Looking for beauty brands that prioritize sustainability? Check out our list of top zero-waste beauty brands that are making a difference for the environment. From packaging to ingredients, these brands are committed to reducing their environmental footprint and promoting a circular economy.
We need to talk! We need to talk about the Waste generated by Beauty brands and Makeup products. We need to talk about the impact they have on our planet. We need to talk about zero waste beauty brands and we need to take a serious look at beauty brands that are plastic-free. Here’s why.
Everyone is sure to come across makeup ads as a guaranteed constant in their daily life. We can see them on advertisement boards, on our television and even in our magazines.
We can say with certainty that almost everyone owns makeup or a cosmetic product, no matter how few, or how many. Makeup helps you look your best, it boosts confidence, helps one feel more comfortable in your own skin, and so much more.
Makeup is perhaps one of the most used commodities available in the market. Every year billions of dollars of makeup are purchased and applied by people cutting across genders. Although it is alright to keep affordability as a priority while making a purchase. But at the same time, we also need to be aware of the environmental impact that makeup has on mother Earth.
But underneath all the vibrant colors, the glitz and the glamour, there’s an ugly side to the beauty industry.
For the uninitiated, packaging can take up to hundreds of years to break down in a landfill, which is quite risky. Moreover, it is also important to look for the kind of ingredients used in these products and ensure that they are free from any carcinogenic elements.
The beauty industry creates 120 billion units of non-biodegradable packaging waste every year. Here are some ways it pollutes the environment and damage our health.
Packaging: As we all are aware by now, the cosmetic and skincare industry is well known for its use of plastic for packaging. As plastic waste can take hundreds, even thousands of years to decompose, the longer this waste remains in a landfill, the more it puts animals at risk of consuming it or becoming entangled, resulting in serious injury or even death.
The ingredients: The plastics from landfills can make their way to the water. When waste enters drains into rivers, lakes and the sea, the toxins pollute the area.
The core ingredients found in beauty products are BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). Both these ingredients are known to negatively impact sea-borne creatures, leading to their slow death and are even thought to be linked to deadly genetic mutations.
However, although all this information is negative, the beauty industry has acknowledged the problem and is slowly but surely working to reduce the environmental impact.
It’s never been easier to be a conscious cosmetics consumer
Zero waste makeup brands are on the rise as people become more and more focused on reducing their environmental impact. From zero-waste makeup to skincare, these brands offer a wide range of zero-waste beauty products that help limit the beauty industry’s contribution to our growing landfills.
This includes zero waste skincare brands moving toward plastic-free packaging and embracing reusable materials like glass and metal. Giving a whole new meaning to organic, these zero-waste beauty brands are also utilizing compostable and biodegradable materials in their packagings such as paper and bamboo.
The Refillable Renaissance: Zero Waste Beauty Brands
The best zero-waste beauty brands take a more holistic approach to sustainability, with many brands offering refillable products, and recycled packaging, as well as supporting fair trade practices. Regardless of their particular focus, all of these sustainable beauty brands are working to make a difference in the beauty industry and help make going green a little easier for everyone.
Zero-waste is a term given to products that don’t require plastic or wasteful practices to produce them. It was originally just used by corporations and the industry sector, but as individuals sought to minimize their own footprints, they started using it too to target plastic use.
While it’s rare that anything could be truly zero-waste, the term encompasses other terms like “low-waste” and “plastic-free”- terms that describe products that have packaging but are made with as little plastic or waste as possible.
What is Zero Waste Makeup?
Zero waste can also refer to lifestyle changes like shopping at thrift shops rather than purchasing new clothing or furniture.
Zero waste beauty lets us go green and glam while keeping the planet pretty and plastic-free, all at the same time.
Zero-waste beauty products are products that fall in line with the zero-waste movement. They can come in glass, aluminum, or compostable packaging. They can also come in packaging that is made of recycled products (like ocean plastic). They are generally made by sustainable beauty brands who prioritize the planet in all of their products, but there are instances of big-brand companies making a few zero-waste beauty products amongst the plethora of their plastic-bottled ones.
