The Rise of Refillables: 10 Beauty Products You Can Refill and Reuse
Packaging waste is one of the beauty industry’s biggest problems. An estimated 114 billion single-use packaging units are thrown away each year, with a staggering 95% of cosmetic packaging discarded after use. Thankfully, refillable products are gaining popularity as an eco-friendly solution. Refillable packaging – from aluminum bottles to glass jars – can dramatically cut waste. In fact, industry research notes that major brands like L’Oréal, Unilever and P&G are introducing refill options (stations, refills, etc.) in. Reusable containers not only reduce plastic pollution but also lower response to consumer demand energy use, since making less new plastic saves resources. Dermatologists and packaging experts also emphasize that refillables offer convenience and even cost savings over time. For example, some refillable lines give returning customers a discount – a win for wallets and the planet.
Here are 10 common beauty products you can switch to refillable or reusable versions: 1. Shampoo & Conditioner: Many brands now offer refill pouches or in-store refill stations for hair care. For instance, The Body Shop has “nearly 800 stores” worldwide where you can rinse out an old bottle and refill it with your favorite shampoo or conditioner. Choosing shampoo bars is another zero-plastic option; solid bars like Lush or Ethique save millions of plastic bottles (Lush alone claims to have saved ~6 million bottles globally with shampoo bars). For liquid hair care, look for brands like Amika or Plaine Products that sell concentrated refills or reusable aluminum bottles. Even DIY fans can buy bulk shampoo and decant it into a keep-around bottle.
2. Body Wash and Soaps: Traditional body wash comes in plastic bottles, but you can avoid that by using refill pouches or soap bars. Companies like Ethique and Dr. Bronner’s sell solid body wash and soap bars that lather up just like liquid but with zero waste packaging. Other brands (e.g. Love Beauty and Planet) offer large refill pouches of body wash and lotion – just pour the pouch contents into your pump bottle at home. Bar soaps and shampoos are inherently reusable and fully plastic-free. If you still prefer liquid, stores such as packaging-free cooperatives or even some salons now provide bulk soap refills where you can reuse the same bottle over and over.
3. Facial Cleanser: Cleansers are another easy refill swap. Look for micellar water or makeup remover in refill pouches, or invest in a cleansing balm/bar. Many sustainable brands (e.g. Barefaced, Cote, Plaine Products) have concentrated cleansers in compostable pouches or glass bottles that can be refilled. Even drugstore lines are experimenting: REUSE by the Body Shop sells solid makeup removing pads and concentrates that you add water to. When shopping, check if the brand has a mail-back or refill program (some French pharmacies have refill stations for toner and cleanser). And as triplepundit notes, streamlining your routine (fewer steps/products) can mean fewer containers used overall. 4. Face Moisturizer & Lotion: Lotions and creams often come in bulky plastic jars. Sustainable alternatives include glass jars with refill pouches (like Plaine Products moisturizer) or concentrated creams where you mix a drop or two. For example, some brands ship creams in steel tins that you can refill from bulk. Other options are natural butters (shea, cocoa) in reusable tins, or formulations delivered in capsules with biodegradable casings. Refillable moisturers are offered by certain natural brands, and making your own face oil by mixing nourishing oils in a reusable bottle is another zero-waste habit. Always rinse and reuse old jars for new batch, or look for brands that allow you to send empties back.
5. Mascara & Eye Products: Cosmetic compacts are increasingly refillable. Brands like Kjaer Weis, Elate, and Tarte have eyeshadow, blush, and powder compacts with metal inserts you can pop out and refill when empty. Some high-end mascaras (e.g. Elate’s) use aluminum tubes that you send back for refill, and lipsticks with swap-out cores are also available. Even if a product itself isn’t refillable, consider bulk alternatives: for mascaras, use a long-lasting formula and replace only when truly empty (avoiding premature toss-out). Refillable rollers or pencils (ink pens style) exist for eyeliners.
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invest in solid palettes or reusable metal pans whenever possible, and dispose of paper or compostable palettes rather than plastic ones. 6. Lip Balms and Lipstick: Look for lip products in biodegradable or reusable packaging. Some brands (Axiology, Ethique) offer lip balm in push-up paper tubes. Others sell aluminum case lipstick bases with replaceable inner bullets. Similarly, solid tinted balms or wax-based sticks often come in refillable cases. Instead of flimsy plastic chapstick tubes, try making your own balm and storing it in a tin, or get bulk sticks. A little container of coconut oil or shea butter works wonders on lips and can be reused endlessly, too.
7. Sunscreen: Sunscreen is essential, but the bottles can be wasteful. Pick mineral sunscreens that come in recyclable aluminum or glass bottles, or find reef-safe formulas in cardboard packaging.
Some brands (UpCircle, Stream2Sea) offer non-aerosol zinc sticks in reusable tins. Even sunscreen sprays now come refillable at some salons or in larger refill pouches for home use. If you can’t find a refill, get the largest container you can and use it till the very last drop. Reusable pump containers (rinsed and refilled with a new batch) is another strategy.
8. Shaving & Grooming Products: Refillable versions of shaving gel, shaving cream, and grooming products are emerging. For women and men, consider soap or conditioner bars that double as shaving lather (like solid creams). For electric shavers or razors, use metal razor blades (safety razor) or refillable plastic safety cartridges. Traditional shaving creams are often available in aluminum or glass jars (foamy soaps) that can be topped up or refilled. Products like beard oil or hair styling gel often come in glass with dropper – simply reuse the bottle and make your own mix of a natural wax or oil after finishing the store-bought one.
9. Makeup Palettes: Multi-color palettes (eye, face palettes) can be refilled by pressing in loose pigment or powder. Brands like Alima Pure and Tarte allow ordering refill pans for eyeshadows, blush, etc. Instead of disposable plastic palettes, choose magnetic customizable palettes where you insert single pans of color (that you can refill from jars). For loose powders (setting powder, blush powder), keep them in glass jars which you can easily refill.
10. Deodorant: Traditional deodorants use a lot of plastic. Good refillable alternatives exist: aluminum-cased deodorant sticks (Twenties, Liberty, and others) often come with refill cartridges or as a reusable tube you fill with paste. Compostable cardboard tubes (Fat and the Moon, Kopari) mean you just toss the outer tube. And there are glass pot deodorants where you spoon out product (these pots can be reused or recycled). If buying bar deodorant or cream in metal tins, simply refill from large bulk buckets made by some local makers or DIY using organic shea/clay blends.
Incorporating even a few refillable swaps in your routine can significantly cut plastic waste. Each time you refill a bottle or reuse a container, you’re actively reducing demand for new packaging. Over time, this shift spares oceans, landfills and emissions from producing fresh plastic. Your takeaway: Start small but start somewhere. Try refilling just one product, and watch how much trash you save from the bin (and keep that "serious plastic pollution" from the environment). Embrace refillables and you’re not only being eco-friendly, but also sending a message: sustainable beauty works, one refill at a time.
Disclaimer
Educational content only. Not medical advice.