When choosing beauty products, a lot of people will base their decision on the ingredients, quality and how well they know the brand. However more and more people have been choosing their beauty essentials with the environment in mind. As the cosmetic industry produces so much plastic waste, it's hard not to feel responsible for how much packaging goes to landfill but there are products out there that won't hurt the earth (or your bank account).
They might not be on your radar yet, but there are brands at the forefront of sustainability, challenging everything we know about beauty and skincare. Read on to learn more about this innovative companies and how they're minimising their impact on the environment.
With a unique title to have, Conserving Beauty is proud to be Australia’s First Waterless Beauty Brand. Their world-first dissolving sheet mask and dissolving makeup wipe made waves when they launched this year and it’s not hard to see why. They also stock a face oil, cleansing balm and glow mask which all come in recyclable glass containers. Not only do their products work, they also leave behind no impact on the environment so it’s a win-win.
Packed with 14 vitamin and mineral-rich botanicals, the Bioactive Nutrient Serum from Avec is everything you could want from your skincare in the one bottle. The quality formula will help to improve fine lines, increase elasticity and even soothe acne. With ingredients sourced from organic and sustainable Australian farms, each bottle takes 30 days to make and any leftover mulch is sent back to the farms to be used for the following season’s compost.
Acknowledging that the cosmetics industry is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste, Flavedo & Albedo wanted to create a line of products that didn’t impact the environment. Their quality formulations are packaged in aluminium, glass and sustainable timber and they’re constantly working on new ways to improve their sustainability.
Most of our beauty and skincare routines involve single-use items like cotton swabs, tissues and makeup rounds which although small, can add up to a whole lot of waste over time. Designer Isabel Aagaard was frustrated by this and decided to create LastObject, the world's first reusable alternatives to single-use products. Their first product LastSwab is a q-tip made from medical grade TPE that can be reused up to 1000 times.
After initially training as a nail tech, Sienna founder Danielle Egan envisioned herself as a ‘travelling nail bar’ but found her interest shifted to creating a high quality non-toxic nail polish. Not just focused on natural and vegan ingredients, Egan has ensured complete traceability at every stage of development and production. Their signature timber cap is compostable and the glass bottle is recyclable. Thanks to the dedication they have to sustainability, Sienna Byron Bay is now the world’s first micro-plastic free, aluminium free and nano-particle free nail polish.
It’s not often we think about the processes behind our favourite beauty products, but you’ll be pleased to know that all of the products from Arithmos are hand-blended in Melbourne. Founder Michelle Wang chooses only the highest quality plant-based ingredients from around the world to include in her luxurious body oils. Certified vegan and cruelty free, they also come in beautifully designed bottles that are recyclable, and opaque to keep the sunlight out and extend the life of your product.
Main image: Sienna Byron Bay
Tile Image: Avec Skin
