How to Green Your Beauty Routine
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Your bathroom produces more plastic waste than anywhere else in your home — but the swaps are simpler than you think.
Dear IMPT Family,
Beauty and personal care products come in endless plastic bottles. Shampoo, conditioner, face wash, moisturiser, deodorant, sunscreen — each one a new container to bin after three months or two months. A typical person generates roughly 8 kg of plastic from beauty and hygiene products annually.
The good news: most beauty routines can be converted to lower-waste versions without sacrificing effectiveness or luxury. Some swaps are direct one-to-one substitutes. Others require small habit tweaks. All of them work.
Here’s a practical guide to the biggest wins.
🔥 Key Highlights 🔥
1️⃣ Solid shampoo and conditioner bars instead of liquid bottles
2️⃣ Refillable deodorant and body care instead of single-use sticks
3️⃣ Bar soap instead of liquid hand or body wash
4️⃣ Solid skincare and multi-use balms instead of separate jars
5️⃣ Where to buy refillable beauty products and build your routine
1️⃣ Solid Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
A solid shampoo bar is roughly the size of a bar of soap and lasts as long as 2–3 bottles of liquid shampoo. You wet your hair, rub the bar directly on your scalp (or lather in your hands first), and shampoo normally. The same goes for conditioner bars.
Cost: a bar costs 6–12 euros and lasts 2–3 months of daily use. Liquid shampoo costs 4–8 euros per bottle and lasts 1–1.5 months. Over a year, bars are cheaper and eliminate two plastic bottles per person per month.
There’s a transition period — most people with thick or curly hair will need a few weeks to adjust. Solid bars work differently than liquids. But once adjusted, most people report their hair is healthier. The natural oils that surfactants in liquid formulations strip away stay intact.
Buy brands that use natural ingredients and minimal packaging. Bar shampoo shouldn’t come in plastic — it should arrive in cardboard or paper.
2️⃣ Refillable Deodorant Instead of Single-Use Sticks
Plastic deodorant sticks end up in bins by the millions. Refillable deodorant comes in a reusable glass or metal container, and you buy cardboard refill cartridges that slot in. One container might last 5+ years; you only replace the refill.
Cost: a refillable deodorant kit costs 15–25 euros. Refills cost 5–8 euros and last 3–4 months. A traditional stick costs 3–5 euros and lasts 2–3 months. Over five years, refillable systems are cheaper by roughly 50 percent.
Natural deodorants (without aluminium) work equally well, and refillable options exist for both deodorant and antiperspirant.
3️⃣ Solid Bar Soap Instead of Liquid Hand or Body Wash
Bar soap is ancient, effective, and produces zero plastic waste. A single bar lasts 2–3 weeks of daily use. Liquid hand wash comes in a plastic pump bottle and lasts 2–3 weeks at similar cost.
The math: one bar of soap produces zero packaging waste (or minimal cardboard). One bottle of liquid produces plastic waste. Bar soap also travels lighter — fewer emissions if you order online.
The only catch: bar soap dries out if left in standing water. Get a small wooden or metal soap dish that lets it drain between uses. That’s a one-time purchase of 3–8 euros.
Buy unscented or naturally scented bars. Many commercial bars contain synthetic fragrances and stabilizers that wash into waterways.
4️⃣ Multi-Purpose Skincare and Balms Instead of Multiple Jars
Most skincare routines involve multiple products: cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye cream, lip balm, maybe a mask. That’s 6+ jars or bottles in your bathroom.
Minimalist skincare uses fewer, better products. A natural oil (jojoba, rosehip, argan) can be cleanser, moisturiser, and lip balm. A solid balm can serve as face moisturiser, lip balm, and cuticle cream. This consolidation cuts plastic waste and usually costs less overall.
This requires experimenting to find what works for your skin type. But once you do, your routine simplifies and your waste plummets.
Buy products that come in glass jars or aluminium tins, not plastic.
5️⃣ Where to Buy Refillable Beauty Products
Most major cities now have dedicated refill shops. Check apps like Package Free to find ones near you. Many also operate online and ship refill cartridges to your door.
For brands: Unwrapped Life, Originalee, Wildcraft, and others specialise in refillable beauty. Conventional brands like Lush make solid cosmetics and bar shampoos. Some supermarkets stock solid shampoo bars now too.
A starter kit might include: a solid shampoo bar, a bar conditioner, a solid deodorant, bar soap, and a multi-purpose oil. That’s 5 products to replace roughly 12–15 plastic bottles in your bathroom annually.
Looking Ahead — Your Bathroom as a Conscious Space
The beauty industry has normalized overpackaging and single-use products. Reversing that is simple: buying solid versions, buying refillable versions, buying less overall.
Your skin doesn’t need 15 products to be healthy. It needs one good cleanser, one good moisturiser, and sun protection. Everything else is optional. Stripping down reveals what actually works for your skin — and for the planet.
Let’s keep building — together. 🌍💚
