With empty containers at the ready, Rosie Greenaway checks out consumer options for beauty refills – from shampoo to eye make-up – and discovers that despite requiring some effort on the part of the shopper, refills offer rewards aplenty
The beauty refill sector is undergoing a quiet evolution. While it may never completely shake its reputation as something only dedicated ‘deep greens’ would take the time and effort to engage with (those with the patience for messy spills on the shop floor, perhaps), the sector is growing up and growing into itself, with a broader range of refill options becoming available – and the everyday shopper is starting to take notice.
That’s all thanks to inventive minds laterally thinking their way out of previously unsolvable problems – such as how to create a refillable mascara or incentivize shoppers to bother with the perceived hassle of returning their empties to be washed and refilled.
For the modern, busy consumer the concept of refills may appeal from an environmental standpoint but the practicalities of making it work in everyday life may be off-putting. However, anyone who is already part of the refill revolution knows that once the habit becomes ingrained the process feels easier and the benefits are plentiful.
Exploring the latest Faith in Nature shampoo scent? Try before you buy the full size: fill an empty bottle with enough for a few washes and see how your hair responds before financially committing to several litres.
Running out of that can’t-live-without night cream but don’t have time to traipse across town with your empties? Simply purchase from a brand like UpCircle – which offers Freepost returns labels plus 20% off the next refill purchase for its rich Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid & Niacinamide – and then go about your daily life while the product wings its way back to your door.
Looking to lighten your plastic footprint? Whether it’s an old, branded container or a beautiful new ‘made for life’ vessel designed specifically for bringing eco refills into the bathrooms of style-conscious consumers, the habit of refilling beauty products makes a small but important dent in a person’s single-use plastic output.
“The beauty eco sector has had a turbulent couple of years,” comments Joelle Hillman, retail client partner at marketing platform Awin, who has seen fluctuation in the refills market. “As might be expected, it saw huge growth through Q1 of 2021 during lockdown (up 136% year-on-year (YoY) with consumers ordering … refills directly to their doors. Yet, from April 2021 as restrictions lifted, performance began to drop … showing negative YoY performance throughout the remainder of the year.” The sector picked up again as 2021 concluded, she says, ‘with more consumers purchasing eco-friendly beauty products and subscriptions for their loved ones’ during the festive season. In the first half of 2022 Hillman saw another drop, but says that from June sales sprung up 14% YoY.
“We’re seeing a greater focus on ethical e-commerce in the beauty space, with all major beauty advertisers on the network now featuring an eco or sustainability section on their websites. We expect to see beauty refills growing in popularity. Although, it’s likely that consumers with less disposable income will face little choice than to prioritize affordability over sustainability as the cost of living crisis continues.”
Cost versus conscience
Ultimately, refills are a matter of accessibility, both in a practical and financial sense; a retail model which walks the tightrope between cost and conscience. Consumer A might have the means to pay for refills and the awareness of where to access them; consumer B might wish to reduce their consumption of packaging but not have the funds to support their ethics. Indeed, paying for product without paying for packaging can result in a lower price point per litre – but not necessarily. Until more cosmetics are produced at scale for the refills market, this approach to beauty will only serve those who can afford it.
In an ideal world all consumers would have the desire and means to switch to sustainable beauty in refillable formats, abandoning toxic bathroom cabinet staples overnight. But we don’t live in an ideal world and beauty lovers are notoriously loyal to their favourite names, which is why beauty refills cannot dominate the market until mainstream giants jump aboard – and not just with a token refill product laden with all the usual nasties.
Yes, the likes of Nivea might be flirting with the idea of refills; to its credit the brand released an Eco Refill Hand Soap which simply requires the addition of lukewarm water to a tab placed within a biodegradable bottle. And couture label Christian Louboutin might offer a refillable red lipstick to match the soles of its famous red heels, but to truly penetrate public psyche in a meaningful and longevous way means targeting people in a range of settings outside of their daily routines – stations, hotels, supermarkets, high streets and airports.
There can’t be many travellers who haven’t at some point reached the departure lounge and made a panic purchase in Boots. Prior to the travel blackout of the pandemic, 15.5 million UK adults were ‘grabbing it at the airport’ after maxing out the capacity of their clear plastic ‘liquid and gels’ bag. Alarmed by the amount of plastic waste generated by cosmetics miniatures (980.8 tonnes annually, or two-and-a-half Boeing 747s), start-up Circla piloted a scheme at Luton airport. The premise was a pop-up selling toiletries in reusable mini containers which could be dropped off empty at arrivals when the passenger returned. Prices ranged from £1.50 to £7.99 and Circla shifted more than 4,000 miniatures in six weeks. That’s one airport; imagine this operation at scale. The company’s efforts to change hardwired public behaviour is what mainstream beauty should be attacking like a boss. But where big budget beauty goes, restrictive red tape follows, so progress can be slower for giants than for the smaller, more agile brands.
