Zero waste cosmetics: zero plastic products that care about the environment

Zero waste cosmetics and zero plastic cosmetics are an ecological and effective solution to your skin, body and hair care needs.

In recent years, more and more of us are looking for a more sustainable way of living, which does not weigh on the Planet and which respects all forms of life that share it with us.

Changing habits is often scary: is solid shampoo as effective as my usual shampoo? Will solid makeup remover be right for my skin? Will solid conditioner be right for my hair?

As I often tell you in my posts, there is no cosmetic suitable for all needs, but there is the right cosmetic for you.

In this post I'll tell you about some of the features of zero-waste and zero-plastic cosmetics and help you choose the one that's right for you!

Why choose zero-waste cosmetics?

Zero-waste cosmetics, whether solid or powder, have many advantages for the environment:

• they are often "naked", that is, they do not have bottles or packaging as in the case of solid products;
  
  
• when they have external containers, they are made of paper, which is easily recyclable;
  
  
• They are more compact and lighter to carry. This makes them more practical to take with you to the gym or on a trip, but also reduces the environmental impact of transport and shipping;
  
  
• They are concentrated and last longer than liquid products: one bar of solid shampoo is equivalent to two bottles of liquid shampoo

Zero-waste cosmetics: pay attention to the ingredients

When choosing a zero-waste product always check the ingredients!

If you choose to buy on Yumibio you have extra peace of mind, because we have already checked them for you before adding the product to the shop!

If you buy from other channels, always check the list of ingredients that you find on the product: the packaging or the formula alone are not enough to make it low impact!
Indeed, it is important that ingredients and formulations are respectful of the environment and that products are made in an ethical and sustainable way.

The best zero-waste body products

If you have chosen to try zero-waste cosmetics I recommend you start with body cleansers: they are very simple to use and you won't notice the difference compared to liquid ones!

Surely you have used a body soap at least once, but you probably stopped because of some bad experience with a harsh soap that dried out your skin.

Don't worry: well-formulated soaps don't dry out your skin, but rather leave it soft and smooth!

To complete your zero-waste body routine, continue with a solid body cream .
It also looks like a traditional soap and you can use it directly in the shower, on still damp skin, to hydrate and nourish your skin.
Highly scented, natural and super-concentrated, solid creams and body butters take care of your skin in a light and eco-friendly way!

Even in a zero-waste routine, deodorant cannot be missing. Surely you have already used a stick deodorant, but with zero-waste deodorants you do not need disposable plastic wrappers!

In fact, you can find effective deodorants with refillable sticks, but also deodorants contained in a cardboard stick, spray deodorants in an aluminum bottle or cream deodorants in an aluminum jar.

All you have to do is choose the format you prefer and the most effective formulation for your skin and your lifestyle!

Zero-waste skincare products

Zero-waste skincare products are also effective, compact and easy to use.

For facial cleansing, you can now find many types of soaps for all skin types, from delicate facial soaps to those specifically for oily skin, but also nourishing soaps for dry skin or soaps with anti-redness ingredients.

Even for facial exfoliation you can find zero-waste scrubs, solid with paper container or even creamy with aluminum container.

Always make sure to use microplastic-free scrubs that have natural exfoliating granules such as hazelnuts, almonds, sugar or coffee.

Even for the next steps of skincare, there is no need to make any sacrifices!
You can find on the market many serums, face creams, masks formulated with natural ingredients and presented in aluminum or glass containers.

The best zero waste face masks

The best zero waste face serums

The best zero waste face creams

Zero-waste shampoo and conditioner

Usually the first experiments with solid and zero waste cosmetics are those done with shampoo and conditioner.
However, in my experience, these are the cosmetics that are most difficult to get used to and therefore I recommend that you introduce them once you have already become familiar with this type of product.

Solid, zero-waste shampoos and conditioners are now just as effective as traditional ones, but a few extra precautions are needed to use them correctly and without feeling nostalgic for our old products!

To use a solid shampoo, I recommend that you wet your hair and hands very well and lather the bar between your hands. Massage the resulting foam into your scalp, just like a normal shampoo.
Especially if you have long hair, I advise against lathering the bar directly on your head, to avoid creating knots in your hair and not distributing the product well.

To use the conditioner, proceed in the same way: take the product between wet hands and then massage it into the lengths.

In both cases, there is no need to overdo it: the products are very concentrated and you really only need a little at each use!

The best zero waste shampoos

The best zero waste hair conditioners

Now that I've told you more about zero waste cosmetics, solid cosmetics and zero-plastic cosmetics, all that's left to do is try them!

The extra tip

Zero-waste and zero-plastic are often used as synonyms, but this is not really the case: zero-waste indicates a product that does not produce waste of any kind.
Zero-plastic refers to products that have containers made of materials other than plastic, such as paper, glass or aluminium.

Not all materials can be used to contain cosmetics, but there are essential requirements regarding the safety of the product and its conservation.

While a zero-plastic choice may seem more eco-friendly at first glance, this isn’t always the case!
All materials used have a life cycle that includes all the energy, resources and emissions of each phase of the product's life, from its production to its disposal.

According to studies, glass production is in fact enormously expensive to make and dispose of, just think of the resources that must be extracted for its production.
In fact, it would be necessary to use a glass bottle three times to bring its carbon footprint to the same level as that of a plastic bottle.
If plastic is recycled, it will be necessary to use 20 times as much glass to lower its carbon footprint to the same level!

In Europe, however, glass reaches recycling rates of over 75%, while only 30% of the plastic produced is recycled.

The real solution is therefore not in the choice of the bottle, but in its correct use and disposal.
For this reason, here are some extra tips for an even more sustainable life!

- buy only the cosmetics you need and use them in the right quantities, keeping an eye on expiry dates and PAO to avoid product waste;
- choose cosmetics with essential and functional packaging;
- reuse containers when possible and, if you can't, recycle them properly according to your municipality's regulations.

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