42 Brilliant Sustainable Beauty Brands & Eco-Beauty Buys
By Rebecca Cox
1 year ago
Go green with your hair and beauty regime
Getty Images
We’ve given you a few ideas on where to start when it comes to shifting toward a more sustainable beauty routine, but which products and brands should you be using? The first step is cutting down on your waste, so fine-tuning your beauty regime and only buying key products that you know you love and will use until the last drop is gone is a great start. These sustainable beauty brands are doing their bit for the planet with these eco-friendly products…
The Country & Town House Responsible Buyers’ Guide
Best Sustainable Beauty Brands & Eco-Beauty Products
LUSH
Lush’s sustainable initiatives include going packaging-free where possible and using 90% recycled packaging where it’s not. This cleansing wipe is a reusable, biodegradable cleanser and makeup remover, made with a carrageenan and finely ground cannellini bean base plus fresh dove orchid infusion and ylang ylang. Find out more at lush.com.
Hero product: 7 to 3 Cleansing Wipe, £2, lush.com
EXPLORE: lush.com
Ethique
Ethique was launched as the first and only zero-waste and zero-plastic company in the world, and produces shampoos, deodorants and conditioners handmade as solid beauty bars rather than liquid beauty products. This butter block is made with organic cocoa butter from a farming cooperative in the Dominican Republic, organic coconut oil from our cooperative in Samoa and essential oils.
Hero product: In The Buff Conditioner Bar, £14, ethique.co.uk
EXPLORE: ethique.co.uk
STYLPRO
Switch out your cotton wool pads for washable bamboo pads pronto. These sustainable pads can be thrown in with your usual laundry and used over and over.
Hero product: Reusable Bamboo Pads & Makeup Bag, £7.99, stylideas.co.uk
EXPLORE: stylideas.co.uk
Le Labo
Gorgeous clean scents are the speciality of Le Labo, who has offered refills on its fragrances since launch, for 20 percent less than the original. Boxes and bags are made from recycled cardboard.
Hero product: Rose 31, £157, lelabofragrances.com
EXPLORE: lelabofragrances.com
Dr Hauschka
Dr Hauschka almost exclusively obtains its plants, oils and waxes from controlled organic cultivation (biodynamic quality where possible) and under fair trade conditions. The brand also works with eco-energy systems, works on sustainable partnerships and offers transparency on its practices.
Hero product: Revitalising Day Lotion, £26, drhauschka.co.uk
EXPLORE: drhauschka.co.uk
Spectrum Brushes
Vegan and cruelty-free, Spectrum Brushes has a commitment to consistently improving its eco-credentials, cutting down on plastic packaging (they have already cut this by 50%) and working with partner The Aspinall Foundation on fundraising and eco-initiatives.
Hero product: Pantherine 5 Piece Face Set, £34.99, spectrumcollections.com
EXPLORE: spectrumcollections.com
Aveda
Not only did Aveda go completely vegan as of 2021, 90 percent of its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles use a minimum of 80 percent PCR, made from milk bottles, and two products are packaged in 100 percent PCR HDPE bottles. They’ve also raised around £50 million for environmental initiatives since 1999.
Hero products: Botanical Repair Strengthening Shampoo, £27.50, aveda.co.uk
EXPLORE: aveda.co.uk
Bleach London
Vegan brand Bleach London is dedicated to cutting down on single use plastics and in 2019 they removed the single-use plastic tools from their bleach kits, toners and dyes and launched a reusable coconut bowl as an alternative. The Rose Shampoo Bar is 100% plastic free and is the world’s first pink, colour toning shampoo bar.
Hero product: Rose Shampoo Bar, £9, bleachlondon.com
EXPLORE: bleachlondon.com
Guy Morgan
Made with sustainably sourced ingredients, this botanical blend is activated by water and leaves skin free from impurities, renewed and refreshed. It is natural, vegan and cruelty-free and features 100% plastic-free packaging.
