Makeup, cosmetics and beauty products are now billion-dollar industries. 

Yet the behavior and whims of customers are still the most powerful force in the market. 

What products you buy and what brands you patronize can change how the industry works. More importantly, it can improve your health and even make the environment a little better.

But why does buying natural preservatives for cosmetics, reusing old makeup and being discerning matter?

Learn how your choices when buying cosmetics and beauty products can affect your health and the environment. This information can help you make better decisions and look more wonderful in the process.

Buying a tub of body scrub infused with papaya may not seem like such a luxurious expenditure, but every beauty product you purchase can add up. According to one estimate, the average woman may spend almost $40 on makeup and cosmetics every month.

The cost doesn't seem like a lot, but it can add up to spending more than $15,000 on beauty products during their entire lifetime. The amount changes on the woman's attitude toward makeup and their spending limits. This can still mean that you could be spending thousands of dollars you could be putting into other endeavors.

Every country has different health and safety standards that control what can and cannot be incorporated into beauty products. Some countries have stellar reputations and highly regulated beauty industries while others do not have the same level of distinction. For example, in the United States, the Food and Drug Authority only restricts the use of 11 chemicals from use in cosmetic products. Meanwhile, in the European Union, over 1,300 chemicals are banned from use in makeup and beauty products. Buying the wrong makeup can mean exposure to toxins and other harmful substances.

The makeup industry is a multi-billion dollar business and that means it has countless factories and similar dedicated companies. Producing the stick of lipstick that's sitting unused in your dresser drawer could have unleashed countless chemicals and other pollutants into the environment. According to research, cosmetic and beauty products are now one of the most prevalent environmental pollutants. Buying cosmetics from the right company can help reduce these emissions and improve the environment.

What Can You Do?

It may seem like your purchases may not be able to change these things, but you couldn't be more wrong. The makeup and cosmetics you buy can affect your health, your looks and the environment. If you are concerned over these things, there are several things that you can do to change the way you live. These small changes in attitude and practices can add up and help you live a better, healthier life if you persist.

How much do you know about the makeup you put on your face every morning? Do you know how they're made? Where they're being manufactured? Have you researched the ingredients that goes into them and what it takes to extract them? Doing your research not just on the makeup and cosmetics you're buying but also on the company that's making them can be enlightening and help you make better decisions.

For example, if you buy makeup imported from Europe, you can rest assured that it won't have the chemicals that might be present in their counterparts from the United States. This can mean the difference between developing an unsightly skin blemish and looking wonderful for a long time.

Sometimes people buy makeup when they still have perfectly usable purchases back at home. For example, there are plenty of ways to coax all the blush from a powder compact. There are plenty of useful hacks that can show you how to ensure you use up all your lipstick, make the most out of your liquid eyeliner and so on.

Do you tend to go on shopping sprees involving beauty products? How often do you go about a pharmacy and end up leaving with a new makeup palette and several lipsticks? If you impulsively buy makeup and beauty products, you could be spending way too much on these products. Always make a careful inventory of exactly what makeup and cosmetics you already own. This can prevent you from buying duplicate products and could decrease your monthly spending. It also prevents needless consumption that harms the environment.

Makeup and beauty products are often dismissed as trivial, but these have far-ranging effects not just on your appearance but also on your health and the environment. Making the right decisions and following responsible practices can help you make correct choices.