The three Rs of sustainability are reduce, reuse and recycle. So once you’ve reduced your consumption by using up everything, reused the products you can repurpose, and ended up with empty bottles and make-up cases, it’s time to recycle — and that’s easier than ever. A number of beauty brands have partnered with TerraCycle, which recycles the unrecyclable. For makeup empties, find a Maybelline recycling point at maybelline.co.uk/store-locator, while Kiehl’s, Deciem and L’Occitane help recycle other empties — and all will collect empties from any brand. Go to terracycle.com/en-UK/brigades to find out more.

The ugly truth about beauty products is that disposing of the detritus they create isn’t easy. For one thing, mascara tubes, foundation sponges and anything else that could be contaminated by microbes or bacteria is actually considered a biohazard, which means you shouldn’t even throw it in the regular garbage.   Beyond that, most cosmetic containers can’t be recycled, even if they’re made of plastic or glass. Blue bin guidelines generally “do not include any material that has liquids, and that can contaminate other materials in the bin,” says Ernel Simpson, a V.P. at TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that has branded itself the go-to for all things “unrecyclable.”   Luckily, TerraCycle offers a few beauty-disposal options. Empties from its partners—Burt’s Bees, Bausch + Lomb, DECIEM, eos, Gillette, Tom’s of Maine and Weleda—can be dropped off at those stores, or sent directly to the recycling company for free.         Devotees of other brands can purchase a Zero Waste Box, fill it up with cleaned out lotion bottles and lipgloss tubes, and send it over to the company for recycling. (There are also Zero Waste boxes for everything from plastic snack packaging to cigarette butts and used chewing gum.)   Here, a few other companies trying to help green your cosmetic disposal routine.       The beauty giant was thinking about recycling well before it was trendy. Its Back-to-M.A.C. program dates back to the 1980s: customers who bring in six empty M.A.C. makeup containers receive a free standard lipstick, lipgloss or small eyeshadow. The brand says it reuses more than 100,000 pounds of material in the U.S. and Canada each year, and anything that cannot be reused is incinerated at waste-to-energy facilities.         A partnership with TerraCycle makes L’Occitane a convenient drop-off hub: customers who bring in empty beauty containers from any brand receive 10 percent off during their store visit. The brand has also pledged that every single one of its bottles will be made of 100 per cent recycled plastic by 2025.       The eco-conscious company’s goal is to get naked—a bunch of its products, from shampoo to body lotion, are sold entirely packaging-free. Last year, customers bought two million shampoo bars, keeping millions of plastic bottles out of landfills or the ocean. Liquid products come in the brand’s signature black pots, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. Customers who return five empty pots get a free face mask.         Another TerraCycle partner, the Body Shop’s Return. Recycle. Repeat. program collects empty packaging from any brand for recycling at all of its Canadian locations (excluding products marked flammable or hazardous, such as perfumes). Bonus: club members get $10 worth of points when they bring back five Body Shop brand containers. It also launched a program last May to buy plastic waste collected in Bengaluru, India, which is recycled into shampoo and conditioner bottles.         Everyone from B.C. to Manitoba can take advantage of this Western chain’s extensive recycling program, available at all of its stores. Makeup isn’t accepted, but small beauty appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons are, as is most packaging, like the hard plastic and Styrofoam that cradles products bought online, as well as batteries and lightbulbs. In the last 10 years, the Canadian retailer has recycled more than 113 million pounds of waste—enough to fill two container ships.  

Becoming more environmentally friendly starts with reducing waste, but is it possible to recycle plastic beauty product packaging? Rose Inc. investigates.