Now that cosmetic companies and consumers are becoming aware of the industry’s environmental problems, more alternatives are being produced.
Zero-waste makeup is being created by major brands in the cosmetic industry, as well as smaller independent brands. In simple terms, zero-waste makeup is products that priorities recyclable and minimalism packaging.
Zero waste is achieved in a variety of ways when creating makeup products, including refillable packaging and eco-friendly ingredients.
Why Go Zero-Waste With Makeup?
Zero-waste makeup is hugely helpful to the environment and even to consumers themselves. Here are some ways that zero waste makeup and lifestyles are beneficial.
It helps the environment
As we have mentioned, standard cosmetic products are made without the environment at the forefront of production.
Now zero waste makeup is on the rise, the products are dedicated to encouraging eco-friendly lifestyles and reducing the amount of waste the cosmetic industry creates.
As these products are recyclable and offer refills to consumers, it means that people have the option to buy the product individually rather than as a package.
It Helps You Save Some Bucks
As well as saving the environment, you could start to save some money. If you’re buying refills instead of the entire product again, the price tag will be a little lower.
Zero-waste products don’t contain a smaller amount of makeup; in fact, you will probably receive more for your money due to how long the items will last.
It Can Help You Become a Conscious Shopper
As zero-waste makeup products are not widely available in high street stores yet, you have to undertake a good amount of research before purchasing.
By doing research and not just impulsively buying products, you can consider whether you actually need them and whether you could save money in the long run.
You Can Help Small Businesses!
As we mentioned before, many retail giants are not yet stocking a good amount of zero-waste makeup products. However, smaller businesses that revolve their whole production around the environment and waste reduction have a plethora of products for you to choose from.
A lot of smaller zero-waste businesses advertise and sell their products on Etsy. If you search “zero waste makeup” on the Etsy site, you are sure to find many small businesses that have products to suit you.
It’s the Beginning of Your Zero-Waste Journey
By making small swaps in your everyday routine, you start to contribute to a zero-waste lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that you have to go completely to zero waste in one day. Small switches make a big impact in the grand scheme of helping the environment.
This article will delve into the impact cosmetic products have on the environment and how to switch to zero-waste makeup.
Which is the most ethical beauty brand?
Before we look at the various zero waste makeup brands, we need to discuss the criteria we used to zero-in and get you the top Eco-friendly beauty brands:
According to us the ideal eco-friendly beauty brand has to be:
Plastic-Free: We only featured brands that utilize little to no plastic in their beauty product packaging.
All-Natural: We selected zero-waste makeup brands that used primarily natural ingredients that are free of any toxins in their manufacturing process.
Cruelty-Free: We selected brands that included a cruelty-free philosophy without sacrificing the quality.
There are a few simple things you can do to make your makeup routine more sustainable and less wasteful:
Look for compostable packaging: Some zero-waste makeup brands use compostable packaging, which means the packaging can be broken down and used as fertilizer after it’s been used. Look for this type of packaging when making your purchase.
Look for refillable makeup: Many zero-waste makeup brands offer refillable products, which means you can keep using the same packaging over and over again. This helps reduce waste and save you money in the long run.
Choose multipurpose makeup: Another way to reduce waste is to choose makeup that can be used for more than one purpose. For instance, instead of buying a lip tint, blush, and eye shadow, find 3-in-1 makeup that can multitask.
15 Plastic-Free Beauty Brands That are Doing Zero-Waste the Right Way
Axiology
On top of our list for beauty brands that are plastic-free is Axiology. Started in 2013 with a line of Vegan lipsticks by Ericka in her “tiny” kitchen, Axiology is a plastic-free, vegan beauty company. Running an eco-friendly beauty brands company was never really in Erica’s plans. But after she learned that all of her makeup was being tested on animals, she decided to start making her own eco-friendly beauty products by watching YouTube videos and reading DIY books!
