4 Beauty Brands Breaking the Plastic Mold

Microbeads have been getting a lot of attention recently when it comes to our beauty and care products. We hear why they’re bad (think: tiny plastic pieces directly entering our waterways), but it’s not as easy to identify them. At EarthHero, we do the work to choose products that say no to microbeads, so you can shop assured that your beauty routine will be microbead-free!

From microbeads to packaging, here are four of our favorite companies tackling the ugly side of the beauty industry: plastics.

Plaine Products

True to their name, Plaine Products uses plain & simple ingredients–no microplastic particles allowed. All their personal care formulas are carefully crafted from all-natural, vegan ingredients that are power-packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Instead of using nasty parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, Plaine uses aloe vera as their main ingredient in their hair and skin care, an ingredient long known for its healing and nourishing properties. Our favorite part? Their formulas contain no palm oils, and are designed to easily biodegrade! That means with every wash, you’re actively reducing the amount of non-biodegradable microplastics that go down the drain every day.

Beyond their amazing formulas, they’re taking plastic-free a step further with their innovative 3-step refill system. Step 1: When you shop Plaine Products for the first time, you can choose if you want your 100% aluminum bottle to come with a plastic pump, or not! Step 2: Enjoy! Step 3: When you’ve used up your shampoo/conditioner/hand soap/lotion/whatever, you can ship the bottle back to Plaine Products to be refilled with your favorite product. If you opted for the plastic pump, you’ll keep that to be reused with your new bottle–reducing the amount of plastic used in the long run!

S.W. Basics

S.W. Basics knows that great skincare is about more than just great ingredients–it’s about simplicity. That’s why they use only truly natural and certified organic ingredients, with no GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or other yucky additives. Many of their products proudly flaunt having less than 5 ingredients, inspired by their humble roots as a “handmade in the kitchen” personal care brand.

Exfoliants can be the biggest perpetrators of microplastic pollution (haven’t we all been tempted by that one Pink Grapefruit scrub promising perfect skin)–but S.W Basics is different. Their 3 ingredient exfoliant contains no plastic microbeads, relying instead on organic oat and almond flours with a touch of mineral-rich sea salt to naturally remove dry and dead skin. Plus, unlike normal scrubs, it’s totally customizable to your skin’s needs. Feeling extra dry? Mix the powder with olive oil to moisturize while you scrub. Dealing with acne or troubled skin? Mix the powder with yogurt to neutralize the bacteria that causes pimples. The best part: it’s in a glass bottle, with an aluminum lid–perfect for your plastic-free skincare routine!

Seed Phytonutrients

Fact: the typical American creates 4.4 pounds of waste every day, with 30% of it from packaging. Seed is on a mission to open the world’s eyes to the ugly side of the beauty industry: plastic packaging. They’re making a difference with their innovative shower-friendly bottle, made with recycled materials. The compostable outer sleeve and recyclable inner bladder design is used for their shampoos, conditioners, face washes, and more–which are all crafted from organic ingredients, not plastic chemicals.

They start with post-consumer materials, giving old materials a new life through recycling. A specially designed exterior mold allows the 100% post-consumer paper to become densified, and is coated in clay to become water-resistant. For the interior they take post-consumer plastic, forming it to be an extremely thin layer. Instead of glue, this inner belly interlocks with the exterior paper layer, which can be removed to reveal a packet of seeds (get it… Seed Phytonutrients…) The result? A shower-friendly bottle that’s just as sturdy as the other guys, with 60% less plastic overall. Read more about the ingredients and plastic-free packaging of Seed: here.

Bestowed Essentials

Bestowed Essentials is here to show you that natural is absolutely beautiful. Created by a self-proclaimed hippie, Bestowed Essentials has been earth-focused from the start. The founder, Christianna, started this company with a simple line of all-natural soaps in 2016. She has kept to those ideals, and has grown her beauty line to include charcoal tooth powder, herbal toners, and shampoo bars!

Their inspired products are made without any chemicals or plastics (looking at you, microbeads), from the ingredients to the packaging. Check out their soaps, for example. Not only are they made with all natural ingredients, including essential oils, real fruit, natural extracts, and hydrating seed oils, but they’re packaged in a 100% recycled (and recyclable) box! Their charcoal tooth powder? Packaged in an easy-to-reuse glass jar. Even their bath salts are housed in a 100% biodegradable cellophane bag!