From my fails at DIY zero waste makeup to low to zero waste brands I have liked. In this article, you will find how I went from not knowing what to do with makeup to teaching others, my makeup tricks, zero waste hacks, and which products I use. They are all actually reasonably priced. Makeup brands currently available often come with high price points and I found ways to get the same quality for a lot less.
I am aware that beauty standards and the amount of makeup are relative and stir up many emotions, needs, and opinions. I’ve kind of found my own way with it, reducing plastic along the way and I only speak from my experience which will not work for everyone.
Plastic makeup packaging is causing harm on all levels
I’m 99 % sure every single item in your makeup bag is packaged in plastic. Mine was. Most likely the packaging will end up burned, in a landfill, or somewhere along our waterways. The plastic used for makeup is the soft (the “crappy” non-recyclable) kind. By that, I do not mean it cannot be recycled, it’s just that is very rarely is. It’s too expensive and the soft recycled plastic can’t be used for much anymore (the quality is just too low). But cosmetic brands keep on using it because it is cheap, convenient and light to ship.
Alternative zero waste makeup options
Have you seen makeup refills around?
I love the idea, but… I’ve seen several brands not really reducing waste, just having a plastic refill, in addition to the bamboo casing. Hmm…
Paper is also not a perfect solution. It’s obviously not suitable for liquids., but more importantly than that, it is harder to ensure proper disinfection. My tip here is buying from credible sources, small-batch producers that use paper from controlled forests.
Swapping with girlfriends isn’t recommendable from a sanitary perspective.
Wood and metal are precious resources that often get used in zero waste cosmetics. Metal (mainly aluminum for skincare and makeup) is tedious and really polluting to make, but can (and is) infinitely reused.
There really isn’t anything perfect in a zero waste sense, but we do not need perfect. We just need better.
I like to buy the best quality I can, and use it up fully, to avoid wasting resources and product.
Zero waste makeup tips
I’ve eliminated “testing ” from my makeup routine. I only buy when I run out, and only products I’m at least 85% sure I’ll like.
Learn more about makeup, your skin, and application techniques
When I first started applying makeup I had no idea what I was doing, I just tried to imitate my friends. My mom doesn’t wear makeup, so she couldn’t help, and they were no Youtube tutorials back then. I wore a lot of colors I later discovered I didn’t like and didn’t look good on me. On occasion, I bought something I really liked and got me compliments, but I ascribe that to luck than anything else.
I wasn’t till my late uni years that I had more time and experience to actually sit down and learn a couple of things. This enabled me to stop mindlessly buying new products, that didn’t work for me. I also learned which products I really want to buy, and which I do not need. I finally figured out what I’m doing, and why… I even did makeup on some photoshoots in my best days.
Where (or from whom) I learned most:
- Lisa Eldridge YouTube channel + her book: she is a British celebrity makeup artist with loads of free tutorials. I do not use most of the products she uses, but I use many of her techniques.
- Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro, Bobbi Brown
- Makeup Artist Eye Charts, G. M. Reyna
Low waste eye makeup
I’ve started using eye pencils as shadows to save on space in my travel makeup bag years ago, and now it’s all I ever use. They apply like a creamy eye shadow and they are actually designed to stay on better. Win-win in my books. I get a natural or organic eye pencil in a wooden casing.
I even used a pink lip liner as an eyeshadow. It worked really well.
I always found organic eye shadows really limiting in color, mainly browns, and muted colors, so checking the pencil section broadens the selection a bit.
Old school Kayal (plastic free) makes for a great black eyeliner if you are looking for eyeliner replacement. They tend to be more intense than plain pencils.
I do still use a “classic” eyebrown powder, since I have issues ffinding a good shade and I feel the powder makes for a more natural look. Do you have any suggestions?
DIY low waste mascara/refills/classic
Mascara was so far the hardest thing to do zero waste, and I do wear it.
I have successfully made a mascara from a started kit on Aromazone, though it was fussy and still required a plastic casing.
In my mind, the plastic refills + casing does not save enough packaging to merit a much higher price tag, so I don’t buy them.
I’ve been a long time favorite of the organic cheapo Alverde 12h stay (cheap in countries with physical DM drugstores). It does the job, stays put in European city summers, and it’s easy to wash off.
Semi-permanent makeup
Just putting it out there, knowing most people reading this will not go for this option. Semi-permanent makeup treatments. The most common ones are eyeliner or eyelashes treatments, or microblading for your brows. You need to repeat the procedure every 16-14 months, depending, so you are not totally locked in.
Some of my friends are super thrilled with the results and it’s a huge time (and product) saver, but I do not have personal experiences with those. I’ve been tempted by microblading, but still rocking my own.
Something like this could work really well if you wear makeup frequently enough, or you always do it in the same way.
Related: How to choose a zero waste soap
Zero waste foundation
I tend to get an organic foundation in a glass bottle (not all glass is recyclable). I only cover the parts I need to and thin out/ blur the edges. I have rosacea, and on most days, I just cover the middle of my face (nose, between eyebrows, around my nose), I would say I probably wear foundation on about 1/4 of my face on any given day. This obviously makes the product lasts longer.