One of the prominent zero-waste skincare brands, Axiology is a planet-friendly and vegan colour cosmetics brand. The products are made with 10 ingredients or less. Axiology uses hand-picked, nourishing ingredients including kokum butter and coconut oil which give their lipsticks, crayons, and multi-sticks their super silky, buttery texture. Available in colours that range from sheer and luminous pinks to bold and rich burgundies.
But wait there is more! All of Axiology’s packaging boxes are made from washed up island trash and are 100% recyclable. Before launching Axiology, the founder Ericka lived in Bali and witnessed first hand, the pollution on the beaches. It was then that she decided to partner with an a local women’s cooperative that turns Bali’s paper trash into beautiful packaging material. And that’s something else which is amazing about this company. Through their collaboration with the cooperative they provide stable work and fair wages for the local women from underprivileged communities, while also removing trash pollution from the island.Elate Cosmetics
Focusing specifically on face, lip and eye makeup next on our list of zero waste makeup brands is Elate cosmetics. The company believes in the philosophy that their customers deserve to feel beautiful just the way they are—with or without makeup. Its vision is to embrace diversity in the beauty industry, to enhance confidence, reduce wastage and change the world.
Elate products come with a range of certifications including B-corp, leaping bunnies and PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies just to be extra sure. This ensures that Elate’s range of products comes with only with the most ethical ingredients, sustainable packaging and above all responsible marketing.
And as for your beauty bag? We think less is more, especially with 30% of all waste accredited to cosmetics. Curating a capsule of beloved, reusable, and recyclable products not only saves you the energy and money of cluttering your cosmetics case with lipsticks you’ll never wear, it saves landfills from unnecessary waste. If you ask us, intention makes for elation.
Operations ~75% waste free Bamboo, glass, aluminum + seed paper packaging with some recyclable plastic 2% of sales is donated to social + environmental causes Vegan, cruelty-free + gluten-free
Dab Herb Makeup
Founded on the basis of Nature to Nurture philosophy, Dab Herb Makeup and Skin Care holds itself to a high standards of holistic approach and sustainable operations. It involves skin care and makeup where beauty and self care are inseparable from transparency and wellness.
If you’ve come in pursuit of your best skin, then you’ve found a friend in us. Gone are the days of our woes over sensitive skin and chemical-ridden cosmetics. Using the best of food-grade, cruelty-free, certified organic, and vegan ingredients available to us, each of our products are handmade with quality and purity in mind. Dubbed “medicinal makeup” by many, our botanical makeup and skin care uses high-performance essential oil infusions to promote healing and radiance from within.
Dab has evolved from the day its creator, Crissy, first made organic makeup for her love of clean beauty and wellness and with the intent to simply give. Our brand has since become an advocacy towards creating a community where sustainable beauty and living can flourish. It brings us utmost happiness to create products that not only enhances your beauty but brings the same satisfaction to women and men of all ages, skin types and conditions, and colors.
Clean-Faced Cosmetics Beauty
Clean-Faced Cosmetics is another no waste beauty brand with thousands of raving reviews.
They specialize in a variety of products like tinted lip balm, natural eye shadow, a mascara that doubles as eyeliner, primer powders, and zero waste foundation (with custom skin-tone matching options).
Founded by Laura straight out of Michigan, Clean Faced Cosmetics makes some of the best zero waste beauty products in the USA that are palm oil-free, vegan, cruelty free, and as organic as possible. Laura and I love formulating vegan, zero waste, Eco friendly makeup. I do not charge anything with crystals. I do not infuse anything with unicorn tears under the full moon. I do not claim that any of my offerings will cure you of any or all of your current problems/life issues/ailments. I just make really good makeup that won’t hurt your skin or the environment.
Some custom skin-tone matched foundations they have use Yellow No. 5 FD&C Lake and Red No. 40. Upon request, they’ll omit these synthetic colors.
All product packaging is biodegradable or reusable (like their metal palates, bamboo applicators, and organic cotton storage bags).
