Labor Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, President’s Day … we are all familiar with those. But Earth Day? Many of us have heard of it but know little about its history or significance.
The first Earth Day took place April 22, 1970. Founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, the inaugural celebration featured marches, rallies and educational programs across the country. Fifty-one years later, Earth Day (officially April 22) is now celebrated globally with millions of people participating to raise awareness about pollution and how to safeguard the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling resources.
Earth Day is now part of Earth Month (April), but all of us can turn Earth Day into an everyday lifestyle by making small choices that have a huge impact. These could include:
- Avoiding plastic water bottles in favor of reusable water bottles
- Opting for second-hand items instead of buying new products
- Recycling garbage, plastics and paper, and using household waste as compost
- Supporting organizations with sustainable practices … which ties into Starling’s earthly mission.
We use BPA-free plastics and are a toxin-free brand. We are committed to a low carbon footprint. We use recyclable containers and minimal packaging. We don’t use water in any of our products.
Why not water? According to the World Wildlife Fund, only 1% of the world’s water supply is fresh and accessible. In 2021, 1.1 billion lack access to usable water and 2.7 billion people find water scarce for at least one month.
When you check out the ingredients on most skincare labels, the first ingredient is water. That means the $3.4 trillion global beauty and wellness industry is wasting a lot of water. The question is whether it’s necessary to use this precious resource in skincare?
It's not, but for many companies it is a way to increase profit margins. Using water is inexpensive for large companies, and it easily fills up the majority of their bottles. But adding water to skincare creates bacteria. And how do you make sure that bacteria, mold, fungi, and yeasts do not propagate? You need to add chemical stabilizers, such as parabens, to preserve the contents.
Bottom line: It’s unnecessary to use water in skincare or personal-care products. If anything, not using water makes skincare more effective. Without water, the ingredients are more concentrated and potent, meaning you don’t have to use as much of the product.
While most holidays celebrate past events, Earth Day represents the future. By learning more about this eco-friendly holiday, we can work together to preserve our planet’s precious resources and support businesses that share the same vision.