Cruelty Free Beauty has been the most important influencer for me, when it comes to making a beauty purchase however I recently realised just how much unnecessary waste and single use plastic comes from our cosmetics.
So this year I made “Sustainable Beauty” another key factor to consider when buying any beauty products. It’s actually easier than I first thought too. Hopefully my 5 easy ways to reduce your beauty waste can help you make greener choices too.
1. Go Greener with Glass
So this one is an easy swap and the products don’t need to be more expensive because of the packaging either. Choose brands that use more sustainable packaging like glass, bamboo or metal.

The Beauty kitchen have a huge range of products and have pioneered the first RETURN • REFILL • REPEAT scheme, where they wash and reuse the packaging – it’s better than recycling!
2. Try Soap bars instead of Shower Gel
I realised we as a household went through far too much shower gel and all those bottles were put into the recycling bin. However why send something to the recycling if it didn’t need to be used in the first place. Shower gels also contain alot of water which is heavier to transport and therefore has a larger carbon footprint too.

I used to think of soap as the “Imperial Leather” bars my grandparents had in their bathroom however Soap is the new product everyone is raving about. Faith in Nature have vegan, clean bars that smell amazing and start from only £1.99 and can be found all over the high street (Sainsburys, Boots, Holland & Barrett etc). There are also a lot of brands bringing back soap for the face too including Upcircle beauty. Their Chocolate Charcoal bar is sold out everywhere with incredible reviews – I have an upcoming haul arriving where I will be trying their Chai and ginger bar.
3. Ditch the Disposable
If you think about all the disposable items you use in a week, then think about this at the end of the year, your contribution to landfill is rather large. Disposable Razors, Cotton Pads and Face Wipes all have really simple, easy swaps that are not just better for the environment but your purse too.

Razors- I have seen a lot of companies now launching their own reusable razors. They start from around £20 which like any reusable product is a small upfront investment. However the cost of replacement blades is very cheap and you will have no plastic going to landfill at all. They are also alot kinder to the skin – as this is the style of blade men use for their faces. Upcircle Beauty have launched a completely plastic free safety razor which has a blade return scheme too, giving money off your refills.

Cotton Pads – These are a really easy swap to make. Holland & Barrett sell two types of reusable organic cotton pads or you can go to smaller retailers on sites like Etsy which have funky designs. I have pads from a small company called Whale & Me which I love.

Face Wipes – I am not a fan of the face wipe and haven’t been for years however I am very aware many of you are. These are horrendous products which cannot be recycled and also block a lot of drains if not disposed of properly. Face wipes are also not great for the skin (told you I wasn’t a fan). Don’t despair, there are great alternatives which I highly recommend. My favourites is the Magnitone Wipe Out Cleansing Cloth that removes makeup with just water – No cleanser needed! Once I’ve used both sides it goes into the wash, ready to be used again.
4. Choose Recycled and/or Carbon Neutral

I am not just talking about recycled packaging – there are brands that source and rescue by-products from other industries, how creative and resourceful is that. Upcircle is pioneering this movement.
You can also find brands that only source products from sustainable sources and are certified as Carbon Neutral companies too. Look our for the carbon neutral logo. Tropic Skincare are extremely conscious of their environmental impact and have this logo featured on their website.
5. Swap out the Spray

Deodorant, its the product people wear every day and need to know the product they are using works. Although aerosol cans can be recycled, the compressed gases that are used in them have a harmful impact on CO2 emissions and roll-on deodorants are usually packaged in two layers of plastic, meaning they are notoriously difficult to recycle. So whats the swap? Well change your aerosol for a more natural deodorant that comes with little or no packaging and has minimal impact on the world around us.
My favourite brand is Salt of the Earth, you can get their deodorants in Holland & Barrett, Waitrose and Boots. Their Sprays and Roll On bottles can be recycled and last 2x longer than any other deodorants I’ve used (therefore 2x less packaging) and they have also launched a completely plastic free crystal stick and deodorant balms too. I wore this deodorant cycling through Southern India, it really works.