That’s paired with labels printed on recycled paper with Eco-friendly ink.
Flavedo and Albedo
If we could describe Flavedo & Albedo in two words they would be vibrant and playful. This zero-waste beauty brand isn’t just about helping to limit the beauty industry’s impact on the environment, but the team has set out to transform makeup into a fun, creative outlet – not just a way to conceal “imperfections.” From concealer to eyeshadows and beyond, the brand’s quality zero-waste makeup is 100% plastic-free with beauty products packaged in aluminum, glass, and sustainable timber. This collection of makeup will bring out your inner extravert with bold colors, shimmering finishes, and metallics that make a statement.
To further limit the brand’s environmental impact, they periodically offer an “Imperfect Picks” sale where customers can purchase slightly damaged makeup at a 60% discount on a first-come, first-serve basis. Typically, makeup companies will discard makeup that has slight imperfections which simply adds more plastic to our landfills. Now, Flavedo & Albedo is setting a new precedent that slightly flawed makeup doesn’t have to mean a trip to the landfill.
Rivers organics
Makeup bags around the world are filled with single use plastic containers. And every year, the cosmetics industry produces at least 120 billion more. Most of those pumps, custom bottles, lids and palettes aren’t or can’t be recycled.
This makes the cosmetics industry one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste.
We’re here because we wanted to reconcile our love of makeup and our plastic landfill anxiety.
Our quality formulations are packaged in aluminum, glass and sustainable timber. With zero plastic, anywhere. No tubs, no lids, no seals, no nothing.
We work closely with all our suppliers to remove plastic from our supply chain.
We’re constantly working on new, sustainable products.
Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this zero-waste beauty brand focuses on making all-natural beauty products for all skin types in plastic-free packaging. Inspired by the beauty rituals spanning Italy to the Middle East, River Organics was conceptualized by a husband-wife duo who wanted to bring these natural skincare rituals rooted in nourishing oils to the international beauty market.
From makeup to skincare, all products are thoughtfully packaged in fully compostable paper tubes. Even the product labels are made from fully compostable sugar cane.
Zerra & Co.
Handcrafted in Baltimore, Zerra & Co beauty products are not only zero-waste and plastic-free, they only feature effective, non-toxic ingredients. The brand has also worked to ensure carbon-neutral shipping, and it even has a container return program where you can return any glass or metal containers with the lid for store credit.
Zerra & Co offers everything from makeup such as mascara, eye shadow, and lip tint to skincare including face wash, face oil, and lotions – all with stellar reviews. The best part? Refills. Products such as their eye shadow, blush, and lotion all offer refills to limit waste.
This brand offers zero-waste, refillable makeup that is handcrafted with intentional, all-natural ingredients that can be explored in-depth with the brand’s ingredients library. The brand also offers store credit for returned containers.
Made from natural ingredients free from petroleum, and palettes made from stiff and sturdy paperboard that can be returned to be repurposed, Zerra & Co rejects single use plastics and limits plastic in packaging as much as possible. Shipped carbon neutral and in 100% recyclable and compostable materials — including the tape! — Zerra & Co even watches single use plastic usage in the lab, preferring suppliers who do the same.
As if fun bright eyelines weren’t hard enough to find in the standard beauty scene, it can seem next to impossible to find them in the zero waste makeup space. Zerra & Co said no longer! Shipped in cute little glass jars, you can find liquid eyeliner in a bright Pacific Blue, a neon orange called Creamsicle and a vibrant red/pink labeled Hibiscus.
If this is right up your alley then also know they have a biodegradable body glitter. Part of a limited summer 2021 edition, snag these hot girl summer essentials ASAP.
Nudi Goods
After living plastic free for almost a year, Nudi Goods creator Jaime, found makeup to be the most difficult zero waste product to find. As a certified California Naturalist, she saw firsthand the effect of plastic waste in our oceans and decided to create a zero waste makeup company — completely plastic free.