To be able to do that, I have a foundation that matches my skin tone perfectly with a decent longlasting coverage.
In the past, my skin tone changed quite a bit during the year (fair in the winter, tanned in the summer…), so I would buy 2: a lighter and darker shade of the same brand and mix them as needed.
If I would keep on buying different shades throughout the year, I would never use the whole bottle up.
Nowadays I would always wear sunscreen, so my skin tone is more even throughout the year.
I use liquid foundations by Sappho (14 shades) or Innisfree (24 shades, depending on the country of purchase).
I don’t like bronzes on my face and can’t be bothered with blushes or contouring on most days. If I’m in the mood for blush, a very light application of my lipstick does the job very well.
Zero waste setting powder/oil absorption
I do not have to use setting powders often, I try to take care of that with skincare products.
In the summer, I will sometimes use a freshwater pearl powder. Before you leave this page to never return again since I promised normally priced products, let me tell you, the powder set me back 3.50 EUR for 10 g on Aromazone.
Aromazone is a DIY cosmetics giant, but I do still buy from them once in a blue moon. To my knowledge, the pearls they use are sustainably sourced.
So, what is this freshwater pearl powder? It is a fine powder made from freshwater pearls that has been used in Asian beauty products since forever, and some very high-end traditional French makeup for about 100 years. It not only mattifies, but it also has added skincare bonuses. I keep it as 1 ingredient wonder and there is no need for preservatives.
It has a slight white cast (but less than zinc oxide sunscreen), so it’s not suitable for all skin tones.
I also used MUJI skin blotting paper, which works very well.
Low to zero waste makeup brand recommendations
Watch out for LUSH
Lush is just killing it in terms of innovation and range of zero waste makeup products they are currently offering. Their goal is to be really packaging free, and their refills actually being plastic-free.
I currently have their metal lipstick casings that come with refills protected with wax. You can just peel the wax off, insert and use. The metal casing is made by a French company (close to where I live) and there is a decent shade selection for the lipstick.
The problem is that you can only try them in their UK stores and the selection in the online shops vary from country to country. There also could be a potential breakage problem when peeling the wax off and inserting the lipstick.
I also use the casings for my DIY lip balms.
Lush also make an actual zero waste foundation with wax packaging, which looks really cool. I’m just not quite sure how to choose a shade online and based on YouTube reviews, it melts off, so I’m waiting for when they reformulate.
*Lush wax casing is compostable
I’m also a fan of Sappho
Sappho isn’t quite zero waste, they fall on the low to recycled packaging. They do have an impeccable ethos and I’m really happy with the quality, so I buy some favorites from them. They are on the pricier side, unless if you catch them on sale. I used to buy Dior sth. sth. foundation back in my non-organic days and the price was similar. I scored my first bottle in an organic store on sale and was then sold on texture, appearance, and longevity.
My favorite products from the brand are the primer and foundation.
The primer has 0 silicone (the thing that smooths out skin, makes foundation look flawless, last longer, and clogs pores) but I couldn’t tell, it’s that good. The packaging is recycled plastic. I would only use a primer on photoshoots and special occasions, so 1 tube lasted quite a while.
I also keep re-buying Sappho organic foundation. The container is made out of glass and it’s long-lasting. I really loved their first formulation, that thing lasted a full day, without retouches, but they have reformulated. It’s still pretty good, just not as good.
The problem with Sappho is the same as most organic makeup brands. They are smaller and so not have their own stores or many places that sell them to actually see and test the products.
Zero waste makeup application
In all honesty, you do not need a specific brand for makeup brushes to be zero waste. Many brands have always made brushes with wooden handles, and there is no way of getting around plastic bristles. Brushes last a really long time with proper care.
I do have an Ecotools travel kit (it has 4 brushes: foundation, blush, angle brush, and eyeshadow brush) but I do not like the foundation or blush one, the bristles aren’t soft and thin enough. I do not care for the case, it’s an extra product I do not need and the big brushes sometimes catch on them. But I do like the angle and foundation and I would buy singles if I would be buying them again.
I actually only use 1 brush, the angle brush on my eyebrows.
I use my fingers for applying foundation, I find the warmth helps with the application.
I dab my lipstick straight from the case and that gives a very natural look.
Zero waste makeup brands I want to try next
- Beauty made easy (vegan lip balms and lipsticks in 100% biodegradable paper)
- Colorisi
- Couleur Caramel
Both are local French brands with minimal packaging and I wanted to through those in there, in case you are looking for full zero waste makeup lines. I’ll update the post when I try them out.
Zero waste makeup is still in its infancy, so many products or brands aren’t available and I get it, it’s very hard to formulate good makeup products and use biodegradable packaging. Not everything I own is 100% packaging-free, so I balance it out with buying less.
Over to you,
How are you going with zero waste makeup? Is it hard? Easy to find?
