Here are the 10 key steps you need to take to transform your bathroom into green mode.

1- Sorting out my cupboards

Are your cupboards so full of bottles you don't know what to do with them? Have you succumbed to the tempting marketing of cosmetics brands before realising the deception? Have you been keeping your lipsticks and eyeshadows for too long?

OK, so it's time to start by sorting things out and getting rid of the superfluous so you can see things more clearly.

First of all, you're going to have to get rid of anything that's out of date, because cosmetics can't be kept indefinitely. It's true that conventional cosmetics, packed with preservatives, have surprisingly long shelf lives, but that doesn't mean you should risk putting out-of-date products on your face. So how do I know if my cosmetics are still usable? You need to look for one of the following two indications on each product: the PAO (period of use after opening) or DLUO (expiry date after opening).

If you see a small logo on the packaging in the shape of an open cream pot. On the inside of this jar is written the PAO, meaning the period after opening. If you read 12 M, this means that you have 12 months after opening to consume your product. After that, the product is considered expired. Conclusion: you should remember to note on your product the date on which you opened it.

On other products, it's the " DLUO " that will be mentioned, i.e. the deadline for optimal use. Whether your tube is opened or not, you'll need to rely on this information to know whether the product it contains can be used or not.

In other cases, you'll find the words "Best used before" followed by a date. This date also corresponds to the expiry date. If the date has passed, this does not mean that the product is no longer fit for consumption, but that it will be less effective or less pleasant to use.

Generally speaking, you should dispose of your product if it looks or smells unpleasant...

Secondly, you're going to identify and put aside all the products that are still valid but that you don't use! As with your wardrobe, if you haven't used a product for several months, it's because you don't need it... It may break your heart, but you need to remain pragmatic and face the facts: no, you don't need 20 nail varnishes, let alone a fluorescent pink eyeshadow you once wore to a fancy dress party, not to mention the cotton candy-scented cream you were given as a thoughtful gift!

Once you've sorted through them, put them in a box and find a way to give them a second life. If they're still good and unused, you can donate them to a charity. You can also barter them for other more useful items or sell them on websites like Vinted. In any case, don't throw them away, as that would be a waste and a pity, as these products could give pleasure to someone.

2- I read the labels and act with full knowledge of the facts

It's time to ask yourself what you're really putting on your skin and to decide whether or not you're prepared to spread petroleum derivatives or dubious preservatives on your skin every day... Granted, it's not an easy task, with its long-winded formulas and incomprehensible regulatory language. Of course, you won't be able to master the Latin or chemical names of all the ingredients in the world, but you have to start somewhere. So to help you, here's a list of substances you should avoid.

• Butylphenyl methylpropional: fragrance substance considered unsafe for use in cosmetics and probably toxic for reproduction.
• Mineral oils such as Paraffinum liquidum, Petrolatum, Synthetic wax, Microcrystalline wax, Cera Microcristallina: Polluting, occlusive petrochemical derivatives of no interest to the skin and suspected of accumulating in the liver.
• Silicones such as dimethicone, cetyl dimethicone, cyclotetrasiloxane: synthetic compounds that are occlusive, not very biodegradable and pollute the environment.
• Sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate: surfactants (washing agents) that are particularly irritating.
• Phenoxyethanol: preservative considered toxic to the liver and blood.
• Parabens: preservatives present in many products and suspected of being endocrine disruptors.
• Aluminium salts such as aluminium bromohydrate, aluminium chloride, aluminium stearate, etc.: irritating antiperspirant compounds that may be implicated in the development of certain cancers such as breast cancer.
• Triclosan: a synthetic antibacterial present in toothpastes and suspected of being an endocrine disruptor.
• Nanoparticles (look for the word "nano" before or after the name of an ingredient): tiny molecules that can penetrate the heart of our cells and accumulate without us being able to eliminate them.

This list is not exhaustive, but it does include the most common problem ingredients. Beware of applications that scan labels and rate products, as they can be very subjective.

What should we think about apps that scan cosmetics?

