The future of beauty is low-waste - five must have eco-conscious beauty hero products
The beauty industry's has a plastic problem, but a new wave of low-waste products are giving us hope. Greener beauty is helping the planet, one product at a time, and cheapest is just £7
The beauty industry might make us feel good, but its impact on the planet is far from pretty. Packaging waste is one of its biggest environmental challenges. According to Zero Waste Scotland, the average UK household churns out around 23kg of plastic packaging waste each year, with a huge slice of that coming from cosmetics and personal care.
Globally, the picture isn't any better. In 2018 alone, the United States generated a jaw-dropping 7.9 billion units of cosmetic waste, contributing to landfill overflow, ocean pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Add in the microplastics lurking in many products, and a single shower can wash 100,000 microbeads down the drain.
It's clear: the beauty world has some serious cleaning up to do. Thankfully, a new generation of brands are stepping up.
They're proving that luxury, pigment, and performance don't have to come at the planet's expense. Here are five low-waste beauty heroes leading the way.
Half Magic – Eyeshadow Singles, £10
Makeup that looks good and does good? Sign us up! Half Magic's eyeshadow singles are housed in compostable PaperFoam compacts, with no plastic used. When you're ready to switch things up, simply peel out the pan, remove any glue, and pop the compact in your home compost or recycling bin. Even better, you can build your own forever palette, making these pigmented, planet-friendly shades the perfect guilt-free indulgence.
Lush – Naked Mascara, £12
Lush has ripped up the mascara rulebook with their solid, plastic-free Naked Mascara. Made with gentle butters and waxes for a natural lash tint, this innovation completely ditches the traditional plastic tube. It's a bold move, but one that speaks volumes about where the future of beauty packaging needs to go: less waste, more wow!
Lisa Eldridge – Refillable Lipstick, £49
Lisa Eldridge's lipsticks are iconic luxury beauty with a conscience. The beauty fan-favourite Rouge Experience lipsticks come in refillable aluminium cases, offering full, satin-finish colour without the environmental guilt. Aluminium can be infinitely recycled, so swapping out your lipstick bullet instead of buying a whole new product is a simple but powerful way to cut down on cosmetic waste
Faith in Nature – Shampoo Bars, £7
Say goodbye to plastic bottles. Faith in Nature's solid shampoo bars are crafted from 100% natural origin ingredients and packaged in recycled cardboard. Designed with curly and dry hair types in mind, they're vegan, cruelty-free, and brilliantly travel-friendly. A cleaner conscience and a great hair day? Yes, please.
Honeypie Minerals – Foundation, £15
Honeypie Minerals has nailed the brief with their refillable, zero-waste foundation. Their silky mineral powders come in compostable pouches but can also be popped straight into a reusable jar. The formula itself is packed with skin-loving minerals, free from harsh chemicals, and perfect for sensitive or acne-prone skin. Beauty that's kind to your face and the planet.
The beauty industry's plastic problem won't be solved overnight, but these innovative products show that sustainable alternatives are more than possible - they're already here. With every low-waste mascara, refillable lipstick, and compostable compact, we get one step closer to a beauty industry that's as good for the earth as it is for our skin.
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