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According to a new survey, consumers are more concerned over whether or not beauty products are plastic-free than vegan, natural, or ethical. Here’s a list of Thred’s favourite conscious cosmetics brands and what they’re doing to reduce the industry’s environmental impact.
It’s well known that the booming $500 billion a year global personal care industry relies on plastic. And, despite the eco-movement that has since sprung up to combat this, beauty’s over-use of a material so detrimental to the world’s oceans has caused irreparable damage. However, with more and more consumers taking a stand when it comes to plastic wastage in our products, major cosmetics companies have begun to adapt, following in the footsteps of brands already focused on addressing the issue at hand.
These brands, acknowledging that 65% of the British beauty community report feeling concerned about whether or not plastic has infiltrated their skincare and makeup routines (Cosmetify), are at the forefront of the industry’s sustainability progress. From organic oils and sulphate free shampoos, to suncream in aluminium tins, and lipstick cases made from beach waste, here’s a list of the best plastic-free beauty brands on the market that have made it their mission to reduce pollution.
Oh, and if you’re worried about ditching those go-to products you’ve grown fond of and have been using for as long as you can remember, don’t be. ‘Nearly any product you love has a more eco-compatible dupe that you’ll equally love,’ says sustainability expert Ashlee Piper. ‘When you’re ready to get that replacement, enjoy the hunt: there’s a lot of adventure and fun to be had in researching, smelling, and sampling new products.’
Suntribe
With 10% of the world’s coral reefs threatened with bleaching from the chemicals found in sun cream, and 14,000 tonnes of the stuff ending up in the sea every single year, it’s pretty safe to say that SPF is a sustainability nightmare. Determined to save our oceans (and our skin) therefore, is Suntribe, a brand that’s come up with an alternative vessel for its SPFs, packaging them in recycled aluminium tins with recycled paper labels. Not only that, but its mineral-based SPF30 is 100% natural and organic, produced using beeswax, coconut oil, and non-nano zinc oxide as a UV ray filter so it’s reef-friendly too. Check it out here.
UpCircle
Launched in 2018, this London-based beauty brand wraps every single one of its face-and-body bar soaps in recyclable cardboard. Most revolutionary though, is its decision to completely eliminate the use of palm oil from its production process, an ingredient found in a large majority of soaps and cosmetics and one renowned for contributing to worldwide mass deforestation. Crafted from excess spices and coffee granules (a natural exfoliant), they’re also vegan and cruelty free — yet still amazing for your skin. Plus, if you thought you needed plastic to get that natural looking glow, think again, because organic cinnamon and ginger oil will do the trick while pink clay will help to reduce inflammation. Check it out here.