Smartphone applications such as CLEAN beauty, Yuka, etc. give scores to cosmetics based on what they consider to be dangerous or not. For example, essential oils are penalised because almost all of them contain allergens. So, because it contains an essential oil, a correctly formulated organic cosmetic may be given a worse score than a product that is much less healthy but contains no allergens. What's more, the apps make no distinction according to the origin of the ingredients. For example, alcohol and glycerine can be of plant and organic origin, but they can also be of synthetic origin. In short, these applications managed by algorithms do not qualify their analysis as a human being might. This poses a problem of interpretation of the data, which is all the more open to criticism given that there is a note at the end. The applications are interesting for spotting harmful components, but they are not capable of analysing a formula as a whole, or even judging whether it is effective or not.

3- I stop accumulating a whole bunch of samples or miniatures

I say stop to the products I'm offered that don't suit me. You can make those around you aware of your approach and show them the way. Don't be shy, you could well become an example to others...

4- I stop stripping my skin

We live in a society that loves the ultra-clean and revels in the powerful scent of synthetic perfumes. Invisible microbes are feared like the plague, whereas the skin's bacterial flora is an essential but fragile barrier. I'm not asking you to stop washing, just to respect your skin. Let's stop stripping ourselves and give our skin a break. You'll only benefit!

Many people with dry skin continue to "wear out" their skin with aggressive products. Our skin barrier, although naturally resistant, ends up becoming fragile, irritated and itchy. Do away with shower gels and other cleansing products and you'll have done a good part of the job. Understand that it's pointless to slather on cream every day if inappropriate cleansing undermines all your efforts.

The same vicious circle applies if you have oily skin with imperfections. Continue to damage your hydrolipidic film with purifying gels and lotions full of alcohol and your skin will produce even more sebum, and potentially more pimples. All you have to do is thoroughly cleanse your skin again...

The same applies to babies and children. What's the point of soaking them in the bath every day when a quick cleanse with a hydrolat could do the trick?

Stick to one quick shower a day (maximum), preferably lukewarm. Reserve the use of cleansers for the dirtiest areas, such as feet and underarms. For the rest of the body, simply rinse with water. Sweat, pollution and dust are soluble in water anyway, so they'll wash away with the first spray without the need for soap to solubilise them.

Finally, when you use cleansers, it's mainly your lipid protective film that you'll lose. You 'degrease' your skin with detergents and then end up having to nourish and rehydrate it with creams. Look for the mistake...

5- I ask myself what my skin type is and adopt an appropriate routine

It's important to know your skin type, because it's important to find the right balance and, above all, to understand your skin's real needs. The skin is not just an envelope but an organ in its own right with its own way of working. You can trust it to look after itself.

How do you take care of your skin?

1. Clean but not too much

That's the basics. Cleansed skin is fresher, younger-looking skin. That said, as you'll have realised, it's essential to use the gentlest products possible. If you wear make-up, you should remove it from your skin at the end of the day. Make-up products can be very occlusive, suffocating the skin and disrupting the way it functions.

2. Protect

Virtually hairless, human skin is more vulnerable than animal skin, so you need to protect it from external aggressors such as the cold, wind, pollution and friction, as well as chemicals and the sun. So make sure you isolate it as much as possible from these aggressors to avoid damaging it. The hydrolipidic film is the best defence against all this, so it's important to respect it!

3. Nourish and moisturise

The skin essentially needs water and oil, so it must be moisturised and nourished. The water in cosmetics can't penetrate the skin barrier, so it stays inside. You need to drink regularly and sufficiently. You can top up your drinking water with hydrosols such as mint, geranium or rose. They offer original tastes and will make you want to drink. You can also infuse fruit such as strawberry or cucumber for a touch of freshness. When it comes to nourishing your skin, it's all about what you eat. Choose good fats, especially those containing omega-3 and omega-9. A cream rich in vegetable oils will leave a protective film to prevent dehydration. It will improve the skin's feel thanks to its emollient (softening) properties and will carry active ingredients such as essential oils.

4. Stimulate

Skin didn't wait for the big cosmetics brands to take care of itself. Independent by nature, it has developed its own skincare routine, so remember that cosmetics are just an extra. From time to time, practise cosmetic 'fasting' by limiting the number of products you apply to your skin. This will allow your skin to rebalance itself and reactivate its internal skin care processes. You can practise this 'fast' for one or two days, at the weekend for example, or a little longer during your holidays. You can also gently exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells and help it renew itself. Massages are also beneficial for activating microcirculation and stimulating your metabolism.

