Style
Recycling: we all know it's important. Many of us will no longer agree to buy something from a supermarket unless its packaging is reusable, for example, while others among us won't invest in fashion brands that aren't environmentally conscious. But what about other areas of life, such as beauty and grooming? Sometimes we forget just how much material goes into creating things like shower gel, face wash, and perfume. With this in mind, I went on the hunt for beauty products that do as little harm as possible to the environment. Keep reading to discover the best recyclable beauty products and the most eco-conscious beauty brands out there.
Before sharing my picks of the best recyclable beauty products, let's re-cap why recycling is so important: when materials such as plastic are not recycled, they will inevitably be dropped into a landfill. From there, a hell of a lot plastic makes its way into our oceans (an incredible 8 million tonnes every year, as David Attenborough revealed in his groundbreaking documentary Blue Planet II), polluting the water and destroying ecosystems. While it would be great to cut out plastic all together from our beauty routines, that really isn't an easy feat, meaning recycling is your next best option. These are the brands and products that do it best:
1
A bestselling shower gel
One of Ren's most popular formulas is its Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash. Super energising with a delicious lingering scent, it's no wonder the brand chose this product as the first out of its range to be made from 100 percent recycled bottles, containing 20 percent reclaiming ocean plastic. The bottle is also 100 precent recyclable, while the pump needs to be disposed of in the general waste.
Ren Atlantic Kelp And Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash, £22, Ren
2
A multi-purpose balm
BYBI's beloved Babe Balm is a versatile formula that can be used on dry areas all over the body, from lips to heels. And not only does it have a great product inside, but its packaging can be recycled. "Our tubes, bottles, and boxes are all recyclable and can be disposed of by popping them in your weekly recycling collection here in the UK," says BYBI.
BYBI Babe Balm, £18, Harvey Nichols
3
Compostable wet wipes
The Marine Conservation Society have reported a 400 percent increase in the amount of wet wipes found along our coastline over the past decade, proving an environmentally friendly alternative to these kind of wipes (which many people use every day) is desperately needed.
Made from 100 percent natural ingredients, Wish-a-Wash Wet Wipes are suitable for sensitive skin types. They can be used on the face and all over the body, too. While the outside packaging needs to be disposed of in the general waste, each wipe is compostable, so can be thrown into your compost bin.
Beauty Kitchen Free From Wish-a-Wash Wet Wipes, £4.99, Holland & Barrett
4
Some super vibrant shower gels
Soaper Duper's affordable shower gels, hand washes, and body lotions smell amazing and look bright and vibrant. Not only this, but the brand is recycling friendly, with 100 percent of their bottles made from PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic, and efforts being made to make as much of their packaging recyclable as possible.
"Whenever we can — and we’ve done really well so far — we use recycled plastic, where possible, and we choose packaging formats that can easily be rinsed and recycled," Soaper Duper said on their website, "Nobody has figured out (yet) how to make a 100 percent recycled plastic tube that doesn’t fold, crinkle and crack. So we only have 55 percent recycled plastic in our tubes, but we’re working on the rest."
Soaper Duper Deluxe Nourishing Coconut Body Wash, £6.50, Soaper Duper
5
A beaut fragrance brand
Clean Reserve scents are luxurious and unique, and their bottles not only look chic, but are 100 percent recyclable, which is very rare for a perfume brand. My favourite is Rain [Reserve Blend], which is super fresh and clean.
Clean Reserve Rain [Reserve Blend] Eau de Parfum, £82, Space NK
6
A soothing body cream
Neal's Yard are incredibly big on being environmentally friendly. The brand vehemently backed the ban on microbeads, and is responsibly aware of their plastic usage. While not all of their packaging is recyclable right now, Neal's Yard has vowed that by 2025, 100 percent of it will be recyclable, compostable, or reusable.
Neal's Yard Rose & Geranium Body Lotion, £21, Neal's Yard
7
A clean skincare brand
Tata Harper consciously make an effort to use glass in most of their products, which is an easy material to recycle. They also promise that the little plastic they do use is "necessary for the function of the packaging and is as eco-friendly as possible." The brand ensures their cardboard packaging boxes can be recycled, too.
Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum, £77, Cult Beauty
8
A totally packaging-free shower gel
The reason Lush's new Naked Shower Gels are 100 percent recyclable? Because they literally come with zero packaging or waste. The brand has also began to make an effort to offer some of their bestselling shower products (which are packaged in plastic) in these 'naked' versions, which are applied directly to skin and, like a soap, simply wear down over time.
Lush American Cream Naked Shower Gel, £8.95, Lush