Reducing one's carbon footprint requires a multipronged approach that inevitably impacts every corner of our lifestyle choices, from travel to diet to personal care. When it comes to beauty products, a focus on sustainable ingredients, transparent supply chains, and a reduction of potentially-hazardous chemicals are all vital to consider when going green, but there’s one issue that causes a disproportionate amount of confusion: recycling.   The best way to discard plastic beauty product packaging, like empty face cream jars and lipstick bullets, is as confusing as it is discouraging. As many of us strive to improve our impact, we’re left wondering about the end of life for our everyday consumer goods. How can we prevent the products we buy from building up in landfills or polluting our oceans? Rose Inc. investigates the world of plastic recycling.       Plastic: The Origin Story   Since the 1950s, when plastic as we know it was introduced into society as a durable, cheap alternative to glass and metal, it has been grossly overproduced. Decades later, we’re at an impasse: We simply have too much plastic on planet earth, yet we continue to create it at a staggering rate. It’s estimated that 91% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics that we’ve produced has not been recycled, the vast majority of which is piling up in landfills or polluting the oceans.   The irony of this issue is that the very thing that makes plastic so revolutionary—it’s strong and won’t shatter—is the very thing that’s left our planet in peril. It takes over 400 years for something like a plastic bottle to decompose, and during that lengthy process, it turns to microplastics that leach into the water and soil. Since many types of plastic are made from petrochemicals—like crude oil—the long-term effects of its microplastics are just now being studied.    

Recycling: Reading The Signs

  Recycling your empties is the best course of action for products you already own, so understanding the stamped symbol on the bottom of a plastic container is vital. Although it seems like the iconic, three-arrow shape denotes a product is recyclable, its only purpose is to identify the type of plastic.   “Some common misconceptions about the recyclability of plastic consumer goods and packaging, like beauty products, are that if there is a recycling symbol on it, is it recyclable,” says Marina McCoy, a recycling expert and the founder and CEO of Waste Free Earth, an organization that creates systems to help companies improve their environmental impact. The reality is that only products marked 1 (PETE), 2 (HDPE), and 5 (PP) are widely accepted in curbside bins. Some of these types of plastic commonly include clear and light-colored jars, bottles, and caps.   Tossing products with other numbers into recycling bins is actually harmful to the entire system. “This process is referred to as 'wishful' recycling,” McCoy says. “It leads to high contamination rates at recycling facilities, making it harder for them to separate the recyclable materials amongst all the contaminates.” It’s also important all products placed in curbside bins are squeaky clean, since excess makeup or cream disrupts the sorting process and often leads those products, even if they are accepted, to be thrown away along with anything they’ve dirtied.   Types of plastic that are not accepted in curbside bins often include mascara tubes, lipstick bullets, lip gloss, and anything that has dark or brightly-colored plastic or metal components, like pans and springs. There are, of course, exceptions to these rules and things are changing as more environmentally-friendly plastics increase in popularity, like bio-based plastics made from corn, which many experts believe is the future of consumer goods sustainability.        

Municipal vs Possible

  Another important aspect of plastic recyclability boils down to what programs are in effect where you live. That is, what’s possible to be recycled versus what’s actually accepted at your municipal facility, which may change from time to time based on its value. “Go to your waste facility’s website and search for its recycling guidelines,” McCoy suggests. “Occasionally you may need to email or call them if your product isn't listed.”   Sarah Teeter, global project manager for TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recyclable waste, notes that if a product was not specifically designed to have post-consumer value, it will probably end up being thrown away. "Up until this point, many brands that have been making common products have not really been considering what their end of life solution is,” Teeter says. "Fortunately, that is starting to change, which has a lot to do with consumer awareness and demand." While glass and aluminum are viable options—albeit they have their own downsides—one of the best solutions for 2020 and beyond is recycled plastic.        

Post-Consumer Plastic: A Better Choice

  Arguably the best current solution for the beauty industry is simply slowing the production of new plastic by using post-consumer materials. This prevents new plastic from being made and temporarily reduces the risk of waste ending up in places like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of trash three times the size of France currently floating in the sea. Some brands, like Kevin Murphy and REN, even use plastic reclaimed from the ocean for their packaging, while others, like Pipette Baby, have created metal-free pumps that allow its post-consumer plastic packaging to also be recyclable.  

