**”10 Must-Have Beauty Products for a Waste-Free Routine”**
Zero-waste beauty is gaining popularity, and it’s exciting to see. When you think about all the plastic packaging from beauty products ending up in landfills, it can feel overwhelming. It’s not just one store—it’s every major retailer, from department stores to drugstores. Imagine how much waste we could reduce if all beauty products came in compostable or recyclable packaging.
That’s the idea behind zero-waste beauty. The goal is to ensure that no packaging ends up in landfills, or at the very least, that it’s biodegradable. Many beauty brands are embracing this by using cardboard and recycled paper for packaging. When non-compostable materials are necessary, they’re designed to be reusable or recyclable. For example, Hourglass’ Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Lipstick comes in a refillable case, so you can keep using it instead of tossing it out.
If you want to reduce your beauty waste, you could try repurposing old lotion and serum bottles, but that can quickly become impractical. A simpler approach is to switch to zero-waste beauty brands, many of which offer affordable and effective products that fit seamlessly into your routine.
Take hair conditioner, for example—it doesn’t have to come in a plastic bottle. A conditioner bar made with Moroccan oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and lemon peel can moisturize and repair hair while adding shine. Just massage it onto wet hair and rinse. EcoRoots, a brand based in Aspen, Colorado, packages and ships its products using only recyclable materials and donates 1% of its annual sales to environmental causes.
Ethique offers a face bar for oily-to-normal skin, made with coconut oil, mandarin and sweet orange essential oils, cocoa butter, and sea salt. Many users with sensitive and acne-prone skin love it. To use, wet your face and the bar, create a lather, massage it onto your skin, and rinse. Ethique was founded in 2012 and has since developed a full line of biodegradable and compostable beauty products, keeping millions of plastic bottles out of landfills.
For a sustainable hair accessory, a compostable scrunchie might be just what you need. Made from organic cotton and natural tree rubber, it’s hand-dyed in a solar-powered facility. Kooshoo, the brand behind it, also makes hair ties and headbands using recycled FSC-certified paper for packaging and plastic-free shipping materials.
Meow Meow Tweet’s deodorant stick comes in a push-up paper tube and is free from baking soda, which can irritate sensitive skin. Instead, it’s made with plant oils and mineral powders and comes in scents like grapefruit, rose geranium, and cedar spice. You can even buy a smaller sample size before committing to a full container. The brand is vegan and uses organic, unrefined plant oils and butters, steam-distilled essential oils, and organic botanicals. Packaging is either post-consumer paper or glass.
For a radiant finish, Unify powder can be used as a setting or finishing powder, or mixed with beauty oil or moisturizer for a soft, dewy tint. It comes in a water-treated bamboo jar with a plastic sifter, and refills are packaged in biodegradable paper tubes that can be recycled. Elate’s product line is about 75% waste-free and entirely vegan and cruelty-free, though some liquid products and lipsticks contain recyclable plastics.
A multiuse crayon is a great addition to any beauty kit. Axiology’s color sticks in champagne, sorbet, and rose can be used on eyes, lips, or cheeks. They’re the size of a standard lipstick but without the plastic tube and cap. Instead, they’re wrapped in paper and come in a recyclable carrying case. Made with nourishing oils and antioxidants, these balm-like crayons work for all skin types. Axiology focuses exclusively on color sticks, using organic oils, kokum butter, candelilla wax, and sunflower seed wax, with packaging made from paper or post-consumer recycled plastic.
Aether’s Ametrine Crystal Quad features four creamy, high-pigment eyeshadows in mauve rose, copper rose, rose gold, and smoky bronze. These shades work beautifully for a soft smoky eye or a natural daytime look. Made with coconut oil, shea butter, rosehip oil, and moringa oil, the formula feels as good as it looks. The palette is fully recyclable once you remove the elastic and pans.
Osmia’s soap bar combines Black Australian clay and Dead Sea mud for a deep cleanse, while mango, avocado, coconut, and olive butters leave skin feeling soft. To use, lather with water, massage onto your face and neck, rinse, and follow with a moisturizer. Osmia offers a wide range of beauty products, all made with plant-based ingredients and essential oils in eco-friendly packaging.
If you haven’t tried dry shampoo, it’s a game-changer. It refreshes greasy hair and gives it a freshly styled look. Rainwater Botanicals packages its dry shampoo in biodegradable, renewable paperboard shakers. Just sprinkle it at your roots, shake your hair, and you’re good to go.
For a soothing bath, Fat and the Moon’s mineral-based bath soak calms irritated skin. It stays suspended in the water rather than sinking to the bottom. You can also mix it with water to create a soothing paste. Made with oat flour, arrowroot flour, kaolin clay, Irish moss, and rose geranium essential oil, it’s a relaxing addition to any self-care routine.
Switching to zero-waste beauty products is a simple way to reduce waste without sacrificing quality. With so many great options available, making sustainable choices has never been easier.