Zero Waste Beauty Products

How You Can Make Your Beauty Routine a Sustainable One

Sustainable beauty products for you to try

Image courtesy of Vitacost

We only have so much time left to change our ways before it’s too late. We need to stop throwing so many harmful products out into the earth. If you think about all of the single-use plastic, harmful chemicals, and fuel that you use, that is only a tiny percentage of what’s harming the universe. 

So, what can you do to reduce the waste you create? Do some research. What are some products that you use that are harmful? What can you switch them out with to create less waste? If you look things up and read some articles, you can usually find that there are always quite a few substitutes for the products you use. 

In this article, we will be talking about some beauty products and brands that you can try that are zero waste. Who ever said you can’t be beautiful and sustainable at the same time? No one! Give this article a read to figure out how you can be both!


Make some switches in your daily routine to live a more sustainable life.
When looking for skincare products at the store, try to buy brands that contain natural ingredients and are packaged in an eco-friendly way. 

Sustainable Skin Care Products

Eco-Friendly Products That Are Also Better For Your Skin

When it comes to beauty products, we can group them into different categories. In this section, we will be talking about good skincare products for you to try. These products are great because they aren’t packaged in plastic, but they are in sustainable packaging. They also are more natural and better for your skin, unlike other big name beauty brands. 

  1. Seed Phytonutrients. So we said these products aren’t packaged in plastic, and we really meant it. Seed Phytonutrients is a unique brand because they package their products in bottles made from recycled paper. Along with the sustainable bottles, their products are vegan and contain nutrients that help to nourish your skin and keep it soft. You can buy these products individually, or you can get skincare sets. The sets contain everything you need to take care of your body. 
  2. Lush. You’ve probably heard of Lush before, but the brand really is great for eco-friendly skincare. A lot of their skincare products eliminate plastic entirely by being made in the shape of a bar instead of being liquid. They also are packaged in paper bags, which can then be recycled. These products also contain organic ingredients, which of course is better for you and the earth. Not to mention, there is a variety of scents and smells, so there are plenty of options for you to pick from. To buy lush products, you can visit the website or your local store. 
  3. Pai. This is a great company because most of their beauty products are in glass bottles. If the product isn’t in a glass bottle, the plastic used is recyclable. The company makes a large variety of skincare products that are good for repairing damaged skin, moisturizing, and removing blemishes. These products are also great for people who have sensitive skin. You can buy these products on the company website, or you can find them on Amazon. Give it a try and see if it works for you!
  4. Youth to the People. Like Pai, these products are also in glass bottles. Unlike products packaged in plastic, glass bottles don’t let unwanted chemicals leak into your products, so you benefit from swapping to these products too. Their products also contain lots of natural ingredients that are great for your skin. Once again, to find these products, you can visit their website, or you can order from Amazon. 
  5. Meow Meow Tweet. We know deodorant isn’t necessarily skincare, but we think it fits best with this category. Most deodorant comes in a plastic tube, so this brand is unique because the container is made out of paper! Not to mention the deodorant itself is all natural. So it’s a win-win when you think about it. You are putting less plastic into the environment, and you are avoiding using harmful ingredients on your skin. You can buy this product off of their website, or you can buy similar products from this company off of Amazon. 

When making the switch to waste-free products, it’s best to have options. Remember, we are just making suggestions, and there are definitely other brands that offer similar products that you can try. 

Swap from plastic bottles to shampoo bars to reduce waste.
You can reduce your waste by switching from shampoo and conditioner bottles to bars of these products. Image courtesy of Bustle. 

Sustainable Hair Care Products

Some Sustainable Swaps You Can Make for Your Hair

This section is pretty short, sweet, and simple. When it comes to your hair, there’s a simple way to cut out plastic from your routine. 

  1. Swap your Shampoo and Conditioner Bottles for Bars. Once you finish that shampoo you have in the bottle, go to the store and buy a bar of shampoo. These products usually work for all kinds of hair, and they are safe to use. Plus, you still usually have the option to pick a nice scent, and we know that’s the best part!
  2. Buy a Wooden Hairbrush. You don’t have to go and throw out your plastic hairbrush right now. We just ask that when it comes time to buy a new one, you consider buying a wooden one. Once the wooden one breaks, it won’t harm the environment when you dispose of it. 

Like we said, when it comes to hair, you just need to make these simple swaps for a greener lifestyle. Both of these are affordable as well and shouldn’t be much more of an increase in price if there is one at all. There are so many perks when you make these simple switches!

reusable make up wipes to try
Use reusable makeup rounds instead of single-use rounds to remove waste from your lifestyle and the environment. Image courtesy of Elle

Sustainable Makeup Remover Pads and Cleansing Cloths

Zero Waste Brands You Should Try So You Can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

You got all dressed up and did your makeup. Now, the night is over and you just want to go home and go to bed. Getting ready for bed is a process, and a lot of work can go into your skincare routine at night. When you’re removing your makeup and applying your moisturizers and toners, you most definitely are using some item to wipe these items on to and off of your face. Chances are you’re using single-use cotton balls, cotton rounds, or wipes of some sort. Well, you should stop using those if possible. 

In this section, we will be talking about Brands that make reusable clothes and rounds for you to use for your skincare routine. A lot of these products allow you to get quite the amount of uses out of them, saving you from having to constantly go and buy these items at the store. 

  1. The Makeup Eraser. This product really does make it that easy. All you need to do is wet the cloth and then wipe off your face. One side is used for cleansing and removing your makeup, then the other is used for exfoliating. The best part is, you just need to wash it after a couple uses. You don’t need to throw it away and buy a new one. If you want to try this product, you can find it on Amazon.
  2. Wegreeco. This company makes reusable rounds that are made from bamboo. Unlike the Makeup Eraser, you have to put your makeup remover on the round to get your makeup off, but you can just keep them and wash them after you use them. When you order a pack of them, they give you a pouch to put the dirty ones. You can just throw the pouch full of dirty rounds in the wash, so then you don’t have to worry about losing any of them. You can also order a variety of different colors! 
  3. Jane Iredale. This company sells an item called the “Magic Mit”. This item is similar to the other items because it’s reusable. To clean your face, just wet the mit and then you’re good to go. Then, when it comes time to clean it, just add some soap to it, rinse it, and let it air dry. You can buy this product from the company website or Amazon. 

These are just a few of the many companies that make reusable cleansing pads and cloths, so if you know another brand that works well tell your friends! And if you don’t want to switch to reusable rounds, think about how much plastic and pesticides go into the environment when you use single use products. Also, think about the money you can be saving by using these reusable products. There are so many great benefits when you make the switch. 

If you read the whole way through this article, hopefully we were able to give you some ideas on products that you can switch to that are eco-friendly, and hopefully the brands we listed will be helpful for you. 

Gabby Haduch

Gabrielle Haduch is a senior double majoring in marketing and accounting at the University of Pittsburgh. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
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