Take-Back Programs:

  As consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly solutions grow, many beauty brands that sell plastic packaging have implemented ‘take-back programs’ that provide a better end of life solution. Some, like L'Occitane and M.A.C., have internal options for dropping products off at stores, while brands like Le Labo offer discounts for refilling bottles instead of purchasing new packaging. Others, like Boscia and Saie, have partnered with companies like TerraCycle to offer mail-in recycling at no charge to the consumer.   While the beauty industry is still on its path towards sustainability, taking time to identify the types of plastic you purchase, then properly recycle them, is the first step in creating a more beautiful future.

When Alex Grima was a youngster her first fragrance was Daisy by Marc Jacobs.   “Once you’re younger and also you’ve used up that first bottle you don’t need to throw it out as a result of it’s so stunning and you’ve got an emotional connection to it,” says Grima. “You find yourself lugging it round in your bag or hoarding it in your toilet.”   If Grima had needed to eliminate the bottle sustainably, she would have had an issue. Like many magnificence merchandise, the fragrance is available in an advanced packaging – plastic, glass and metallic – that can be hard to recycle. However it was a keeper and “it’s that sense of permanence and worth that we need to join with at this time”.   “We” is Grima and Sue Tuttle, who’ve drawn on these teenage recollections to create a refillable magnificence retailer in Sydney. Australia’s magnificence business is taking steps in the direction of extra accountable disposal for packaging. Jurlique, Biome and Innisfree all have partnerships with the recycling firm TerraCycle, and provide reductions in alternate for empty packaging. MAC Cosmetics’ “Again to MAC” program rewards recyclers with free lipstick.   As the primary high-end recycle magnificence idea retailer in Australia, Foile goals to push these initiatives additional by eliminating disposable packaging.   “Magnificence and skincare is such a excessive consumption business: you employ your face wash and out it goes, you employ your make-up and out it goes,” says Grima. “So many merchandise are packaged in plastic so there’s additionally a excessive environmental affect, however it doesn’t should be that method. If we swap to refillable vessels we will save as much as 70% of the waste that results in landfill.”   Australia has reasonably priced choices for low-packaging and refillable magnificence merchandise, like The Supply, Scoop and Lush, however Folie goals to really feel luxurious – much less hemp fisherman’s pants, extra Stella McCartney. The shop is lined with inexperienced tiles, and visiting it looks like stepping inside an costly aquarium, not a wholefoods retailer.   Excessive-end refillable magnificence is a rising motion all over the world, with New York perfume model Le Labo and French bodycare model L’Occitane providing the service in its shops, whereas the whole line by Danish make-up artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis consists of refillable compacts.   “It’s the identical mannequin we’ve seen in bulk meals that’s now shifting into different markets equivalent to cleansing merchandise to advertise zero waste and minimise packaging,” says Grima. Within the Bondi seaside retailer you’ll discover glass bottles and tubs that may be crammed from 14 totally different oils, gels and clays – working from marula, jojoba and rosehip oils to sea salts, blue clay and rosewater – as a part of the corporate’s Foile Classics vary. Prospects are inspired to combine and match the substances to go well with their magnificence regimens. A 60ml bottle of Moroccan argan oil prices $37 however as soon as the bottle is bought, refills are simply $22, which makes the Folie Classics vary barely cheaper than masstige magnificence manufacturers like The Odd.   Launching a retailer the place the main target is on sharing, touching and sampling has been complicated within the pandemic. Grima and Tuttle had spent 18 months engaged on their refillable idea when Covid-19 hit. “We needed to take into account whether or not our enterprise mannequin would even be viable within the modified local weather however I’m glad we persevered,” says Grima.   All refills are executed back-of-house in a managed and sanitised setting and Grima is quietly assured aware customers will nonetheless come via her doorways.   “We’ve all spent numerous time at dwelling and as we emerge again into the world it’s an opportunity to rethink our behaviours and undertake new ones,” she says. “Folks need to use cosmetics and skincare however they don’t need to really feel dangerous about it.”

