The 6 Easiest Ways to Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable

The beauty industry is inherently unsustainable. Raw materials are shipped all over the world. Many products include a hefty amount of water, which makes shipments heavier and more carbon-intensive. Most items are housed in vessels that your local waste management won’t recycle. And when you buy something new, it comes in a new container to deal with. While the onus is on the brands to solve these issues, being a mindful beauty consumer can only help.

If the idea of making your beauty routine more sustainable is enticing yet daunting, we’ve got six easy tips for you to consider below. Rest assured, you don’t have to cut out your fave products or start making your own lotion to make a difference.

Prioritize Mindful Packaging

Most of the waste in the beauty industry comes from packaging. It produces 120 billion units of packaging each year from materials that are either difficult or impossible to recycle. “Start by transitioning to brands and products that prioritize more sustainable practices and are using eco-friendly packaging, such as those made from recycled materials or biodegradable elements,” says Annie Jackson, CEO of beauty retailer Credo.

The best options are plastic-free products housed in paper, glass, or metal, which can all be recycled with ease. Making your entire routine plastic-free may be unrealistic, so try to set manageable goals. For example, I try to keep my body-care routine low on plastic by using bar soap, solid lotion bars, and solid shaving creams.

Opt for Refillable Products When it Makes Sense

I have a love-hate relationship with refillable beauty products. I love them because they help you cut down on packaging waste by buying the container once and then popping in refills. But often, they only really make a difference if you’re committed to using that one product over and over again. Say you love the Lancôme Rénergie Peptide Cream — it comes in a refillable option, which allows you to restock with less packaging. But because I’m always bouncing from product to product, it wouldn’t make sense to seek out a refillable cream only to refill it once, if at all.

A refillable staple in my routine is my OUI the People Razor. There’s no plastic, and I just switch out the blade when it gets dull. I also love plastic-free hand soap refills that I can decant into my own pretty hand soap dispenser.

Research Beyond the Marketing

There are lots of marketing buzzwords in beauty that have no standard definition across the industry. “It’s a mistake to trust marketing claims without researching brands and their practices,” says Jackson. “Avoid assuming all ‘clean’ or ‘natural’ products are sustainable — brands and retailers need to back up their claims.” Look into the brands you’re purchasing from to ensure they align with your values.

Consider Beauty Packaging Recycling Programs

“Sustainability is not just about using sustainable products, but also knowing how to recycle and properly dispose of packaging to minimize environmental impact,” says Jackson. “If your beauty item isn’t housed in glass, metal, or paper, you likely can’t just chuck it in your recycling bin. Think about the difference between a plastic water bottle and a moisturizer tub — the former is thin and malleable, while the latter is sturdy. It costs municipalities more to recycle these more complex items, so most won’t recycle it all and the item will just go to a landfill.

So, if you want your beauty products recycled, you’ll have to find other options. “You can participate in Pact’s beauty packaging collection program by bringing any used beauty products and hard-to-recycle packaging to a Credo store, helping to divert waste from landfills and promoting a circular economy in the beauty industry,” says Jackson. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack locations also have in-store drop-off boxes. And waste-management company TerraCycle partners with brands like Dermalogica, Garnier, and Murad to cover the recycling costs. Individual brands like Murad pay directly for their customers to mail in their empties.

Try Compostable Options

Consider the beauty products you regularly throw away — makeup wipes, sponges, sheet masks…the list goes on. If you compost at home or know of a local place where you can drop off compost, looking into compostable options is a great option. For example, on days when I’m too drained for a double cleanse, I swear by The Skinsheet Multiuse Facial Sheets with a bit of micellar water. Once my face is clean, I chuck the sturdy sheet (which is made from regenerated cotton cellulose) in my compost bin.

Avoid Impulse Beauty Purchases

For beauty lovers, this is one of the hardest on the list, but it’s so impactful. The best way to cut down on waste is to limit your purchases. Instead of buying the viral product, which you may use once and then forget about, try to be mindful and only buy things you think you’ll finish.