Switching out your essentials has never been easier. Packaged 100% plastic free in either biodegradable/compostable paper, glass, or tin containers, you can check saving the planet off your list of things to do today.
Nudi Goods encourages you to reuse old mascara spoolies and eyeshadow applicators (washed of course), but should you be in desperate need of new ones, they have sponges, brushes, and spoolies available with end of life instructions.
Nudi Goods started in a cabin in the Marin Headlands in 2017 where scientists, researchers, interns, and students live while studying and working with marine mammals. Nudi Goods’ founder started developing plastic-free goods as a creative outlet while working for a wildlife hospital and ocean conservation nonprofit. After living plastic-free for a year and nearing zero waste living, she found it difficult to find alternatives to certain products, even in the most environmentally conscious area of the United States.
Nudi Goods believes in ocean friendly, plastic-free living inspired by our natural world and accessible to all. Nudi products are made with love, plastic-free packaging, and very few ingredients for a simple, honest approach to undefined beauty. While Nudi Goods is a small business, it’s growing due to a demand for truly environmentally responsible products and the desire to vote with our wallet, even if on a small scale. Larger companies will only follow suit and adhere to customer demands when smaller businesses take the risk first and prove it’s worthwhile – if nothing else, Nudi Goods aims to take the risk for creating a new normal for our planet.
Izzy
Forget the guilt of throwing away a tube of mascara. Brand new as of Spring 2021, Izzy mascara is the first zero waste and carbon neutral mascara. Made in medical-grade stainless steel tubes, with no outer packaging, Izzy is designed to be cleaned and refilled basically infinitely.
A leader in the zero waste makeup industry, the only plastic found on Izzy is in the wiper and brush which is reground and recycled at the facility when returned.
In production, the water used during the cleaning process is reused and keeping their manufacturing process close means an Izzy has about a 78% lower carbon footprint after 25 refills than the industry standard. As most things that get better with age, the more the mascaras are used, returned, and refilled, the smaller Izzy’s carbon footprint over time.
You’ll receive a sterilized and refilled mascara + a reusable mailer to send back your empty every 3 months with their membership program to ensure you never run out of your new favorite zero waste makeup product.
Infinite refills are no longer a pipe dream when it comes to designing a low-waste makeup routine. Izzy is a zero-waste beauty brand offering refillable mascara, lip gloss, and brow gel that is 100% organic, cruelty-free, and also carbon neutral.
Made in medical-grade stainless steel tubes, Izzy mascara is designed to be cleaned and reused time and time again. After about 25 refills, Izzy’s carbon footprint is about 78% lower than the industry standard. With their subscription program, you will receive a reusable mailer to send back your empty every three months.
Kjaer Weis
Luxury and sustainability — two things that don’t often go together have been seamlessly blended in Kjaer Weis’ products. This brand makes it on the zero waste makeup list for their commitment to sustainability since inception.
The first luxury beauty brand to start refillable packaging, refilling your palette means you can not only choose your own shades and customize your collection but also choose the actual palette material.
Options include a reusable sleek metal exterior or a lacquered leather look which can also be reused, recycled, or composted at the end of its life.
Packaging and shipping materials are 100% recyclable and compostable, printed with water-based ink. In summer 2021 they are introducing 100% recyclable shipping boxes & materials and smaller orders will come in envelopes to help reduce carbon emissions.
Simple but not plain. Beautiful but always genuine. We love when things are done right, made right, and are built to last. In clothes we buy, in the food we eat, we are now able to be conscious about the products we use without having to compromise for quality. So why not beauty? Kjaer Weis is leading the movement with high-performing, luxury makeup that is, as everything should be, organic and sustainable.
Whether it’s developing a lip color based off the hue of an old tee-shirt or personally inspecting each new batch for consistency in color and texture, Kjaer Weis ensures that not only are all our ingredients Certified Natural or Certified Organic, but that they always reach the standards of luxury beauty. That means makeup that really works and works with your skin, not against it.