2020 has drastically changed our beauty shopping habits. Here, we put small batch beauty production under the microscope to see if it could change the beauty industry for the better.   Sustainability has long been at the forefront of conversations about the future of the beauty industry. As consumers, we’ve become increasingly conscious of our purchasing choices. Is this product cruelty-free? Is this packaging recyclable? Does the brand meet our environmental expectations?   And now, in 2020, sustainable, ethical and conscious beauty is no longer reserved for independent beauty brands; it is the new standard. Big name brands like L’Occitane and The Body Shop have begun partnering with recycling initiatives like Terracycle, while others have made moves to cut questionable ingredients like palm oil from their products. Mass brands have begun to experiment with refillables, whilst small brands have launched campaigns like We are Paradoxx’s Plastic Free Beauty Day. However, as beneficial as these moves have been, we’re beginning to realise that this is only half of the sustainability story.   Just look at the stats: since 1950, only 9% of the world’s plastic waste has been recycled. Around 12% is still burned. With such an alarming majority of our waste still going to landfill or out into nature (including plastic in our oceans); the move towards cleaner, greener beauty should remain the aim, but it’s clear that cleaning up beauty is much bigger task than how we recycle our dispenser pumps. Instead, it’s time to start looking at how many products are made. And that’s exactly why small batch beauty is having a moment.   Small batch beauty is a beauty production method in which products are made in much smaller amounts than is conventional. In this form of production, products are typically handmade rather than made by machines, and it allows brands to minimise waste and avoid overproduction.   The number of products made can be as as low as 100 units per shade or scent and, more often than not, there’s below 5000 units in each production run. This means small batch production is also either low or zero emission. Smaller quantities can also allow for the use of natural preservatives (or no preservatives at all), which in turn means strict use by dates – there won’t ever be loads of stock stored up in warehouses.   Small batch production is not a new phenomenon. One woman leading the charge is Olivia Thorpe, founder of Vanderohe. For her, reduced production sizes are not only more ethical, but also allows her to create the best products for her customers.   “The customer receives a product that has undergone scrupulous human quality control but also a lot of love, care and attention,” she explains. She compares small batch beauty to the restaurant world. “Michelin-starred establishments have a small number of covers specifically to ensure that the food served is nothing short of perfect.”   It’s also an environmental game changer. Vanderohe “blend by hand with no machinery running day and night [so] there is zero carbon footprint in the production process.” But there’s also a significant reduction in waste. “Any errors during production can be mitigated on a very small scale, resulting in very little waste. An error caused by machinery could result in huge batches having to be discarded.”   Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty, believes that small batch production is also better for beauty lovers because it “ensures that consumers have access to the freshest products available.” For skincare, this freshness allows for “the active ingredients to be at their most potent and therefore most effective.”   She also highlights the direct benefit to the environment. “Small batch production tends to support a more sustainable form of farming, avoiding mass monoculture production which is terrible for biodiversity and therefore the environment,” she explains. However, she flags that ultimately the move across to small batch for big beauty brands depends on a change in profit margin strategy that may not be as attractive to customers.   That’s often why it’s only the smaller, independent beauty brands that opt for this form of production. But one big name brand that’s recently experimented with reduced product quantities is MAC. Back in June, it released its first Underground Collection, a product drop made exclusively for loyalty program members.   But unlike the brand’s launches that have come before, there were only 1,000 hand-numbered Extra Dimension Skin Finish compacts produced. This enabled them to “ensure that [M.A.C] didn’t overproduce or end up with excess inventory,” as Ukonwa Ojo, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Global Marketing of M∙A∙C Cosmetic explains to Stylist. According to her, the precious stock of this particular highlighter “sold out in a matter of 55 minutes.”   It must be noted that the main selling point was exclusivity, rather than sustainability. However, because of the positive response so far, the brand plans “at least one M·A·C Underground drop per quarter, with the next launch in the early fall.” The positive response and limited nature of the collection has ultimately demonstrated something new: big beauty doesn’t always have to equal bigger quantities.   Whether this launch provides the blueprint for other big brands looking for a more sustainable approach to manufacturing, only time will tell. But as for now, here are some of the best small batch beauty brands to consider when you’re next stocking up.   The best small batch beauty brands  