Capsule collection
In our sector at least progress is all leaps and bounds. For Vic Wood, founder of Greener Beauty, refillable skincare would be a ‘struggle’ because the retailer doesn’t have a bricks and mortar space, but refillable make-up sells remarkably well. In fact, Wood says that organic make-up label Zao is her best-selling brand, receiving ‘a lot of really positive feedback’. “Our customers love the range.” And it’s vegan too – as a woman who built her business based on her own ethics, she ‘wouldn’t have it any other way’.
“The only thing that is not refillable from Zao is the nail polish [and] nail polish remover, for obvious reasons!”
Wood highlights Zao’s mascara, housed in long-lasting bamboo casing; inside is a black plastic tube (the refillable component). In instances where hygiene is a prohibitive factor – you can’t use the same mascara wand forever – the brand looks at reducing waste rather than eliminating it. “Obviously it’s not totally plastic-free but it’s a lot better than a standard plastic one,” she says.
Zao’s liquid eyeliners, liquid foundations and matt powder foundations aren’t 100% plastic-free, but plenty within the range can be refilled easily, coming in metal casing which gets inserted into old palettes – for example, the eyeshadows and eyebrow SKUs, all stocked by Greener Beauty.
The beauty – pun intended – of this system is that customers can design their own combinations. “Gone are those days when you had a palette with colours you never use,” says Wood. “There are a number of pre-set palettes [with] ten shades … but you can also buy a Duo Palette (an empty palette) and you can put in two different colours of eye shadows – whatever shades you want. Or they do big palettes that are empty and you can then just fill it however you want … powder, blush, eye shadows or eyebrow powders.”
Wood, a former wedding make-up artist, says that this is how she organizes her personal make-up bag – “I have one of the big palettes and I just refill what I use” – and it was also a system which worked when she had bridal clients. “I’d turn up for the trial before the big day … with all my make-up. But on the wedding day what I’d have is my palette and everything would be in it, so it would be easy to apply that make-up quite quickly – obviously it’s time-critical. It just makes life a bit easier. Especially going away – you grab that one palette and your brushes, and you’re off.”
Another reason Wood sings Zao’s praises is the company’s willingness to listen. “We had a customer who [had] a plum eye liner and she said: ‘It would be great if you could do a mascara in the same colour’. I fed that back to Zao and eight months later they released a mascara in the same colour. She was over the moon. And it sells quite well; where else would you buy a plum mascara? Great for blue eyes.”
Wood has also been impressed by benecos’ refillable palettes for eyeshadow and pressed powder, which have a magnetic base to secure the refills; and Scottish brand Love the Planet, whose founder created ‘mineral powder foundations, eyeshadows, blushers and concealers which come in an aluminium tin’, with the refills presented in kraft compostable pouches. “We sell quite a bit of her stuff. It’s really lovely. I use the Mineral Translucent Perfecting Powder every day; I really rate it.”
Elsewhere in Greener Beauty’s virtual refill aisles are Faith in Nature’s five-litre bottles which ‘do sell quite well’ (the brand reports that by getting its customers to switch from smaller bottles to refill formats, 40 tonnes of plastic waste is saved each year); and milly&sissy’s powdered washes and deodorants which can be purchased as a sachet alone or with a bottle. “You could just use your own bottle, but their bottles are beautiful! The theory with milly&sissy is it makes it cheaper and better for the environment – not only are you mixing the water yourself but that water is not being transported.”
Organic top-ups
Sophie Robinson, business development manager – organic beauty, wellbeing and textiles – Soil Association Certification, says that among the association’s certified organic brands are four which offer beauty refills: Fushi Wellbeing, with its five litre Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash ‘which can be found in some refill stores’; UpCircle, with its full range of skincare; liquid and cream deodorant refills from Crystal Spring; and Naveen, a brand based in Taiwan – “They do super-cool face masks where you refill the lotion – sadly not available here!”
