This Earth month, the message is loud and clear: we need to do more to care for our precious planet and home. Whether that looks like exclusively supporting sustainable and ethical brands, going green with eco-friendly reusable ware, committing to a vegan lifestyle, or unlearning our innate shopaholic tendencies, it’s really up to you — and we’re not here to judge.
What does sustainability look like for the beauty industry though? Recently, we’re getting a lot more packaging made with post-consumer recycled plastic, empties recycling drives or efforts to repurpose used skincare bottles, all in a bid to reduce waste. Not bad for an industry that’s frowned upon for superfluous glitter press kits and packaging.
More beauty brands are also launching makeup, skincare, and haircare products that allow us to refill the original container, without compromising on the quality of the product. At The Body Shop’s Bond Street store in London, they’re even trying out a refill station concept for their shower gels, much like how we would bag our colourful candies.
It’s not a catch-all solution of course, and certain categories like travel fragrances have been doing it for years, but switching to a refillable jar, bottle, compact, or lipstick tube, especially if this is a favourite of yours, is a start — and options are always welcome. Ahead, some of our recommended refillable beauty products, the stuff you’d most likely top up again and again and again.
SKINCARE
Most of the newer refillable products fall under the skincare category, and we get it, skincare is tricky. Brands have got to ensure that their products are enduring, sanitary, and safe, since skincare formulas consist of ingredients that get absorbed deep into our skin.
Thank goodness, then, for innovative packaging, specifically designed with refillable parts. Tata Harper’s moisturiser involves an entirely replaceable pot made just for its airtight jar for instance, while the YSL Beauty Pure Shots serums are both beautiful and intuitive in their transparent bottle design.
[click on the images below to expand and find out more about each product.]
MAKEUP
Think about it: foundation cushions have been doing this since their inception, so why not everything else too? The luxurious cases of the Rouge Hermès or the Rouge Dior, two of the most high-end lipsticks in the market, will now be forever admired, especially when you can simply switch out your lip colours for the season. Even the latest Rose Hermès blushes feature sustainable packaging. Plus, these happen to be investment pieces, yes?
And while Danish brand Kjaer Weis has been quietly and steadily presenting us with refillable blushes and eyeshadows all these years, other cult makeup brands have also stepped up with refillable bronzers, brow pencils, and a wider variety of makeup products we can now opt for.
[click on the images below to expand and find out more about each product.]
HAIR & BODY
We’re probably most used to refillable hair & body products — though we wished even more mainstream options would be available! After all, how often do you change loyalties when it comes to a trusted shampoo or beloved body wash? Not much.
L’Occitane’s highly-lauded Almond Shower Oil, along with many of their core products, comes in an eco-refill format that saves 78% of packaging material. Then, we’ve got clean haircare brand Moist Diane’s luxe Diane Bonheur range, as well as Kiehl’s shampoo, conditioner, and even their Crème de Corps body lotion, now available in sustainable refill pouches,
[click on the images below to expand and find out more about each product.]
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