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 ingredientsâno 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, youâre actively reducing the amount of non-biodegradable microplastics that go down the drain every day.
Beyond their amazing formulas, theyâre 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 youâve 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, youâll keep that to be reused with your new bottleâreducing 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 ingredientsâitâs about simplicity. Thatâs 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 âhandmade in the kitchenâ personal care brand.
Exfoliants can be the biggest perpetrators of microplastic pollution (havenât we all been tempted by that one Pink Grapefruit scrub promising perfect skin)âbut 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, itâs totally customizable to your skinâs 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: itâs in a glass bottle, with an aluminum lidâperfect 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 moreâwhich 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 PhytonutrientsâŚ) The result? A shower-friendly bottle thatâs 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!
Thanks for publishing this GOOD NEWS…. these are the actions that are quickly displacing the ways of doing things that are not sustainable for people or planet or any living beings. I will take note of these companies from now on and watch for more.