eco-luxury…. really ?
Traditionally luxury and eco are words at opposite ends of the lexicon. Luxury with its concepts of opulence, extravagance and excess, often a way of marking yourself out from the crowd.
While eco, conjuring up inferior quality, abstinence and abstemiousness, ‘brown paper and hair shirts’ all for the sake of our environment.
But increasingly, there is a word combining both – that of eco-luxury.
Many people want both – and suppliers, seeing the demand for both, are crafting the products and experiences to provide them.
But first let’s define eco-luxury.
Eco luxury is a term used to describe commodities and lifestyle events that combine the elements of luxury with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. It represents a significant shift in the way we perceive and appreciate opulence. While traditional luxury has often been associated with conspicuous consumption, showcasing wealth and abundance, eco-luxury places emphasis on responsible, sustainable, and eco-friendly choices while maintaining the concept of a high-quality product or service.
What does this mean in practice? Eco-luxury can manifest itself in various ways as many businesses have realised there is a demand for high quality combined with sustainability.
The appeal and rise of eco-luxury can be attributed to several factors. First and foremost, there is an increasing global awareness of climate change and environmental issues. Consumers are becoming more conscious of their choices, wanting to align their values with the brands that mirror those values. Eco-luxury products allow them to indulge in luxury while staying true to their environmental convictions.
Furthermore, eco-luxury often emphasises craftsmanship and quality. Sustainable materials and ethical production methods are hallmarks of many eco-luxury brands. This ensures that the product is not only environmentally friendly but also of high quality. Consumers are willing to pay a premium (where they can) for products that are built to last and are made with care and attention to detail.
But let’s not get too carried away, any purchase, any ‘thing’, any mode of transport is a negative for our environment. The best way to be truly eco conscious is to ask the question ‘do I really need this product and/or, do I really need to travel from A to B?’ That way, we will, in time, slowly reduce our consumption.
We can take this question to extremes; there is an article out there concerned with balancing how eco conscious you are by riding a bike (fuelling yourself with meat / plant based diet), as opposed using public transport. (fuelled by hydrocarbons / renewables). Personally I call this splitting hairs, both are better than getting in your car or personal jet!
Ultimately, being alive is resource intensive and I’m definelty not arguing against being alive!
But cutting back is difficult to do – shops are built on consumerism and place items that you thought you never needed or wanted right in your way – making it very difficult to move past without putting them in your basket – who doesn’t love Aldi’s middle aisle? (written without irony I promise) – I get it, we live in a consumer based society.
However, there is a middle answer.
Here, at An’du, we regard ourselves fortunate to be selling a product that most people regard as a necessity. There are some who never wash their hair… ‘the no ‘poo method’ of which you can find proponents on the web!
But for most of us washing our hair is a given. So for an eco-luxury hair care experience to occur, we must feel that we have not only helped the environment but also received a wash that is as good, if not better than a luxury liquid shampoo.
Our solid, hair-care bars not only eliminate the need for plastic packaging, but contain some of the most eco-friendly surfactants on the planet. They are also UK made. Our packaging only contains vegetable dyes allowing them to be composted. Our bars offer a pampering experience, making them a prime example of an eco-luxury experience.
Furthermore they are pH balanced, sulphate, silicone and petrochemical free. They produce a gentle wash both on the hair and scalp. There is no stripping of scalp oils and no silicone build up. They smell divine.
Our fermented ingredients contain post biotics which have been clinically proven to help support the scalp microbiome.
So what are the challenges to eco-luxury?
There are some proponents who link luxury with exclusivity, limited access for a select few. I understand that Canouan, a Caribbean Island is renowned for relieving billionaires the stress of rubbing shoulders with millionaires. This is the way of the capitalist world. I’m not here to argue the ethics or morals of this. I do believe however that true sustainability should be accessible to all – a concept at odds with the values of extreme exclusivity. Let’s just go with John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’.
There is also the challenge of ‘green washing’, where brands claim to be eco-friendly without substantiating their claims with actual reality. This can lead to consumer scepticism and make it difficult for a genuinely eco- conscious brand to stand out. It is also more time consuming for the conscious customer to research a product to ensure their values align. However, I would counter argue that over time, as true eco brands keep on shouting their credentials, displaying them clearly on their web sites with valid certification and genuine recommendations, then people come to know and trust eco-lux providers.
By providing a luxurious experience without compromising on sustainability, without polluting the planet, we demonstrate that it is possible to redefine luxury – Canouan island notwithstanding.
In this evolving landscape of consumer preference and environmental concerns, the concept of eco-luxury is gaining momentum. It represents a fundamental shift in the way we think about luxury, with a focus on sustainability and responsible consumption without the compromise.
Let’s not forget that life is not always black and white, we even promote our bar as a great way to travel – should we be caveating that with ‘ should you be travelling in the first place ?’
We recognise that no one is perfect and there is no silver bullet to get us out of our climate and environmental crises.
But we also feel strongly, that while there is no single answer and as a country, we do need legislation to make it a level playing field, if we all started to change just one thing in our lifestyle then we can and will evoke change.
We at An’du proudly feel that we are at the forefront of eco-luxury – we have both the environmental plastic free credentials as well as our bars giving you beautiful soft shiny hair with a healthy scalp to boot.
As more businesses and consumers embrace eco-luxury, we may find that opulence and sustainability can coexist harmoniously, offering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all.