Hero product: Dagger Rose Cleansing Powder by Guy Morgan, £36, glasshouseshop.co.uk
EXPLORE: glasshouseshop.co.uk
Lisa Franklin
Lisa Franklin has been awarded the Positive Luxury Mark for their sustainability efforts and is committed to supporting global reforestation: “Trees clean our air and water, create habitats for biodiversity, contribute to our health and wellbeing, and create jobs for social impact”, says Lisa. The brand has a partnership with One Tree Planted: for every £1 donated on lisafranklin.london, a tree will be planted. The brand also uses Green Technology to harness Plant Cell Culture through eco- designed production methods of extracting stem cells. Not only does this brand deliver on sustainability, it does on results too. You’ll love Lisa’s serum collection, each focused on different skin concerns.
Hero product: Serum No 3 Hydrate & Regenerate, £75, lisafranklin.london
EXPLORE: lisafranklin.london
Aromatherapy Associates
Aromatherapy Associates has a Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark, which is awarded to luxury brands showing a commitment to sustainability through all areas of the business and demonstrating a positive social and environmental impact. This Relax Body Oil is the perfect pre-bedtime treat.
Hero product: Relax Body Oil, £52, aromatherapyassociates.com
EXPLORE: aromatherapyassociates.com
Davines
Haircare brand Davines was ahead of the curve, beginning its mission to reduce its carbon footprint back in 2006. In 2018 the company became carbon neutral – but it’s not resting on its laurels. New initiative ‘Still are we not there yet’ outlines Davines’ path to net zero emissions by 2030, as well as encouraging others to take action to restore the natural balance between humans and nature. The MELU shampoo is one of the brand’s cult products, containing active ingredients to protect the hair from stresses.
Hero product: MELU Shampoo, £19.50, davines.com
EXPLORE: davines.com
ILODY
Ayurvedic skincare brand ilody features ingredients that have been included in Eastern practices for centuries. Its sustainability credits can be seen predominantly in its packaging: grained boxes are made from FSC approved, virgin ecf fibre, while the logo and labelling are both foil printed, a dry solvent-free printing method. Bottles, meanwhile, are 100 per cent glass. The signature range includes two serums: seres and luxmi, seres helping to supercharge collagen and luxmi to boost hydration.
Hero product: Luxmi Hydrating Radiance Serum 30ml, £72, ilodyskincare.com
EXPLORE: ilodyskincare.com
MONPURE
Luxury scalp and hair health brand MONPURE London is pending B-Corp status thanks to its commitment to sustainable practices. All ingredients are sustainably sourced from around Europe, and its plastic bottles are made from 100 per cent rPET post-consumer recycled plastic that is itself recyclable. Its glass packaging is also fully recyclable and shipping boxes are made of recycled cardboard. All products in the range aim to create a healthy foundation for your hair, using ingredients like lactic acid and retinol that you’d expect to see in your skincare.
Hero product: London Clarifying Scalp Mask, £53, monpure.com
EXPLORE: monpure.com
Bolt Beauty
Carbon-neutral brand Bolt Beauty sells skincare drops which come encased in biodegradable seaweed shell. After use, these can be composted or dissolved in boiling water. Not only this, but the refills arrive in a biodegradable bag which looks and feels like plastic, but isn’t. Try their hero product: Vitamin A Game – a retinol perfect for those prone to reactions.
Hero product: Vitamin A Game Home Jar, £31.50, lookfantastic.com
EXPLORE: @bolt.beauty on Instagram
Kjaer Weis
All Kjaer Weis products are made with a certified organic or certified natural formula, most being plastic-free. The award-winning Cream Blush is a constant sell out, offering a dewy touch of colour with a formula that melts into the skin – often described as sitting somewhere between skincare and make up.
Hero peoduct: Cream Brush Refill, £28, contentbeautywellbeing.com
EXPLORE: kjaerweis.com
Vintner’s Daughter
Hailey Bieber and Heidi Klum are big fans of sustainable serum brand Vintner’s Daughter, which offers a single miracle product. While most skincare takes less than six hours to bottle, this pioneering slow beauty brand takes its botanicals through a 21-day process called Phyto Radiance Infusion which allows the fullest spectrum of nutrition to be gained. The brand is also carbon-neutral, and donates a portion of its revenue to charities and non-profits that benefit women and children.
