Candour: the quality of being open and honest; frankness.
I started this project after learning about Ama culture in Japan, a group of freediving grandmothers who have maintained sustainable practices for generations. They commented on the state of the environment, and how they can feel the effects first hand. I came to the realisation that we (Singaporeans) are not as in touch with nature as we used to be, and because of that, we are largely apathetic about the environmental impacts of the products we buy and use on a daily basis.
Often, people forget/don’t realise that by turning our backs on the environment, it will eventually come back to us. By continuing to purchase single-use plastic products, the toxins from the plastic enter the oceans and affect marine life, and will eventually enter our bodies through the food we eat or water we drink.
I wanted to encourage consumers to take control of their purchasing habits, ask questions about the products they use, and hold themselves accountable to the things they put in and on their bodies, and in the oceans.
AIMS OF PROJECT
- To create fuss-free ways for the public to be ethical consumers, living sustainably and responsibly
- To take steps towards making sustainability the norm
METHODOLOGY
- Raising awareness
An illustrated brochure on ethical consumerism, being aware of what you buy,
and why this matters to all of us - Providing an alternative
Packaging design concept for DIY beauty product kits - Cementing the mindset
A website that cultivates an online community for ethical consumers
DELIVERABLE #1: ILLUSTRATED BROCHURE
Click here to view the digital version of the brochure.
This is a 7 page double-sided brochure introducing the importance of being an ethical consumer, and detailing some harmful ingredients found in commercial beauty products. The aim of this brochure is to break down the content into digestable, bite-sized information, using illustrations to retain readers’ interest. Learning about the truth of the personal care industry isn’t fun, but it is important to put in the effort to learn about these things and stop turning a blind eye to what’s going on. At the end of the brochure, the closing message reads:
“We are responsible for what we put into the oceans and
our bodies. there has never been a more crucial time to
revolutionise your beauty regime than now.”
DELIVERABLE #2: DIY FACE SCRUB KIT
After learning about the harmful ingredients that are present in many mass produced personal care products, consumers would be looking for an alternative. Candour Beauty advocates for DIY beauty — it is more cost-effective, much gentler on the environment, and fully customisable to suit your personal needs. Of course, making your own skincare and makeup takes more effort than popping by the drugstore and picking up a couple of products, but the benefits of DIY beauty far outweigh the effort needed. Plus, it also gives the mind a rest from the stresses of modern life and encourages us to make things with our hands.
For the busy beauty lover working full time, Candour Beauty has put together a series of DIY beauty kits that contain everything you would need to make your own skincare and makeup. DIY beauty is made easier with these all-in-one kits.
The DIY face scrub kit (pictured above) contains:
- ingredients to make your own face scrub
- sticker labels (to label the products you make)
- Recipe suggestions
- Return form (to repurchase ingredients or kits)
- campaign stickers
The kit is plastic-free — it is wrapped in organic cotton with a handprinted pattern, inspired by the Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to transport clothes, food etc. The kit was designed to make it as easy as possible to make your own products. A card with recipe suggestions is included to help someone who might be new to the DIY beauty world. Additionally, a return form is also included in the kit, where customers can request for a repurchase of individual ingredients or consolidated kits.
The kit does not come with a container or bottle to store your handmade product, encouraging customers to repurpose a container that they might have lying around at home. However, amber glass jars would be sold separately on our website.
DELIVERABLE #3: WEBSITE
Click here to view the website.
The website serves as an online platform for people to find out more about ethical consumerism, and to purchase ingredients and kits. An online version of the informational brochure is also available on the site.
Some visuals from the site:
Concluding thoughts:
Working on the water project has made me realise just how connected we are, to each other and to the environment. As designers, we have the power and responsibility to be mindful that we’re not using resources wastefully and polluting the environment. Additionally, I hope this project helps to change mindsets like it has changed mine (or at least, opened my mind to thinking about how I can be a more ethical consumer). No one’s going to save the habitat we live in if we don’t do it ourselves.