When you first hear the term "single-use," it obviously seems wasteful, at least on paper. While it's no secret that modern life leads to significant waste, certain scenarios demand a product that can only be used once. As painful as it may be to contribute to our ever-growing landfills, the cost of business typically leads to some form of waste.
Specifically for spas and salons, this leads to two questions: do you have to use single-use products, and how environmentally friendly are the single-use products you're using?
Single-Use Products: The Why
We can answer the first question emphatically: yes, spas and salons must use single-use products. The reasons extend far beyond convenience. For example, consider the handful of treatments that demand sanitation and hygiene: facials, wax jobs, manicures/pedicures. Much like a visit to a doctor's office, certain products should only be used once simply to promote good health. Even if there was a way to clean some of these single-use products, it's important to consider the amount of water that would be used to make this a realistic endeavor. Most clients, no matter how environmentally conscious they are, demand that sanitary options be used for treatments.
Single-Use Products: More Whys
We mentioned convenience earlier, and while it takes a back seat to hygiene as to why single-use spa and salon products are a necessity, it's certainly a compelling argument. Most spas and salons treat a high volume of clients on a daily basis, so convenience and efficiency go hand-in-hand. This is also why many spa owners and estheticians utilize do-it-all types of products that have more versatility than others. A good example is cleansing towels; they can be used for pre-facial or pre-waxing prep, to sooth and moisturize the skin after treatments, or even for makeup removal. Some estheticians even use them to clean their work spaces. Ultimately, convenience and versatility are important traits of single-use products.
Single-Use Products: The Good News
Some of the hand-wringing over single-use products is unnecessary when you consider what many of them are made of, which is 100% cotton. From rolls to wipes to towels, most reputable spas rely on cotton products day in and day out to meet their clients' needs. This takes away much of the guilt you might feel for throwing them away once they've been used. 100% cotton products are completely compostable, making them a far more sustainable solution than products made of other materials or fibers.
Ultimately, "Single-Use" Is Not a Dirty Word
Since single-use products are considered critical to good hygiene, and the cotton options serve as an environmentally friendly solution, they are much more than a "necessary evil." They are an integral part of a spa or salon's business, and it's hard to imagine how spas and salons could be successful without them. So when you hear the term "single-use," never shudder. Based on the traits we've discussed here today, it's obvious that estheticians depend on them for good reason, and, in the case of products made from 100% cotton, can use them knowing they won't sit in landfills for years to come.
