The best brands of zero waste facial cleansers

These cleansing bars are zero-waste alternatives to plastic pots of cleansing lotions. The pink clay bar has a light floral scent. Store on a slatted soap dish, to drain away water.

Avoid shea butter for allergies. Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing. Wash items with cocoa butter or zinc oxide (in sunscreens, cosmetics and deodorants) before letting pets kiss you, or avoid them. 

If your kerbside doesn’t recycle, you can recycle beauty packaging (including pipettes) at Boots or Superdrug stores. 

What is pink clay?

Pink clay is often used in beauty for soothing the skin. A mix of red and white clay, it’s especially good for sensitive, dry and mature skin. It can draw out excess oil and brighten the skin tone.

Unlike harsher clays like bentonite, pink clay calms irritated skin and redness, without stripping natural moisture. For congested skin, look for beauty products containing green clay or charcoal, which are good to absorb oil.

Green People organic facial cleansers

Green People Scent Free Cleanser is a lovely zero waste way to cleanse sensitive skin, suitable for all skin types. It’s made with natural plant-based ingredients to sweep away dirt and even waterproof make-up. This cleanser is a creamy forulation that is especially suitable for people with red inflamed skin or rosacea.

The cleanser contains:

• Calendula to soothe inflamed skin
• Shea butter to deeply moisturise
• Rosemary extract to help protect skin cells
• Inulin prebiotics to balance and hydrate skin
• Plant-based squalane (not from sharks like some brands)

Green People Make-up Remover

Green People Rose Geranium Cleanser is a beautifully scented cleanser for women, scented with real oils of rose geranium. This has been sold for over 25 years, with numerous 5 star reviews, a real classic! Ideal for normal to dry skin.

The cleanser effortlessly sweeps away dirt, oil and waterproof make-up, while leaving skin cleansed and nourishing. As essential oils should be avoided for pregnancy/nursing, choose the scent-free version instead. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies.

The cleanser contains:

• Calendula to soothe inflamed skin
• Shea butter to deeply moisturise
• Rosemary extract to help protect skin cells
• Inulin prebiotics to balance and hydrate skin
• Plant-based squalane (not from sharks like some brands)

Green People Skin Cleansing Moisturiser is a lovely light skin cream that is ideal for teenage or oily skin, with organic prebiotics to keep acne-prone skin cleansed and moisturised. Instead of harsh salicylic acid, this moisturiser  uses black willow bark extract, which gives all the spot-fighting benefits, but gentler on sensitive skin. With scents of ylang ylang, mandarin and sweet orange (from real oils, the aroma also suitable for teenage boys or men).

This moisturiser contains:

• Green tea (rich in antioxidants)
• Willow bark (a non-irritating cleansing acid)
• Prebiotics (to prevent growth of bacteria)
• Aloe vera (naturally calming and soothing)

Green People packs items in recycled or bio-plastics. You can easily recycle packaging at kerbside (or at any branch of Superdrug or Boots, both now have recycling bins for empty bathroom packaging, even toothpastes).

Green People Hydrating Cream Cleanser is a wonderful creamy way to cleanse skin for older women, containing soothing aloe vera (so great for flushed menopausal women). Enriched with omega-3 rich plant oils, this is the ideal skin cleanser, when you need a little more hydration. Scented with oils of mandarin, ginger and ylang ylang.

This cleanser contains:

• Cranberry oil for smooth skin
• Hibiscus to promote skin elasticity
• Pomegranate oil (high in antioxidants)
• Rosehip oil (to help regenerate tissue)

Sbtrct solid skin exfoliator (plastic-free)

SBTRCT solid willow bar facial exfoliator is a zero waste bar sold in sustainable packaging, made with natural ingredients. Created by the former execute of Bulldog Skincare, he decided to create his own zero waste vegan beauty brand, which has fabulous reviews.

This is made with willow bark (a gentler alternative to salicylic acid) and upcycled rice powder, to lift away dead skin cells and decongest pores. Buy the starter kit, then just refills after.

Kleen exfoliating soap (on a rope)

Kleen exfoliating soap (handmade in Kent) is vegan with no palm oil, and sold in zero waste packaging. It also has an integrated rope, to hang in the shower.  So no need for a slatted soap dish.

As we age, our skin cells turn over less and less, and all dermatologists say that regular exfoliation is a good idea. In most cases, more important than moisturiser. This can be done in two ways:

Physical exfoliation can be as simple as using a facecloth or loofah (on your body). Or it can include made products like scrubs made with exfoliating ingredients from oats to coffee grains.

Chemical exfoliation is a bit more advanced. It likely has better results, but you have to be careful as some brands use a lot of chemicals. You’ll likely see these listed as AHA or retinol creams.

Upcircle skin cleanser (with upcycled apricot stones)

Upcircle Beauty is an award-winning brand of skin and hair care, all made with natural vegan ingredients, and sold in zero waste packaging (glass jars, metal lids and cardboard boxes). These products makes use of antioxidant ingredients, that would otherwise be discarded.

Upcircle Cleansing Balm has amazing reviews, and is ideal to remove make-up (including mascara) as well as daily grime, at the end of the day. It’s made with oat oil and discarded apricot stones (from the apricot oil industry), which are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E.

With combined with skin-calming blackcurrant seed, and oils of blue tansy and sea buckthorn, this balm leaves skin cleansed, soothed and hydrated.

To use, just massage a coin-sized amount (with dry hands) between your fingers, and apply to face in upward circular motions. Remove with a warm damp cloth, for a clearer, brighter complexion. Sold in two sizes.

Use with their muslin cloths, fairly-made in India. Easy to wash (do not allow to dry out before laundering, to minimise staining).

Zero waste cleansing facial wipes

EcoSlurps biodegradable face cleaning towels are made from plant-based fibres to make them biodegradable, safe for your skin and the planet. Enjoy a spa-like cleansing experience with these soft and thick towels, durable to handle all your face cleansing needs.

These are the ideal single-use alternative to baby wipes, that clog our waterways and often contain chemicals (and usually come wrapped in plastic). They are also ideal for environments (like medical use) when for hygiene reasons, reusable washcloths are not allowed.

These XL size towels are larger and more absorbent than most brands, so can cleanse your entire face and neck without falling apart, nor leaving lint. Sold in plastic-free packaging too. Ideal for travel.

Why avoid most facial wipes?

Despite the greenwashing, nearly all brands on sale in stores are made from plastic, and also sold in plastic packaging. Many also (wrongly) say they are flushable (there are campaigns to change the law, as this is allowed to be said, due to political lobbying).

Anything made from polyester or polyproplyene is not biodegradable, no matter what the label says. And flushing them down the loo ends up blocking pipes and causing ‘fatberg’s and harming marine creatures. Many also contain artificial fragrance, which agains harms ecosystems when rinse off down sinks.

Battle Green clay facial beauty masks (in paper packs)

Battle Green clay beauty masks are made with natural ingrediens, and sold in easy to use paper packs. Made with kaolin and bentonite clay, plus arrowroot powder.

Choose from several scents (keep citrus and cocoa well away from pets):

• Beetroot rose (with rose geranium essential oil  and mango powder to cleanse pores)
• Chamomile (fragrance-free) with calming chamomile flower powder and turmeric for glowing skin and carrot powder to tone skin
• Charcoal and tea tree is good for congested or acne skin conditions
• Orange raspberry uses upcycled raspberry seeds to gently exfoliate, contains sweet orange oil and hydrating seaweed powder
• Cocoa ginger with soothing ginger oil and hydrating aloe vera powder