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Beauty / Skin Care
By Sophie Shaw, CNN Underscored
Published 4:38 PM EDT, Thu April 18, 2024
What's in this guide
- What are zero-waste beauty products?
- How can I identify if a beauty product is zero waste?
- Best zero-waste beauty products
Your vanity is likely filled with bottles, jars and tubes of beauty products. And eventually, those containers get thrown away (or, hopefully, recycled). But what if you didn’t have to worry about any beauty-related garbage? That’s where zero-waste beauty products come in.
What are zero-waste beauty products?
It’s impossible to create a product without creating waste, but beauty brands are working to ensure the final product that reaches the customer can be used without leaving a trace. These zero-waste skin care, hair care and other beauty products cut back on packaging, whether it be making the outer box 100% recyclable, compostable or biodegradable, and sometimes they completely forgo any inner packaging too. This means they don’t use jars, bottles or other containers, and the product itself is completely usable, like a bar of soap. When you’re finished with the product, there’s nothing left to even throw away.
While it’s become more common for brands to label products as zero waste as a marketing tactic (a form of greenwashing), it’s important to hold brands accountable and look at how their actions support the label on the box.
“Zero waste in beauty isn’t just about creating products that don’t contribute to landfill; it encompasses a comprehensive approach from the cultivation of ingredients, through production processes, to the shipping methods employed,” says JustineKahn, an esthetician, an herbalist and the founder ofBotnia skin care.
Companies that prioritize zero-waste initiatives don’t only use recyclable materials; they also try to reduce carbon emissions and their overall environmental footprint. For instance, take Botnia’s zero-waste approach: “Our production processes are designed to minimize waste by utilizing energy-efficient methods and reducing resource use, ensuring any waste generated is either compostable or recyclable,” Kahn says. “Even our shipping department adheres to sustainable practices, using recyclable packaging and minimizing the carbon footprint of transportation. Our approach to skin care is rooted in the philosophy of ‘slow skin care,’ which emphasizes quality over speed, mindful production and deeper consideration of ecological and human wellness.”
How can I identify if a beauty product is zero waste?
“Zero waste is such a tricky term because there really isn’t any such thing — every item produced, even incredibly responsibly, is going to create some waste,” says Ashlee Piper, sustainability expert and author of “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.”
That said, consumers can look for beauty products that use little to no packaging, or only recyclable or compostable packaging. “Specifically, search for products that come in compostable cardboard boxes, which can break down naturally without leaving harmful residues,” Kahn notes.
Another tip for a zero-waste beauty routine is to avoid single-use, disposable products. For example, swapping out your regular cotton balls for reusable bamboo rounds is an easy sustainable substitution. “I believe in investing in long-standing tools that will serve you for a lifetime,” Piper says.
Best zero-waste beauty products
Expert Recommended
This expert-recommended solid body lotion melts into the skin, moisturizing with just seven natural ingredients, including cocoa butter and sweet almond oil. It comes with a reusable bamboo case to keep the bar safe.
Editor Favorite
This microcrystal exfoliating bar is great for smoothing rough, bumpy skin and even keratosis pilaris and ingrown hairs. The starter set comes with two bars and a sleek reusable ceramic soap holder and aluminum cover to extend the life of your bars. The outer packaging the set comes in is 100% recyclable paper.
Kitsch's rice water-infused shampoo bar creates a pleasant lather that cleanses the hair. We recommend getting the Bar Soap Saver Bag to go with it (it's only five bucks!), as it helps create suds while you're using it and then you can just keep the bar inside the bag and hang it up in between showers so it dries out faster. No more soapy gunk to deal with!
Piper says this a multipurpose, does-it-all product. "The bar is virtually zero waste and can be used for body, hands, dishes, washing makeup brushes, laundry (just grate it up and put it in water to create a liquid detergent or grate with baking soda and borax for a powder detergent), cleaning my home, all of it," she says. "That kind of versatility and utility is the true essence of sustainability — way more so than the flashy, unregulated marketing terms lining the shelves today."
JunkTheory exclusively uses recyclable aluminum jars and bottles for its packaging in its commitment to reduce plastic waste. This bio-based face wash features certified organic/Cosmos Certified ingredients — glycerin, betaine, aloe vera leaf juice — to cleanse and refresh the skin.
"This is one of those wildly satisfying exfoliating mitts that's been around for decades," Piper says. "I've had mine for a ridiculously long time and throw it in the wash with my regular laundry."
Kahn says these powder face masks come in "100% compostable packaging that decomposes in the time it takes a leaf to decompose." The set includes four different masks (three single-serving sachets of each) you activate with liquid.
Ethique has a whole line of shampoo and conditioner bars that target specific hair and scalp needs, from damage repair to oily scalps. The box each bar comes in is recyclable or home compostable, so the product doesn't leave a trace.
Switching to a reusable razor that will last forever is an easy sustainable swap. Piper recommends this single-blade safety razor from Leaf Shave. "I absolutely love it and I never have to buy costly blades," she says. "A packet of safety razor blades lasts me for years, and when they're spent, I just put them in a jar to be taken to the small metals recycling receptacle."
Editor Favorite
Evolvetogether is one of my favorite eco-friendly brands committed to zero-waste solutions. From plastic-free, biodegradable packaging to innovative formulas, its products are kind to the planet while feeling luxurious. This cardamom-and-wood-scented exfoliating bar is one of the brand's newest launches. It's made in the USA, it's vegan and it will help you ditch the loofah.
A $42 bar of soap may sound pricey, but Flamingo Estate hand-makes its soap with responsibly sourced ingredients (some of which come from the brand's own gardens), so you're paying for a labor of love. The bar is also huge — it lasts for months, and we recommend cutting it into smaller chunks for an easier grip.
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Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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