Hero product: Active Botanical Serum, £168.24, cultbeauty.co.uk
EXPLORE: vintnersdaughter.com
Poppy’s Natural Skincare
Creating all of its products in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, Poppy’s Natural Skincare is a 100 percent plant-based, ethically sourced, sustainable, cruelty-free (certified with Leaping Bunny) and vegan beauty brand. Its lightweight face oil restores and revives skin, using ethically sourced plant-based ingredients that are mainly organic.
Hero product: Poppy’s Natural Skincare Face Oil (Chia Seed & Rosehip), £65, poppysns.co.uk
EXPLORE: poppysns.co.uk
TEMPLESPA
TEMPLESPA makes 90 percent of its products in the UK, fusing modern science with ancient expertise and practices. Advanced formulations combine botanically derived extracts, pure essential oils and science-led active complexes, giving noticeable, long-lasting results. Ingredients are chosen for their performance, results and overall benefits, while those with a low or zero environmental impact are favoured. In The Beginning is essentially a facial in a jar, from a brand that champions naturally derived ingredients from responsible and sustainable sources.
Hero product: In The Beginning Deep Pore & Exfoliating Cleanser, £33, templespa.com
EXPLORE: templespa.com
UpCircle
UpCircle announced it had received B Corp accreditation in November 2022. Having begun its application process just nine months prior, the brand has gone above and beyond to demonstrate its commitment to people and planet – and bagged itself a brilliant initial score of 96.3 out of 200, making it one of the highest-scoring beauty brands globally. Nourish and brighten dry skin with this innovative moisturiser made from a by-product of the argan oil industry.
Hero product: Moisturiser with Argan Powder, £20.99, upcirclebeauty.com
EXPLORE: upcirclebeauty.com
Oio Lab
Using naturally derived, non-toxic ingredients that are free from synthetic additives, preservatives, artificial colours and fragrances, Oio Lab is on a mission to create skincare with the planet in mind. The Forest Retreat calms and treats stressed out skin, and Oio Lab promises to plant one sq/m of biodiverse forest with every purchase.
Hero product: The Forest Retreat, €60, oiolab.co
EXPLORE: oiolab.co
Green People
Organic beauty brand Green People has won over 200 awards for its brilliant skincare designed to be gentle to sensitive skin an deliver visible results. It’s One Balm is a multi-tasking skin saviour with 99 percent organic ingredients and biodegradable packaging.
Hero product: One Balm, £16.50, greenpeople.co.uk
EXPLORE: greenpeople.co.uk
L’Abu
Using a ‘less is more’ approach, skincare brand L’Abu keeps its range down to eight products. ‘We believe great skin is achieved by a simple but premium routine and it is our mission to make all our customers look and feel their best,’ say founders, Netta and Hayley. All products are cruelty and chemical free, as well as vegan. We recommend this soothing, creamy rice and oat milk cleanser, which uses ingredients sourced in the UK.
Oat Milk Cleanser, £15, labuskin.com
Cloud Twelve
Notting Hill wellness and lifestyle club Cloud Twelve that also offers its own range of wellness products to be used at home. The emphasis is on organic, eco-friendly remedies, such as The Dreamer, a tincture containing herbs that have been known to relieve stress, enhance production of endorphins, and lift anxiety.
Hero product: The Dreamer (De-stress & Sleep) Tincture, from £20, cloudtwelve.co.uk
EXPLORE: cloudtwelve.co.uk
Oquist Cosmetics
Beauty meets art with next-generation Scandi brand Oquist Cosmetics, which offers multifunctional, waterless skincare in terracotta sculptures. Founders, father and daughter Olga and Pavel Babneev, explored the sustainable credits of a number of different materials before settling on terracotta, which rated best on factors like CO2 emissions during transportation and recycling opportunities. The waterless quality of the formula, meanwhile, allows Oquist to create preservative-free products that don’t compromise the skin’s microbiome and can be washed away without disrupting the ecosystem. Better for you, better for the planet – what’s not to love? The brand’s hero product is a six-in-one serum, formulated with oils that work to impact radiance, reduce fine lines and create that coveted Scandinavian glow.
