“1.3 billion tons of waste is produced each year, and this number is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons by 2025,” Susan Stevens, the CEO of Made With Respect, tells The Zoe Report — and the beauty industry isn't exactly blameless here. 20 million makeup wipes are reportedly tossed in the trash each day, making them the third most wasteful product in the world. Along with single-use sheet masks and endless plastic packaging, the need for eco-friendly beauty products becomes clearer and clearer each year. Luckily, it's 2019 and easier than ever to find options that still look (and feel) totally luxurious… although that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to buy them all.
One intriguing approach to cultivating a conscious beauty routine is adopting a “less is more” philosophy. “The industry, at large, is constantly promoting a need for more and more products — it's a level of waste and degradation that I have always felt uneasy with,” Neada Deters, the founder of LESSE and former editorial director of Atelier Doré, tells TZR. “Reducing beauty waste comes down to just having the essential products, always using until empty, taking care to clean and recycle packaging after use, and of course being conscious of the brands you use — are they focused on a better path forward for beauty?”
LOLI Beauty is one such brand. “We’re on a mission to stir up zero waste, waterless, food-grade beauty,” Tina Hedges, the brand’s founder, tells The Zoe Report. “Waterless” might sound strange, but it’s actually an innovative way to save the planet with skincare: The majority of products on the market are formulated with 80 to 95 percent water, according to Hedges. “It just doesn’t make sense to purchase expensive moisturizer that’s mostly plain water, despite the fact that around 700 million people across 43 countries today are suffering from water scarcity,” she says. Cocokind, Nanette de Gaspé Beauty, and One Love Organics also offer water-free options, as well.
Another way to eliminate water waste? Fewer wash days. Playa’s latest New Day Hair Mist allows you to “reset your style” without sudsing up, says the brand’s site, so you can go longer between washes. (And, yes, the next time you spritz an entire bottle of dry shampoo into your roots, you can say you’re just being “eco-friendly.”)
To champion sustainability across your skincare, makeup, and hair care regimens, look for glass bottles (which are infinitely recyclable), refillable products (like Lancôme’s Absolue Revitalizing & Brightening Soft Cream), post-consumer recycled materials (aka, non-virgin plastic, used by Love Beauty and Planet), sustainably sourced ingredients, biodegradable materials, and even packaging-free options (like LUSH's shampoo bars).
Ahead, 26 plastic-free, water-free, less-is-more beauty products that are good for the earth (and, incidentally,your aesthetic).