Eco Roots
EcoRoots curate a range of waste free beauty and skin care products, from face masks and toners to facial oils and moisturizers
Additionally, you’ll find zero waste beauty accessories such as loofah alternatives and zero waste beauty pads made of organic cotton for putting on or taking off makeup.
All products are vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic, SLS-free, mostly palm oil-free, largely organic, and of course, come in zero waste packaging.
This means either glass jars with aluminum lids or cardboard-wrapped bar.
EcoRoots hails from Colorado and like the lovely mountains of the beautiful state, they are purveyors of all things green.
In addition to selling beauty, dental, and hair products, this zero waste online store is a one-stop-shop for plastic free kitchen and bathroom essentials.
Plastic free through and through, shipping materials mean recycled cardboard boxes and compostable cornstarch packing peanuts.
As a member of 1% for the Ocean, 1% of profits go to the Ocean Conservancy to aid ocean plastic removal and restoration.
Zao Organic Makeup
Another zero waste makeup brand that recognizes the power of bamboo, Zao Organic Makeup chose to be a sustainable brand from the very beginning. Bamboo is widely used in eco-friendly products because it grows so well without fertilizers or pesticides and can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to 10-30 years for trees.
Zao bamboo grows in protected forests in China and even the powders, leaves, and oil extracted from the bamboo plant are used in their products.
At the heart of their products is the option for refillable packaging. Refillable packaging reduces waste and packaging, while giving you the freedom to choose your own colors not bound to a previously created palette.
Besame
Sustainability has gained traction in recent decades, but at Bésame, it’s been elemental to our brand since day one. We continue to operate at the forefront of sustainable beauty, not only educating ourselves in the latest practices, but also leading the industry and our customers in doing the same. For more than 17 years, we have been committed to sustainable packaging with our best-selling products: from reusable tins for our Cake Mascara to and biodegradable paper envelopes to refillable metal keepsake compacts and our signature aluminum lipstick tubes. Our team constantly evolves to provide new innovative solutions to counter wastefulness in beauty retail, and we will continue to set an example for the industry.
Bésame Cosmetics has always focused on creating long-wearing, deluxe formulas that function for both beauty and skincare – even for those with sensitive skin. Our beauty essentials are always free from harsh chemicals, parabens, mineral oils and gluten, and we have always been and will always be 100% cruelty-free. Each and every product we create is carefully curated to meet our founder’s impeccable standards and suit every skin type. With rigorous testing – but never on animals – we create and deliver clean beauty products that you can feel great about wearing every day.
Tata Harper
A pioneer in natural luxury skincare, Tata couldn’t find 100% natural products that were up to her impeccable standards of efficacy, quality, and purity. So she started Tata Harper Skincare to make them – for herself, and for women like her who refuse to risk their health for beauty. If she doesn’t feel that a product is perfect, we won’t launch it.
I couldn’t find anything that was effective, made of high-quality ingredients, and pleasant to use. I knew if I was looking for results without worrying about my safety, other women must be too, so I decided to create my own.
Ethique
Ethique is a 100% plastic free beauty brand from New Zealand daring consumers to #giveupthebottle.
Across the whole natural product line, they’re palm oil-free, vegan, natural, cruelty free, and nasties (i.e. SLS, phthalates, parabens, etc) free.
The company as a whole is certified climate-neutral and a B-Corp, and donates either 2% of yearly revenue or 20% of profit (whichever is higher) to charity.
According to the owner she started started Ethique out of frustration for the abhorrent amount of waste created by the cosmetics industry, and in particular, the amount of plastic and waste created by the bathroom essentials.
I figured out that up to 95% of your bottle of conditioner is made up of water – which is just ridiculous considering you have water in your bathroom! I have always been deeply passionate about the environment and science and so I set about learning cosmetic chemistry (I was completing my Bachelor of Science at university at the time), and looked to formulate a solid shampoo. I figured that switching to a solid product would be the answer not only to the water waste issue, but also plastic waste”.
This post first appeared on Find Eco-friendly Alternatives That You Can Trust, please read the originial post: here