Hero product: 6-in-1 Anti Aging Serum, €199, oquistcosmetics.com
EXPLORE: oquistcosmetics.com
BYBI
Vegan skincare brand BYBI has been making waves in the beauty community by joining forces with other like-minded beauty brands to write an open letter to the Government, dubbed the #CUTTHECARBON mission, detailing the challenges faced as an industry and the outcomes required from COP26. With the goal to become the first truly carbon negative beauty brand by 2025, BYBI continues to bring climate conscious skincare to the masses – from offering a transparent supply chain to petitioning for manufacturers to run on green energy. Every ingredient is scrutinised against an internal Susty Score, deciphering its impact on the environment. As well as this, currently 50 percent of BYBI’s formulas contain upcycled ingredients from other industries.
Hero product: Strawberry Booster, £13, bybi.com
EXPLORE: bybi.com
35 Thousand
Designed for busy travellers and tested on 28 air hostesses to ensure its products are truly effective, 35 Thousand was founded by Misty Reich out of her struggles to keep her sensitive, acne-prone skin healthy and happy while on the go. Every product in the line up is vegan and housed in sustainable bio plastic bottles made from sugar cane, with outer boxes made from FSC-certified cardboard. The brand also uses plant-based ingredients combined with its unique OTG-7 Complex, which features seven active ingredients that protect, shield, calm, plump and boost your skin. What’s more, 10% of the profits of 35 Thousand go to the creation of a mentorship programme to help guide women through their careers.
Hero product: All The Radiance Skincare Set, £200, 35thousand.com
EXPLORE: 35thousand.com
Aesop
Every Millennial’s kryptonite, Aesop packs a punch when it comes to its sustainability agenda. It’s B Corp Certified (here’s our explainer – it’s the accreditation to prove a brand is making efforts to improve its social and climate agenda). There’s a whole host of other details: packaging, cruelty-free testing to read into on their sustainability impact page to find out more and decide for yourself.
Hero product: Rōzu Eau de Parfum, £125, aesop.com
EXPLORE: aesop.com
Reia
Make your beauty routine that little bit greener with Reia, the British self-care brand that encourages its subscribers to cut down on plastic waste with refillable products. An answer to single-use plastic, Reia’s products are vegan, cruelty-free and made using 98.5% naturally derived ingredients. Hand and body wash come in beautiful glass bottles that can be refilled again and again, with the brand’s subscription service allowing customers to fill up at home with pouches. Once used, the empty pouches can be sent back to the brand with a free returns label to help close the loop on bathroom recycling.
Hero product: Hand and Body Wash Subscription Duo, £44, reia.store
EXPLORE: reia.store
111SKIN
Founded by Dr. Yannis Alexandrides and Eva Alexandridis, 111SKIN is the cult beauty brand coveted by fashion designers, make-up artists and supermodels alike. Having interwoven sustainable practices – like responsible sourcing, traceable supply chains, recyclable packaging and renewable energy – the brand was awarded the Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury and continues to spread the message that luxury products can work with the planet, not against it. One of 111SKIN’s hero is the Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask, which works to resuscitate dull skin and create a more luminous complexion.
Hero product: Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask, from £20, 111skin.co.uk
EXPLORE: 111skin.co.uk
Seabody
Seabody bottles are packaged in glass, which is infinitely recyclable. This lightweight mineral SPF contains all-natural marine anti-oxidants.
Hero product: Luminous Prime SPF 30, €59, seabody.com
EXPLORE: seabody.com
Maria Nila
Certified vegan and organic, Maria Nila’s bottles are made from recycled ocean plastic waste. This masque is a deep treatment that hydrates hair and scalp with botanical proteins from kale, carrot and lemon.
