Heavy metals: How this makeup artist made the switch to sustainable beauty

She’s the acclaimed London-based makeup artist who created the looks for the Heavy Metals shoot in Vogue Scandinavia’s December-January issue. She is also one of the industry’s most vocal advocates for sustainable makeup and taking an uncompromising approach to eco-beauty.

Here we talk to Crystabel Riley about what inspires her and the changing face of beauty…

Why as a make-up artist with so many products at your disposal, did you decide to work almost exclusively with organic and ethical beauty brands?

It actually came from quite a selfish place. My skin was reacting badly to ingredients in different makeup products, which resulted in eczema and a nasty rash around my eyes. I began to be more interested in what was actually in the materials I was working with.

After several conversations with Lou Dartford – a well-known green makeup artist – I began to understand this holistic approach better. Why it’s important to strive for organic or regeneratively farmed, ethically sourced, fairly traded and consciously packaged when using products that contain natural plant-based waxes, floral waters and essential oils. They have such an impact on both soil and people.

Related: What exactly is the skin barrier?

Paying attention to the nuances of beauty is important, too. Anyone interested in the Black Lives Matter movement should be interested in who grows and produces raw materials. There is a concerted effort and a community that is asking questions and pushing for greater transparency.

Why are you on a mission to encourage others to adopt a zero-waste approach to make-up?

Early in my career, it was really luxurious to have lots of little packets of things. I first started to talk about 'zero waste' and makeup in 2018, and it was really for practical reasons. I was trying to pull together show teams for London Fashion Week and wanted everyone to clearly understand that we were going to work differently. So without cotton buds, wipes and boxes upon boxes of sundries.

Requesting everyone bring reusable cups and bottles is normal on call sheets these days, but at the time, it felt sort of awkward to ask that of people as they weren't available. We were in a systemically wasteful situation. I remember it was impossible at the time to get the right type of cleansing cloth, so I took it upon myself to make enough cloths for the whole model count using non-virgin dual cotton materials and sewing with organic string from wooden reels. Obviously, it took me ages, but it was the only way and it felt really empowering. We then started combing fresh aloe vera through the brows and would carve up broken drum sticks to create beautiful wands for clay applications.

Related: 5 clean-formulated Scandi beauty brands to know and love

Back then, it was mostly about coming together and problem-solving communally. It's the same today as we try to create a starting point to think about things differently. Being completely zero-waste is, of course, impossible. Still, it's a really important aspiration to have, and I do believe it will become the norm for many makeup artists in the future. Even just having a conversation can make people interested and push for more ways to do this through refilling and recycling. Then it becomes more accessible for everyone.

How do you research the ingredients you work with?

I read cosmetic papers and journals like Cosmetics and Toiletries that have so many updates and developments on ingredients. The Conscious Beauty Union is also a great resource. It has amazing webinar topics and encourages a really interactive community. But, of course, you have to be cautious not to get carried away with the first article you read about something. That has already happened so much, and the 'green/clean' beauty movement has become tarnished with scaremongering around ingredients.

To be honest, when I come across a new ingredient, it's normally through one of the brands I use. Take BYBI, for example. It dedicated a whole podcast episode to bakuchiol and the ingredient's Ayurvedic roots. R&R Luxury is one of the few brands that source and manufacture ingredients in West Africa. There you have a whole pool of information about the shea nut and the Savannah Development Project set up to support a women's co-operative. 'Blue beauty' brand Haeckels also has a beautiful and important journal for anyone interested in the sea, activism and algae.

It would be fantastic if more brands focused on genuinely positive impacts to compensate for more products being brought into the world. If you're interested in finding out more about an ingredient, I think the best way is to simply ask the brand directly. This interactiveness should be part of a slow consumption society.

What are your favourite organic and ethical ingredients to work with?

I love antioxidant-rich ingredients such as green tea and hibiscus, which are good for the skin, both topically and to drink. I have recently made a fresh hibiscus tonic before every shoot, which I then use for the day on set as part of the skincare ritual. I love that I can buy the petals plastic-free from a local organic herbal medicine shop. I also like to use jojoba-based makeup. For more creative collaborations, I have been working with ingredients, including organic arrowroot powder for setting body paint. I love the idea of connecting with what’s around you.

What are the benefits to the skin of greener makeup?

Makeup brands such as RMS try to not only use organic ingredients but keep them in their rawest cold-pressed state. Swedish brand Manasi 7 also works with ingredients in small batch production and supports circular agriculture. I really believe that these processes enhance the quality of the components themselves. There is a colossal amount we don’t know about the skin, especially around the microbiome. Still, this is the right direction to take when working with ingredients.

Related: The top beauty brands for clean and sustainable make-up

In what ways would you like the beauty industry to become more sustainable?

All industries are guilty of creating an object and releasing it into the world. That object is used, discarded and then homeless. The beauty industry is a uniquely and intensely globalised space, so it is definitely challenging. Beauty brings so much joy, so I would love to see the beauty industry lead the way in owning the object they make forever and just lend it to us for a time.

We would enjoy what's inside and experience its transformational power and self-care. Then when we're finished, there would be cyclical systems in place to give it back. We have a strange relationship with objects, and it's different for everyone. Still, an experience is so much more enjoyable if I know I am not creating litter in the process.