• Vanderohe

Created as a result of extensive research into organic plant oils in a quest to find a remedy for severe allergy dermatitis, Vanderohe is a small batch beauty brand that cares. Founded by Oliva Thorpe, Vanderohe is 100% organic, only uses 100% cotton and forest-friendly packaging and even donates a portion of profits to Marine Saver, a leading marine conservation team. The debut product, Vanderohe’s No1 Nourishing Face Serum is the stuff of skincare dreams. Containing rosehip oil and soothing chamomile oil, it’s the perfect addition to any skincare routine, even those with sensitive skin.   Vanderohe No1 Nourishing Face Serum, £88  BUY NOW  

• Maya Njie

Maya Njie (pronounced ‘Maia En-jai’) is a London-based small batch fragrance brand. It’s artisanal scents are inspired by the founder’s Swedish grandparent’s idyllic summer home, combined with the soul of her Gambian and Senegalese heritage. Eau de Parfum in Vanilj is a nod to traditional Swedish combinations of vanilla and cardamom and comes spiced up by punchy patchouli.   Maya Njie’s Eau de Parfum in Vanilj, £85 BUY NOW  

• Emolyne

The slogan of this London-based make-up brand is ‘Your Shade, Your Rules’. Emolyne was borne out of its founder Emolyne Ramlov’s frustration with the one-size-fits-all approach to make-up adopted by most of the industry. With 30 shades across their lipsticks, liners and gel polishes, spanning rich red to neutral hues, you are bound to find something to suit you. The aptly named Metamorphosis Gel Lacquer is perfect for anyone who has finally aced the at-home manicure.   Emolyne Metamorphosis Gel Lacquer, £11 BUY NOW  

• Neighbourhood Botanicals

Neighbourhood Botanicals has fast become slow beauty’s cover girl. All of its formulas are natural, made with ECO-CERT ingredients, are cruelty free and vegan. In early 2020 the brand opened its very own lab in Leyton, east London to scale up, without compromising on sustainability. Sunday Morning Dry Shampoo is perfect for those ‘in between hair wash days’.   Neighbourhood Botanicals Sunday Morning Dry Shampoo, £17 BUY NOW  

• The Glowcery

Vegan, check. Cruelty-free, check. The Glowcery is a plant-based, planet-friendly, small batch brand. Formulating in small batches allows the brand to keep their energy emissions low and preserves the freshness and quality of the products. The Coconut Crumble Lip Scrub is proof great things come in small packages.   The Coconut Crumble Lip Scrub, £12 BUY NOW  

• Skandinavisk

Skandinavisk’s Lempi Hand Cream was designed to nourish and protect skin from cold winds, low humidity, and harsh climates, but as we continue to wash our hands more freaquently than ever, its rich formulation is a must-have for all.   Skandinavisk’s Lempi Hand Cream, £20 BUY NOW  

• Afrocenchix

Black hair has long been overlooked in the beauty industry. After being disappointed by countless products that claimed to be great for afro hair on the high street, friends Joycelyn and Rachael decided to make their own, launching a clean UK beauty brand with environmentally conscious packaging: Afrocenchix. The brand’s first product, Soothe Hair Oil, is perfect for injecting moisture into summer braided styles.   Afrocenchix Soothe Hair Oil, £15.99 BUY NOW  

• MDM Flow

MDM Flow is small batch cruelty-free beauty brand that takes its inspiration from street style and youth culture. Its inclusive colour cosmetics range consists of bright, bold, high quality shades that are suitable for all skin tones. Milkshake is a bubblegum pink hue that works on deep through to light skin tones. MDM Flow Lipstick in Milkshake, £15

