Waste free beauty

Low waste beauty

I’m by no means a zero-waste guru, but learning about the shocking statistics on plastic pollution has definitely pushed me to make more sustainable choices, wherever I can.

There’s something deeply unnatural about knowing that the plastic products we use today will outlive us by 400+ years. In fact, if you lived to be 100, that shampoo bottle you tossed could still be hanging around for another 450 years.

Globally, over 8.3 billion tonnes of virgin plastic have been produced, and around 6.3 billion tonnes have become plastic waste. Of that, only 9% has been recycled. The rest?
12% incinerated
79% sitting in landfills or polluting our environment

Where to Start?

I get it, going low waste can feel overwhelming. But I’m aiming for progress over perfection. I’ve found that taking it one small step at a time feels achievable, especially as a busy working mum.

For me, the journey started in the kitchen:

• Bringing reusable bags for groceries

• Starting a compost bin

• Being more mindful of single use plastics

• Shopping at bulk food stores where I can fill paper bags and decant into glass jars at home (bonus: your pantry looks pretty and organised!)

Low-Waste Beauty & Personal Care

Next, I turned my attention to personal care. The first step? Asking what I actually need vs what I simply want. Consuming less is always the best place to begin.

As a professional makeup artist for over 20 years, my kit professional kit looks very different to my personal use cosmetics, my beauty routine is now as simple as possible. My day to day is: a little concealer where needed, mascara, cream blush, and lipblam if needed, and sunscreen still a must.

My rule of thumb: when something runs out, I aim to replace it with a more sustainable option. Whether that’s in cardboard, glass, refillable packaging, or if you’re into DIY something homemade.

7 Easy Swaps for a Low-Waste Beauty Routine:

1. Body & Hand Soap
Ditch plastic pump bottles
Switch to a classic bar soap

Or refill your own bottles at source bulk foods store

2. Shampoo & Conditioner
DIY version:
– Castile soap + water for shampoo
– Apple cider vinegar rinse as conditioner

Not into DIY? Try:

• Ethique (solid bars)

• Bare Body Beauty (local shampoo bars)

• Lush cosmetics (bars)

• The Source Bulk Foods (bring your own container!)

3. Toothbrush
An easy win, just switch to a bamboo toothbrush.

4. Deodorant
My go-to: No pong natural deodorant comes in aluminium packaging, convenient to by from local Woolworths.
Try Meow Meow Tweet, packaged in compostable cardboard, I have used in the past, delicious scents.

5. Moisturiser
I have used a refillable hemp moisturiser from Bare Body Beauty (plus you get 10% off refills!). I currently use Ethical beauty a local natural beauty brand in the Southern Highlands, all natural and hand made in aluminium and glass jars for my moisturiser, oil cleanse and exfoliation (if you are one of my brides I’ll give you samples at the hair and makeup trial!)
No local refill options? Go for glass-packaged jojoba oil, rosehip oil, a great under-makeup moisturiser that mimics your skin's natural oils.

6. Dry Shampoo
Totally optional, but handy!
Mix arrowroot powder + cinnamon = done. Apply with a brush or sprinkle at the roots.

7. Makeup
This one’s trickier—but here are some low-waste, high-performance brands I love:

• RMS Beauty, Fit Glow – Foundations in glass jars

• Kjaer Weis – beautiful cream blushes + refillable packaging

• Eye of Horus – eyeshadow, blush, bronzer and highlighter refill palettes

• Aether Beauty – stunning eyeshadow palettes made with crystal quartz and recyclable packaging. See me holding palette in image for post :)

• Aleph beauty - Foundations, eye creams, lip to cheek pots in glass jars with aluminium lids, beautiful NZ made products I also use professionally.

And for all those hard-to-recycle empties (like mascara tubes or pumps)?
I collect mine and send them to Terra Cycle, a fantastic solution for beauty waste, you can also find bins at some Pricelines.

Going completely zero waste isn’t always realistic especially in the beauty world, but even small changes can make a big difference over time. For me, it’s not about doing everything, it’s about doing something.