpose and profit, considering their impact on people and the environment. Look for the B Corp label if you’re after truly responsible beauty brands.

Clean beauty

Clean beauty can be tricky because the term isn’t regulated, but it usually means products are free from harmful chemicals. Think no parabens, sulfates or phthalates. 

Vegan beauty

Vegan beauty is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain animal products like beeswax, lanolin or honey. But check the label — some ingredients might still sneak in even if it says “vegan.”

Organic beauty

Organic beauty products are made with ingredients grown without synthetic chemicals or GMOs. But beware, a product only needs a small percentage of organic ingredients to get that label.

Natural beauty

Natural beauty means using ingredients straight from nature, without synthetic chemicals. But, sometimes those natural ingredients need a little help from additives to stay stable — so, always check how much of the formula is truly natural.

Cruelty-free beauty

Cruelty-free means no animals were harmed in the making of your fave lipstick. And while cruelty-free products are often vegan, they aren’t always both. So, make sure you know what you’re buying.

Now you’re ready to slay the sustainable beauty game like the eco-conscious queen you are.