  2020 has drastically changed our beauty shopping habits. Here, we put small batch beauty production under the microscope to see if it could change the beauty industry for the better.   Sustainability has long been at the forefront of conversations about the future of the beauty industry. As consumers, we’ve become increasingly conscious of our purchasing choices. Is this product cruelty-free? Is this packaging recyclable? Does the brand meet our environmental expectations?   And now, in 2020, sustainable, ethical and conscious beauty is no longer reserved for independent beauty brands; it is the new standard. Big name brands like L’Occitane and The Body Shop have begun partnering with recycling initiatives like Terracycle, while others have made moves to cut questionable ingredients like palm oil from their products. Mass brands have begun to experiment with refillables, whilst small brands have launched campaigns like We are Paradoxx’s Plastic Free Beauty Day. However, as beneficial as these moves have been, we’re beginning to realise that this is only half of the sustainability story.   Just look at the stats: since 1950, only 9% of the world’s plastic waste has been recycled. Around 12% is still burned. With such an alarming majority of our waste still going to landfill or out into nature (including plastic in our oceans); the move towards cleaner, greener beauty should remain the aim, but it’s clear that cleaning up beauty is much bigger task than how we recycle our dispenser pumps. Instead, it’s time to start looking at how many products are made. And that’s exactly why small batch beauty is having a moment.   Small batch beauty is a beauty production method in which products are made in much smaller amounts than is conventional. In this form of production, products are typically handmade rather than made by machines, and it allows brands to minimise waste and avoid overproduction.   The number of products made can be as as low as 100 units per shade or scent and, more often than not, there’s below 5000 units in each production run. This means small batch production is also either low or zero emission. Smaller quantities can also allow for the use of natural preservatives (or no preservatives at all), which in turn means strict use by dates – there won’t ever be loads of stock stored up in warehouses.   Small batch production is not a new phenomenon. One woman leading the charge is Olivia Thorpe, founder of Vanderohe. For her, reduced production sizes are not only more ethical, but also allows her to create the best products for her customers.   “The customer receives a product that has undergone scrupulous human quality control but also a lot of love, care and attention,” she explains. She compares small batch beauty to the restaurant world. “Michelin-starred establishments have a small number of covers specifically to ensure that the food served is nothing short of perfect.”   It’s also an environmental game changer. Vanderohe “blend by hand with no machinery running day and night [so] there is zero carbon footprint in the production process.” But there’s also a significant reduction in waste. “Any errors during production can be mitigated on a very small scale, resulting in very little waste. An error caused by machinery could result in huge batches having to be discarded.”   Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty, believes that small batch production is also better for beauty lovers because it “ensures that consumers have access to the freshest products available.” For skincare, this freshness allows for “the active ingredients to be at their most potent and therefore most effective.”   She also highlights the direct benefit to the environment. “Small batch production tends to support a more sustainable form of farming, avoiding mass monoculture production which is terrible for biodiversity and therefore the environment,” she explains. However, she flags that ultimately the move across to small batch for big beauty brands depends on a change in profit margin strategy that may not be as attractive to customers.   That’s often why it’s only the smaller, independent beauty brands that opt for this form of production. But one big name brand that’s recently experimented with reduced product quantities is MAC. Back in June, it released its first Underground Collection, a product drop made exclusively for loyalty program members.   But unlike the brand’s launches that have come before, there were only 1,000 hand-numbered Extra Dimension Skin Finish compacts produced. This enabled them to “ensure that [M.A.C] didn’t overproduce or end up with excess inventory,” as Ukonwa Ojo, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Global Marketing of M∙A∙C Cosmetic explains to Stylist. According to her, the precious stock of this particular highlighter “sold out in a matter of 55 minutes.”   It must be noted that the main selling point was exclusivity, rather than sustainability. However, because of the positive response so far, the brand plans “at least one M·A·C Underground drop per quarter, with the next launch in the early fall.” The positive response and limited nature of the collection has ultimately demonstrated something new: big beauty doesn’t always have to equal bigger quantities.   Whether this launch provides the blueprint for other big brands looking for a more sustainable approach to manufacturing, only time will tell. But as for now, here are some of the best small batch beauty brands to consider when you’re next stocking up.   The best small batch beauty brands  

