Where has July gone?! Maybe it’s the fact that the COVID-19 lockdown is easing and normal life is beginning to resume, but it feels like this month has flown by and this is the first chance I’ve had to share my Plastic Free July posts! I’m starting with my beauty swaps.
Even when it comes to clean beauty and “natural” products, there are still so many that are packaged in single-use plastic – including some of my favourites – which, the more I think about it, seems like a real contradiction to the ethics behind using clean products in the first place! My dressing table is still nowhere near as plastic-free as I’d like it to be, however I’ve been focusing on making swaps when and where I can. Here are some of my favourites:
Skincare
- UpCircle Face Moisturiser: I love the ethos of UpCircle Beauty, who hold upcycling and creating a circular economy at the heart of everything they do. Their Face Moisturiser contains powdered Argan shells, which are a discarded by-product of the Argan Oil industry and are rich in Vitamin E; it also has a gorgeous citrussy smell thanks to Blood Orange oil. Not only is the packaging extremely stylish, it’s made of glass and aluminium, so 100% recyclable and plastic-free!
- UpCircle Cinnamon & Ginger Chai Soap Bar: UpCircle’s soap bars are suitable for use on both the face and body, so make a great plastic-free alternative to a cleanser or makeup remover. I tried their Cinnamon & Ginger Chai Soap Bar, which not only cleanses but also gently exfoliates. It contains Pink Clay – which reduces irritation and spots – and also contains leftover Chai spices from Chai syrup production. The smell of Cinnamon & Ginger makes this bar really energising, perfect for cleansing in the morning!
- Farryn Amber Lunar Evening Facial Oil: I recently posted on my Instagram about this facial oil, which I purchased from Plastic Freedom. The awesome thing about Plastic Freedom is that the founder, Beth, works with brands to help them offer fully plastic-free options for her to stock. When it comes to facial oils and serums specifically, she makes sure that she offers both an option with a pipette and an option with an aluminium lid, so that you can reuse the same pipette over and over again, saving that plastic from going to waste and recycling your glass bottles and aluminium lids along the way! I purchased this Evening Facial Oil with the aluminium lid, so that I could reuse a pipette I already had; I love that this oil comes in a larger bottle than most other oils too, making it great value for money! It contains Lavender and Evening Primrose oils, making it the perfect relaxing skin treat before bed time and a great choice to use with facial rollers or gua sha, if you do that as part of your routine!
- BAO Balm: The BAO Balm is a great, gentle, multi-purpose product which is perfect for moisturising but also cleansing and removing makeup! I usually leave this on overnight around once a week as a deep-moisturising treatment, which leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft! Packaged in a glass jar with an aluminium lid, this balm also contains 95% organic ingredients. This was gifted to me by Kind Origins.
- Bojolar Shea Butter Lip Balm: I have tried a variety of the Bojolar Lip Balms over the last couple of years, which have been kindly sent to me by the lovely founder, Bunmi. They are always packaged in handy aluminium tins and come in a variety of gorgeous flavours; my favourites have been Mango and Peppermint. Bunmi recently reformulated her balms, which have a lovely light and easily absorbing yet nourishing texture, containing Shea Butter and organic Sweet Almond oil.
Makeup
I have been an avid user of Lily Lolo makeup since I switched to clean beauty several years ago, however they have never offered any plastic-free products… until now! They have recently announced that they are now offering plastic-free refills of their Mineral Foundation and I believe they are also working on refills for other products in their range, which is a really exciting development! As Lily Lolo is one of the most affordable clean makeup brands I have discovered in the UK, hopefully this will encourage more people to switch to clean and plastic-free makeup… it’ll certainly be a game changer for me!
What are your favourite plastic-free beauty products? Let me know in the comments below!
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Photo Credits: The photo of the Bojolar Lip Balms featured in the product slider is my own; the other product photos in the slider were taken from retailer websites.
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