The demand, however, is stripping forests in Malaysia and Indonesia, pushing orangutans, rhinos and tigers towards extinction. At current rates, 98 per cent of Indonesian forest will be gone by 2022. Don’t be mistaken to think we don’t need these biodiverse habitats – they soak up masses of carbon dioxide. Palm oil is tough to avoid because brands list it under a myriad of sneaky names (there’s a comprehensive list here).

Will It Ever Change?

There’s a lot of talk about sustainability, but some brands are more serious about it than others. “At Bulldog sustainability is in our DNA. Since the very first day of launching in 2007, we never used plastic micro-beads for instance, and this was well before the ban [which came into effect in early 2018],” says Simon Duffy, founder of Bulldog Skincare, which won recognition for its sustainable practices in the 2018 FashionBeans Grooming Awards.

“We consider ourselves man’s best friend, so of course it’s important for us to be sustainable. We’re seeing more concern for how things are made and consumed. In personal care, eco-conscious brands have been highly sought after.”

The good news is that knowledge is power and you, the consumer, can drive change. Every time you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in, and we think it’s time to elect the good guys who are out there proving that things can be done differently. Don’t forget to use your voice either; social media has made it very easy to tell brands what we want.

Sustainable Grooming: What To Look Out For

Read The Label

Scrutinise the ingredients list as you would a food label. Organic ingredients are a bonus because organic farming is pesticide-free and supports soil health and insect and bird life, including pollinators like bees, which are essential to the food chain. It will also help you avoid palm oil and toxic ingredients like parabens or fossil fuel derivatives like petroleum.