• Vanderohe

Created as a result of extensive research into organic plant oils in a quest to find a remedy for severe allergy dermatitis, Vanderohe is a small batch beauty brand that cares. Founded by Oliva Thorpe, Vanderohe is 100% organic, only uses 100% cotton and forest-friendly packaging and even donates a portion of profits to Marine Saver, a leading marine conservation team. The debut product, Vanderohe’s No1 Nourishing Face Serum is the stuff of skincare dreams. Containing rosehip oil and soothing chamomile oil, it’s the perfect addition to any skincare routine, even those with sensitive skin.   Vanderohe No1 Nourishing Face Serum, £88  BUY NOW  

• Maya Njie

Maya Njie (pronounced ‘Maia En-jai’) is a London-based small batch fragrance brand. It’s artisanal scents are inspired by the founder’s Swedish grandparent’s idyllic summer home, combined with the soul of her Gambian and Senegalese heritage. Eau de Parfum in Vanilj is a nod to traditional Swedish combinations of vanilla and cardamom and comes spiced up by punchy patchouli.   Maya Njie’s Eau de Parfum in Vanilj, £85 BUY NOW  

• Emolyne

The slogan of this London-based make-up brand is ‘Your Shade, Your Rules’. Emolyne was borne out of its founder Emolyne Ramlov’s frustration with the one-size-fits-all approach to make-up adopted by most of the industry. With 30 shades across their lipsticks, liners and gel polishes, spanning rich red to neutral hues, you are bound to find something to suit you. The aptly named Metamorphosis Gel Lacquer is perfect for anyone who has finally aced the at-home manicure.   Emolyne Metamorphosis Gel Lacquer, £11 BUY NOW  

• Neighbourhood Botanicals

Neighbourhood Botanicals has fast become slow beauty’s cover girl. All of its formulas are natural, made with ECO-CERT ingredients, are cruelty free and vegan. In early 2020 the brand opened its very own lab in Leyton, east London to scale up, without compromising on sustainability. Sunday Morning Dry Shampoo is perfect for those ‘in between hair wash days’.   Neighbourhood Botanicals Sunday Morning Dry Shampoo, £17 BUY NOW  

• The Glowcery

Vegan, check. Cruelty-free, check. The Glowcery is a plant-based, planet-friendly, small batch brand. Formulating in small batches allows the brand to keep their energy emissions low and preserves the freshness and quality of the products. The Coconut Crumble Lip Scrub is proof great things come in small packages.   The Coconut Crumble Lip Scrub, £12 BUY NOW  

• Skandinavisk

Skandinavisk’s Lempi Hand Cream was designed to nourish and protect skin from cold winds, low humidity, and harsh climates, but as we continue to wash our hands more freaquently than ever, its rich formulation is a must-have for all.   Skandinavisk’s Lempi Hand Cream, £20 BUY NOW  

• Afrocenchix

Black hair has long been overlooked in the beauty industry. After being disappointed by countless products that claimed to be great for afro hair on the high street, friends Joycelyn and Rachael decided to make their own, launching a clean UK beauty brand with environmentally conscious packaging: Afrocenchix. The brand’s first product, Soothe Hair Oil, is perfect for injecting moisture into summer braided styles.   Afrocenchix Soothe Hair Oil, £15.99 BUY NOW  

• MDM Flow

MDM Flow is small batch cruelty-free beauty brand that takes its inspiration from street style and youth culture. Its inclusive colour cosmetics range consists of bright, bold, high quality shades that are suitable for all skin tones. Milkshake is a bubblegum pink hue that works on deep through to light skin tones. MDM Flow Lipstick in Milkshake, £15

From refillable products, zero-waste packaging and ocean waste plastics, to what you can and can't actually recycle, Kelsey Ferencak and TerraCycle's Jean Bailliard explain how to properly dispose of your #empties.

the brand has partnered with Terracycle – the global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials – to ensure that its capsules are all 100 per cent recyclable. The scheme allows customers to return their empty capsules for free to avoid landfill.