Looking for zero-waste and plastic-free makeup and cosmetics brands? Right this way! I’ve got six sustainable UK brands for you to know about, all eschewing single-use plastic.

A couple of precious makeup items of mine have just run out. A lovely peachy cream blush, and some black eyeshadow that I use to line my eyes.

As much as I have loved these products, the packaging they are in is plastic-based. Rather than do the easy thing and replace like for like, I’ve been in prime research mode for the last little while. This has seen me searching out zero-waste and plastic-free cosmetics, to see what’s out there before I make any purchases.

The Guardian reports that cosmetic packaging is the hardest to recycle. This is due to the mixed materials used in every product – from compacts to lipsticks, and more. As such, I’ve been down all sorts of internet rabbit holes, and come up with what I believe are the best sustainable cosmetics brands in the UK.

Here’s what I found!

The Zero Waste & Plastic-Free Makeup Brands To Know

For this guide, I’ve focused on the plastic-free makeup brands that cater to a wide range of skin tones, from pale to dark skin. In this day and age, no one should be left out of the makeup discussion.

Use the quick links to details about a specific brand, or keep scrolling for the full guide:

HoneyPie Minerals

UK-based HoneyPie Minerals – available at Etsy – offers its entire range of mineral-based makeup – including foundation, blusher, bronzer and eyeshadow – in plastic-free and compostable refill bags, from just £5. You can refill any makeup jar of your choosing, making it a true zero-waste solution.

What’s also to love about HoneyPie Minerals is that its entire award-winning range is both vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. The 100% natural ingredients contain no harsh synthetic chemicals, talcs, nano-particles, parabens, fragrances, or additives. Being mineral-based, the makeup offers long-lasting wear so frequent touch-ups become a thing of the past.

HoneyPie Mineral’s foundation is available in 12 inclusive shades. Meanwhile, with 8 different shades of eyeshadow and 5 different shades of blusher, you can change up your look as often as you like without leaving a plastic footprint.

Facetheory

Facetheory also has a great range of affordable cosmetics – all packaged in plastic-free aluminium tubes or recyclable glass jars. This includes foundation in 13 different shades, blusher in four shades, primer, and loose powder. These all come in at under £15, apart from the primer which is £16.

All Facetheory products are made in the UK, using vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. It’s PETA-approved and Leaping Bunny accredited. Plus all products are free of parabens, silicones, polyethylene glycol (PEGs), sulfates, mineral oils and other nasties.

The one point to note is that you generally can’t recycle aluminium tubes in the UK. This is because they have often got food, toothpaste or skin care product residue inside them which can contaminate other recyclable products. However, you can save up your metal tubes and upcycle them in clever ways.

Get 20% off your first order when you sign up for Facetheory’s mailing list.

RMS

RMS Beautyavailable in the UK at Space NK from £22 – sells a beautiful range of plastic-free makeup products, packaged mostly in metal and/or glass. The brand gets rave reviews and has many celebrity endorsements, including from Meghan Markle.

What’s more, RMS prides itself on using only natural and organic ingredients, sourced from sustainable sources, that soothe and soften skin. As such, all of its products are cruelty-free, and many of its products are vegan-friendly. And in terms of inclusivity, their foundation comes in 16 different shades.

Kjaer Weis

Kjaer Weisavailable in the UK at Naturisimo from £18, sells cruelty-free and certified organic natural makeup in beautiful refillable metal compacts. Even the lipsticks and mascaras are refillable. What’s more, their foundation caters to 12 different skin tones.

Kjaer Weis is admittedly at the pricier end of the plastic-free makeup spectrum. However, its products do get rave reviews from all around the internet. And they are truly beautiful items that you will want to cherish forever. The initial price shock is overcome when you realise that once you’ve bought a cream blush in its beautiful compact, for example, the refills are £17 cheaper.

Their

Their – available in the UK at Ethical Superstore from £10.75 – sells a wide range of plastic-free and certified cruelty-free makeup and beauty products in refillable bamboo boxes. What’s more, all products are 100% natural, vegan, and certified organic by Ecocert. Plus, its foundation is available in eight inclusive shades.

The only point to note is that Zao says that some of its refills are housed in recyclable plastic – particularly liquid products. Meanwhile, many refills come in shrink-wrapped plastic. As such, you may want to check this before purchasing.

Fat & The Moon

Fat & The Moon is a US brand sold in the UK at Peace With The Wild. From highlighters to lip and cheek stains, to lipsticks, there is a small but perfectly formed selection of zero-waste makeup. These are all completely plastic-free – coming packaged in metal tins and cardboard.

As well as being free of plastic, its makeup is made from 100% natural ingredients. Fat And The Moon works with abundant, organically cultivated and ethically harvested plants to create its products, all of which are completely non-toxic. No synthetic chemicals are used in any of its formulations. What’s more, the brand is also cruelty-free and avoids palm oil.

Vegans note that Fat & The Moon products contain beeswax so are not vegan-friendly.

More Sustainable Makeup Top Tips

If you have any other plastic-free or zero-waste makeup recommendations then let me know. I would love to hear!

I’ve also got tons of top tips when it comes to greening your beauty routine.