With climate change now part of mainstream conversation, making eco-friendly lifestyle and purchase choices should be front of mind. And yet making true impact it requires a huge behavioural shift, which our minds will find ways to fight, from ‘it’s too expensive’ to ‘it’s too much effort’. Sustainable purchases have traditionally been more expensive than mass produced items (think of organic vs non organic food) because of the quality of ingredients used, the methods used to grow them, and the fair price paid to the growers. And adopting more planet-friendly behaviours can require more effort (public transport vs car). But when it comes to beauty, brands are conscious that they need to make green purchase as effortless as possible, a no-brainer in terms of cost of the product, ease of fitting into your existing lifestyle, and accessibility. With the rise of refills offering great savings, solid bars lasting longer than liquid equivalents and reusable accessories smashing cost per use vs single use items, now is the time to make that switch.

1. Solid beats liquid beauty

Although beauty bars are now mainstream enough to be sold in supermarkets, predominantly shampoo bars, they have yet to take over liquid versions in popularity. I think it is just a question of habit, because when you compare solid against liquid, the balance favours the bar: long-lasting, preservative-free, light on packaging and low on carbon footprint, it can also be more cost effective than the bottled version as it lasts longer. Case in point: solid haircare brand Kind2 claims that one of their shampoo bars lasts as long as 2x 250ml shampoo bottles. Sounds too good to be true? There are a few caveats: don’t leave your shampoo bar in a puddle after use, as it will shrink faster, don’t use more than necessary, and no it won’t be cheaper than a £1 bottle of shampoo. This good value claim should apply to most solid formats: SBTRCT’s solid bar of Vitamin C Booster lasts a whole lot longer than a traditional 30ml bottle of liquid serum.

2. Save more go big on refills

Refills are the way to go if you want to benefit from a better price per ml on your everyday products – you know, the ones that you use a decent volume of like handwash, shower gel or cleanser. With beauty products, especially skincare, a huge amount of the cost of the product goes into the packaging, be it a glass bottle, a metallised cap or a decorated jar. I’m the first to admit that attractive packaging is tempting, but once you’ve purchased that coveted jar, bottle or tin, there’s no need to buy the same thing over and over again. Just buy a refill and decant into your prized container. I love the Neal’s Yard Remedies iconic blue bottles for their chic apothecary look, but now that I have one in my bathroom I just top it up from the large bottle refill when it’s empty, saving myself 30% with each purchase. 

3. Adopt reusable beauty accessories

My consumption of single use cotton discs has gone down drastically since I’ve made a couple of easy adjustments:

1. Use washable cleansing pads, muslin cloths, flannels or konjac sponges from The Konjac Sponge Co instead to cleanse. I used to sweep makeup remover across my face with two or three cotton discs, but I find I get a much more thorough cleanse if I use a flannel. Just remember to wash them regularly – Caroline Hirons is a fan of flannels and so am I (they feel more generous than dinky muslin cloths), she recommends – well commands – you to use it once and once only before putting it in the wash to avoid bacteria hanging around and finding its way back on your face. Sound advice.
2. Apply toner to skin directly with my hands, skipping the need for cotton discs entirely. This is so satisfying as you can really press the toner in so your skin, and not the pad, gets the full benefit of the product. And as the product doesn’t soak into the pad, you’re using less and the bottle lasts longer. Win-win. 

In the grand scheme of things, a pack of cotton discs doesn’t seem very pricey, but over a year it adds up, whereas a bunch of flannels or sponges may be a higher upfront cost, but they should last you years.

4. Let subscriptions take the headache out of repeat purchases

Do you have firm favourites in your beauty routine that you love or trust so much, you go back to them again and again? Maybe a cleanser that you always have a spare of because it makes your skin look and feel its best. Or a shower gel that the whole family uses and there’s regularly a bottle of it in your weekly online shop. Those kind of products make prime candidates for a subscription, where you sign up to receive your most frequently used products on a regular basis, ensuring you never run out and saving money in the process. Refill specialist Proverb Skin offer this service, as well as Dermalogica and many others.

5. Make money by recycling

Yes, actually getting paid to do the sustainable thing! Look out for recycling schemes that reward you for bringing in your empties, such as Boots’ scheme. How does it work? Keep hold of your beauty empties (no matter where they were purchased), then once you have a stash of at least five, register on boots.com and scan your empties online, then take them into participating Boots stores and if you spend £10 while you’re there, you’ll receive 500 advantage card points. That’s £5 to spend on your next shop. Not bad for a handful of empties.

Features gifted products.