Hero product: Eco Therapy Revive Masque, £28, marianila.co.uk
EXPLORE: marianila.co.uk
Rhug Wild Beauty
This brand is the brainchild of Rhug Estate owner Lord Newborough, an organic farming pioneer. Hero ingredients are foraged from the estate. Speaking about his brand in our Organic Beauty guide, Lord Newborough, the founder of Rhug Wild Beauty, said: ‘We have been organic at Rhug for over 20 years and it is in our DNA and across everything we do. When the brand was created, we wanted it to be organic, yes, but also sustainable. We use ingredients from local sources and use as many organic and wild foraged ingredients as we can that we have sourced from the estate, so that our products are as ‘local’ as possible! We want our customers to be assured of the quality and provenance of the ingredients that we’re putting in the products and they’re putting on their skin.’
Hero product: Deep Cleansing Balm, £65, rhugwildbeauty.com
EXPLORE: rhugwildbeauty.com
Eighth Day
Every element of Eighth Day’s production cycle is carefully planned for a smaller carbon footprint. This is formulated using Peptide-Rich Plasma stem cell technology to repair damaged skin cells.
Hero product: The Reparative Moisturiser, £150, harrods.com
EXPLORE: eighthdayskin.com
Caudalie
The oxybenzone and octinoxate-free, reef-safe formula ensures that this SPF protects your skin, oceans, marine life and coral.
Hero product: Vinosun High Protection Spray SPF50, £23, caudalie.com
EXPLORE: caudalie.com
Verdilab
This brand stringently excludes over 50 groups of synthetic and toxic substances with a suspected human health risk. The serum is charged with natural actives to revitalise and lift skin.
Hero product: Lift & Glow Rose Serum, £140, verdilabcosmetics.com
EXPLORE: verdilabcosmetics.com
Ren
Ren has been at the forefront of eco beauty since it launched. This balm is a make-up artist’s secret weapon, helping to repair the skin barrier in just 15 mins.
Hero product: Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm, £46, renskincare.com
EXPLORE: renskincare.com
Kelsey Skin
A raspberry-based skincare brand from Kent that uses surplus fruit from the Kelsey family farm. The Concentrate is a highly effective blend of natural extracts and anti-ageing actives.
Hero product: Three Moons Brightening Concentrate, £75, kelseyskin.com
EXPLORE: kelseyskin.com
Nuori
This eight-ingredient super cream maximises results without having to buy multiple products. The small-batch brand only uses natural, biodegradable ingredients.
Hero product: The One Face Cream , £55, nuori.co.uk
EXPLORE: nuori.co.uk
Biossance
Just by using vegan squalane, Biossance avoids adding to the killing of two million sharks a year, from which this ingredient is usually harvested. A lightweight and luxurious skincare oil that locks in moisture.
Hero product: Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, £57, spacenk.com
EXPLORE: biossance.com
ignae
Created with the goal of providing conscious luxury, ignae offers its clients performance driven skincare that harnesses the benefits found in ingredients from the Azores, Portugal. All products are vegan, cruelty free and crafted with biotechnology – which helps ignae monitor its consumption. With preservation of biodiversity in mind, ignae hopes to create a ‘Circle of Good’ where the brand can support local economic development, participate in environmental and marine conservation projects and continue to raise awareness for the wider climate change struggle. Learn more about the brand’s sustainability journey here.
Hero product: Regenerating Body Oil, £110, harveynichols.com
EXPLORE: ignae.com
L’Occitane
A recent addition to the B Corp community, French beauty giant L’Occitane secured its status (and commitment to people and planet). Known for its holistic approach to luxury skincare, the brand has always been conscious of its impact on the planet and has consistently committed to regenerate the ecosystems it has touched. In terms of its environmental goals, L’Occitane plans to be able to trace 90 percent of raw materials to their origins, use 80 percent plant-based ingredients, integrate 100 percent RSPO Palm oil, recycle all industrial process water, and transition to completely renewable energy by 2025.
Hero Product: Immortelle Divine Cream, £80, loccitane.com
EXPLORE: loccitane.com
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