Robinson sees the benefits of refills extending beyond the obvious issue of packaging and CO2: “Where refill stores offer it, you can easily pick up your shampoo at the same time as the rest of your shopping, rather than having to place an online order. Refilling products is usually cheaper than buying new, meaning you can save money or afford a higher quality of product.
“Consumers are more aware than ever of their impact on the environment, especially younger generations who will have to live through the reality of climate change. Refillable beauty offers an answer. I think UpCircle is a clear example of how popular this could be, experiencing huge growth over a short time frame. [They are] a great example of postal refill services.”
Robinson says that ‘what we see in Europe demonstrates’ that in ten years refillable beauty could be the norm.
Body Wash – Starter Kit
ETHOSA
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ethosa.co.uk
ETHOSA is a waterless refillable personal care brand that enables anyone to create their own shower products in seconds. Their first product is a powder-to-gel body wash that comes with a lifetime refillable bottle and a natural konjac sponge. The plant-based shower powder activates upon contact with water and creates a pH-balanced foaming gel. Inspired by Aromatherapy, the invigorating scent is a blend of Eucalyptus, Bergamot & Rosemary natural essential oils. Mixing your own body wash – easy as one-two-three. Stir the shower powder with your own water, transfer it to the bottle, shake vigorously, and hit the shower. Welcome to the Powder Refillution!
benecos Beauty ID
Pravera Ltd
Tel: 01557 870203
E-mail: [email protected]
www.benecos.uk
Travel the world with Beauty ID!
The new, sustainable paper palette from benecos that can be customised and refilled again and again – as individual and versatile as you! Choose from 22 organic, vegan and all natural eye, lip and cheek infills for your plastic-free palettes that can be refilled, swapped, and updated to become as unique as you are! Want a hand in designing your perfect product? Check out benecos’ pre-designed palettes inspired by amazing cities from around the globe, from Florence to New York, where will your Beauty ID take you?
Zao 351 Gold Sublime Mosaic
Zao Essence of Nature UK Ltd
E-mail: [email protected]
www.zaomakeup.com
Zao Makeup launches Sublime Mosaic, a radiant illuminating powder that creates a healthy glow with a very natural tanned effect. The powder uses a mosaic of 342 Copper Caramel Mineral Cooked Powder to create a natural tanned shimmer, 327 Coral Pink Compact Blush to add a luminous glow to all skin tones and a brand new 312 Golden Shine-Up Powder to highlight skin with a golden hue. These 3 powders can be mixed or used individually to create different looks. Available in bamboo case or as a refill for Zao’s plastic-free palettes, this amazing addition is perfect for the festive season.
UpCircle Beauty – Refillable Skincare Range
UpCircle Beauty
Tel: 07706 644718
E: [email protected]
www.upcirclebeauty.com
UpCircle Beauty was founded on seeing value in things that already exist. That’s why they upcycle literally hundreds of tonnes of leftover natural ingredients into sustainable award-winning skincare.
As the UK’s #1 upcycled beauty brand these pioneers are known for refillable skincare and incredible eco credentials. Their packaging return scheme is hailed by Marie Claire as “hands down one of the best [they’ve] seen”, saving over 20,000 pieces of virgin packaging from being produced. UpCircle’s full range of skincare is available by kg/L in a closed-loop refill system – designed for zero waste shops, hotels, spas, and beauty treatments.
Their range of 45 products upcycles over 20 different by-product ingredients. The bestselling and dermatologically approved ‘Face Moisturiser with Vitamin E + Aloe Vera’ is made using argan shells left over by a women’s argan oil cooperative in Morocco, helping provide rural employment for women whilst fighting food waste.
An UpCircle best-sellers sells every 90 seconds so it’s no surprise to see they’re backed by derms and celebs alike – and sold in over 40 countries worldwide! With accessibly priced lines ranging from £2.99 to £24.99 RRP, they offer skincare, body care, accessories, candles, and try-me/travel sizes. Their festive launches include ‘Twelve Days of UpCircle Beauty’ (£99.99 RRP), with 12 brand new products inside it’s already been named by Glamour and Refinery29 as one of the top beauty advent calendars of 2022!
UpCircle isn’t just a pioneer of refillable by-product beauty, they were also one of the first Certified Plastic Negative brands – funding the removal of twice as much ocean bound plastic than they create in their entire supply chain. UpCircle is Vegan, COSMOS and Soil Association Approved Organic, Certified Cruelty-Free by Leaping Bunny and on the B Corp Certification journey.
Good for the world, good for your skin, what a good idea.
