Refillable beauty products: Saving the earth, one product pot at a time

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Whilst one of the most glamorous, the beauty industry is not exactly environmentally friendly. With over 140 million units of cosmetics packaging being sold each year, more than half of them ended in landfills in Singapore alone.

The solution?

Refillable beauty products – they’re less expensive, and there’s less packaging and waste output. If you’re also looking to adopt a more sustainable beauty routine, check out these beauty brands offering refillable beauty products.

Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin

A modern pioneer in the beauty industry, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin lines are keeping sustainability on the forefront.

Having reduced excess packaging and incorporated recycled materials in its exterior product packaging, the brand is now looking towards innovation.

This includes reimagining new ways customers can reuse Fenty products via smart refills and beyond.

Supporting the agenda would be the newly launched Fenty Icon Semi-Matte Refillable Lipstick Set ($58) which includes a refillable lipstick case and interchangeable lipsticks from the brand. Other products include moisturiser and whipped body cream refill bundles.

Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin products are available for purchase at their websites and at Sephora.

Diptyque

With its classic Eau Rose ($209) fragrance now reimagined with upcycled rose extract, made from discarded rosewater during the distillation process, parfumerie maison Diptyque has already made its stance on sustainability pretty clear.

Whilst their beautifully curated glass hand wash and body lotion jars also make for the most aesthetic bathroom accessories, the accompanying refillable pouches give the company its sustainability status.

You can get the refills for their Velvet Hand Lotion ($69), Exfoliating Hand Wash ($59), Softening Handwash ($59), amongst other refills for their solid perfumes and cartridges for home and car air fresheners.

Diptyque is located at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Rd, #B1 – 33A, Singapore 238872. Open daily 11am – 8pm.

Charlotte Tilbury

Trailblazing the sustainable agenda and mindful beauty purchasing habits, Charlotte Tilbury is coming at you with a plethora of eco-friendly and easy-to-use refillable products.

If you’re a fan of their skincare, you can look towards products like Charlotte’s Magic Cream Refills, ($325) and Magic Eye Rescue Refills ($100) which come in capsules – these can be switched out from the original pots once each capsule is finished.

Make-up from the brand is not far behind, with their latest refillable lipsticks, bronzers and eyebrow pencils making waves.

Charlotte Tilbury products are available for purchase at Sephora.

Lush

A strong purveyor of mindful packaging and sustainability, Lush carries this agenda throughout the production and retail line. Apart from its modern solutions to waste like the solid shampoo bars, Lush’s cosmetics products are also echoes their environmental ethos.

Their Lush Refillable Lipstick Case ($20) in particular, is a plastic-free vintage-style case made from partially recycled aluminium and brass, and can be refilled with Lush’s Naked Lipstick refills. Pick from their bestselling nude or a true brick red for those bold days.

Lush’s Naked range (their iconic bath bombs, bubble bars, etc), are also sold without any packaging to minimize waste.

Lush has multiple outlets in Singapore, and products are available for purchase online at Lush’s website.

Ouai

Let’s talk haircare! With Singapore’s all-year summer, there is no doubt we go through our shampoos and conditioners quickly. And if you are not one of those dry shampoo people – this can mean trouble.

Ouai is here to the rescue, offering refill pouches for essentially all of their shampoos and conditioners.

So you can stock up on your favourite Detox Shampoo Refill Pouch ($83) for a deep cleanse, and the Fine Hair Conditioner Refill Pouch ($83) for those days when you’re looking for volume, softness and strength, at cheaper prices, and do some good for the environment too. 

Their body cleanser and hand lotion is also available in refill pouches as well.

Ouai products are available for purchase on their website and at Sephora. Refill pouches are only available at Ouai’s website.

Rose Inc

We simply can’t resist a good blush – so crucial to our daily makeup routine. If you’re looking for a hydrating a lip and cheek compact that’s buildable, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s new makeup line might have a product for you.

Rose Inc has launched a new Blush Divine Radiant Lip & Cheek Color  ($42) that comes with refills so you won’t have to throw the whole pot away and can try out new colours as you please! Fun, practical and sustainable.

Rose Inc products are available for purchase on their website.

The Body Shop

With environmental awareness at its core, The Body Shop constantly partakes in sustainability, be it via production, recycling or refill initiatives.

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With the motto of “Why waste a container when you can refill it? And why buy more of something than you can use?”, the brand is making the sustainable choice, easy, convenient and accessible for its customers.

With its refill program, customers can pop in to the store, pick up an aluminium bottle and refill up  on haircare, shower gels and handwashes from the best-loved ranges, reuse, and repeat the process.

No more plastic, no more waste, and no more hefty damage to your wallet.

The Body Shop refill station in Singapore is located at ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn #B3-66/66A, Singapore 238801. Open daily 11am–9pm.

This article was first published in City Nomads.