If you’ve already got your eco-friendly cleaning down pat, it’s time to overhaul your beauty routine. From eliminating single-use plastics to taking more notice of the ingredients on the label, there are a few ways that you can make your personal grooming kinder to the planet. These products are here to help.
Fineau Basics shampoo and conditioner bars
Pronounced “fine-oh!” (for fine Australian basics), Fineau Basics sells shampoo and conditioner, face cleanser, body wash and moisturiser – all in bar form. It’s a simple solution to the waste associated with liquid packaged products. One shampoo bar is equivalent to three to four bottles, while a conditioner bar is equal to up to six. Plus, the packaging is biodegradable and comes sealed with a seeded paper stock, meaning you can plant it in your backyard instead of throwing it in the bin.
With a background in chemical engineering, founder Nicollette Sale spends a lot of time researching and testing the products to ensure each one is gentle, green and safe. She developed the brand after creating natural products for her daughter, who lives with autism and suffers from sensitive skin. A cancer survivor herself, Sale is especially wary of endocrine disruptors and has found that brassica-based ingredients (kale, broccoli and brussel sprouts), which are biodegradable, renewable, non-GMO and palm-free, are good for our skin, too. Soap-free, sulphate-free and silicone-free, the shampoo and conditioner bars are designed to balance the hair and scalp’s natural pH without leaving residue or stripping natural oils.
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SHOP NOWPearlii Biofloss Easy Picks
How often do you actually floss? Pearlii’s Biofloss Easy Picks are here to keep your dentist and the planet happy thanks to the 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable pick handles. Swap out synthetic strands for the brand’s mint-flavoured cornstarch-based thread, which also comes in a refillable bamboo dispenser.
Founded by Dr Kyle Turner, a Wiradjuri man and epidemiologist, half of all profits go to the company’s trucks, which provide free dental services to vulnerable groups in Australia. Opt in to a subscription and keep your pearly whites in check all year long.
Orris face- and body-cleansing bars
With its bars of soap that are almost too beautiful to use, Orris has changed the way we perceive the everyday sink essential. The Paris-born brand was founded in 2020 by friends Kenneth Koo and Lani Le Bere, an Australian expat who now calls France home. Koo has suffered from eczema and psoriasis his entire life, and makes products that suit his own sensitive skin.
The brand’s four face- and body-cleansing bars are inspired by holistic practices, such as herbalism, Ayurveda and Japanese cleansing rituals. For example, the hydrating and healing Le Botaniste bar is filled with botanical ingredients like St. John’s Wort, comfrey leaf, calendula petals and montmorillonite clay, and scented with peppermint and patchouli essential oils.
Make My Shave razor
Launching a sustainable shaving subscription was a no-brainer for Lindsay Kinniburgh, co-founder of Make My Shave. Frustrated with the lack of high-quality shaving options for women, and unhappy with the environmental impact of disposable razors, she created a kit that’s all about reducing, reusing, recycling and regenerating.
The weighted metal handle is designed for a comfortable hold, with just the right amount of curve to navigate those hard-to-reach spots, while the pivoting head is key to nick-free shaving. The five-blade heads are surrounded by an aloe vera- and vitamin E-infused moisture cushion to reduce irritation (although a plant-based shave bar is on the cards for 2023) and can be returned to the brand via a prepaid mailer for proper recycling once you’re done with them.
Habitual Beauty Hydrating Sleep mask
We all love the gentle hug that a moisture-rich sheet mask can give tired or dehydrated skin, but the single-use element of most products isn’t sexy. Habitual Beauty’s Australian-made, cruelty-free Hydrating Sleep mask comes packaged in a 100 per cent recyclable glass tub and is rich enough to revive most skin types. Leave a generous layer on overnight or use this intense treatment as a pre-event pick-me-up in conjunction with a facial roller to reduce the appearance of fine lines and puffiness.
Foile Angel Eye Jellies
If you’ve ever needed to fake the appearance of a good night’s sleep, chances are you’ve reached for a pair of under-eye masks to help plump and nourish the skin. Sydney brand Foile has found a solution to disposable patches with its silicone Angel Eye Jellies. Simply dab a generous amount of your favourite eye serum onto your face and pop the jellies in place to lock in hydration, awaken and depuff. When you’re done, rinse and dry the patches before storing them in the aluminium case until they’re needed for your next moment of self care.
Wildhood deodorant
Not all natural deodorants are created equal. And convincing tweens and teens to use any BO-fighting formulas, let alone earth-friendly alternatives, can be somewhat of a struggle. Unsatisfied with the offering available for their respective kids, Wildhood founders Jodi Millhahn and Malika Calder created products to match the energy and attitude of active, adventurous families.
With scents inspired by Australian landscapes, summer holidays and good vibes, the brightly packaged products are Australian-made, and free from aluminium, phthalates, preservatives and fillers. Natural face and body care products are in the pipeline, to further ease that adjustment to adulthood. But people of all ages can use (and love) the brand’s no-nasties products.
Flavedo & Albedo Forever makeup rounds
Sustainable makeup brand Flavedo & Albedo has made a name with its infinitely recyclable aluminium pots and high-pigment vegan formulas. But the waste-free mentality doesn’t stop there. The brand’s Forever makeup rounds are a pack of eight washable and reusable makeup rounds, which eliminate the need for cleansing wipes or disposable cotton pads. Four of the rounds are made from bamboo cotton velvet, which is super soft and suitable for sensitive eye areas, while the remaining four come in a softly textured bamboo cotton terry, perfect for removing makeup and applying treatments or toners. After use, hand wash with warm water and soap or simply pop them in the mesh laundry bag and throw them in with your next load.
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