6- I invest in five multifunctional ingredients

These five ingredients can be used alone or in combination with others in homemade cosmetics recipes.

• A dry oil such as hemp, hazelnut, jojoba or macadamia oil
• Aloe vera gel or linseed gel
• A hydrolate suited to my skin
• A clay suited to my skin
• Shea butter

With just these five ingredients, you have everything you need to tone, purify, moisturise and nourish your skin. Sometimes it doesn't take much, and remember, too much is the enemy of good.

7- I change my make-up removal routine

It really is the easiest to use! Forget deceptively gentle micellar waters and replace them with a vegetable oil. The fatty substances are perfect for solubilising make-up pigments and gently removing them. They will save you many bottles of micellar water because they are much more concentrated. What's more, you'll reduce your household waste at the same time!

Choose dry oils that won't leave a greasy film, such as hemp, hazelnut, jojoba or macadamia. Apply the oil with your fingers, paying particular attention to the eyes if there's mascara, so you can give yourself a little facial massage while you're at it. Remove any excess with washable make-up remover squares, then tone your skin with a hydrosol.

8- I'm switching to solid soaps

Long forgotten, solid soaps are back with a vengeance, to the delight of our skin. Choose cold-saponified soaps, as the oils used to make them are not overheated, which maintains their properties.

Naturally rich in moisturising glycerine, they are gentle on the skin. The list of ingredients is necessarily short, which limits the risk of allergies. What's more, they are surgras, meaning they are enriched with softening plant oils. They are totally biodegradable and have no impact on the environment (yes, we also have to think about what we put into the water when we wash...).

There are many artisan soap-makers, so you're bound to find one near you. You can find these soaps in bulk to keep waste to a minimum. Goodbye shower gel bottles piling up on the edge of the bath... And make no mistake, these soaps have nothing to do with the industrial bars of soap that have long been (and still are...) available on the market.

To make cold process soap, you mix a fatty substance with caustic soda. A chemical reaction known as saponification produces soap and glycerine. Glycerine is interesting because it is a humectant, i.e. it retains water from the skin and ambient air to maintain surface hydration. It counteracts the drying effect of soap.

9- I adopt washable and reusable solutions

I'm replacing my disposable cotton pads with washable make-up remover squares. Whether they're made from cotton, bamboo or eucalyptus, you're bound to find what you're looking for. These fabric squares last for several years and are more effective than ordinary disposable cotton, which frays on the first use. You can wash them by hand or add them to your weekly washing machines. If you're the sewing type, you can even make your own.

Forget disposable cotton buds, which are one of the most common types of waste to be found on our beaches. Instead, opt for eco-friendly ear plugs made from bamboo or metal. They can be reused for life and, unlike conventional cotton buds, they prevent the formation of plugs. 

When it comes to sanitary protection, there are two environmentally-friendly solutions: the menstrual cup and washable pads. Either way, they'll save you from generating waste and, be warned, they're a lot easier to use than they look. 

You can also switch to compostable bamboo toothbrushes or ones with refillable heads. Why throw away a plastic toothbrush every three months when there are eco-friendly alternatives? The same goes for razors: bye-bye plastic and hello sustainable razors with refillable blades.

10- In the end, I keep only the essentials

Once you've sorted through your products, understood what your skin really needs, changed a few habits and learnt how to use natural products, all that's left is to keep the essentials! Here's the list of cosmetics for a minimalist bathroom:

• a face and body soap
• a dry oil to remove make-up + a body oil + an eye contour cream
• a fatty oil or butter for rough areas, lips or hair oil baths
• a hydrolate as a toner and for make-up removal
• a toothpaste
• a deodorant
• a shampoo
• conditioner or aloe vera gel to detangle long hair
• preferably a homemade face cream (you can also apply it to the body for its moisturising properties)
• if necessary, a few make-up products: powder concealer, mineral powder for the complexion, blush for a healthy glow, mascara for doe eyes and lipstick for a little pep!

Of course, don't forget to indulge yourself from time to time, because that's what cosmetics is all about. Allow yourself a few indulgences without feeling guilty, because it's nothing serious. Keep in mind that perfection doesn't exist, or perhaps behind a Tiktok or Snap filter!