New York (PIX11) The beauty industry continues to become more and more eco-friendly. Elle announced the winners of the Green Beauty Awards. Since its inception, there have been hundreds of submissions. Kathleen Hou, who is the beauty director at Elle, shared some of the 2023 winners for PIX11’s Dan and Hazel.
Refillables
Kate McLeod The Stone: Kate McLeod’s Forest Stone is a palm-size orb of cocoa butter and plant-based oil, which melt with body heat to become a silky yuzu-and-woodsy- scented body moisturizer. The “stone” comes packaged in recyclable paper and a reusable (and compostable) bamboo canister, and you can purchase refills online ($45; katemcleod.com)
Magic Beans
The sustainable beauty world’s newest stars—castor beans—are replacing plastic components in unexpected ways.
Tangle Teezer: Castor beans have been remade into hairbrush bristles in Tangle Teezer’s The Plant Brush ($18; tangleteezer.com).
Next Gen Aerosols
Fekkai Dry Shampoo: Fekkai Clean Stylers Sheer Dry Shampoo has an invisible, oil- absorbing formula powered by Honeywell’s Solstice Propellant, an aerosol technology that can help cut carbon dioxide emissions by 99 percent compared to traditional propellants. ($26; fekkai.com)
Planet Friendly Packaging
Half Magic Eyeshadow Singles: Half Magic’s Eyeshadow Singles are straightforward: Toss the outer packaging, made of plastic-free PaperFoam, into your recycling bin or compost. ($12; halfmagicbeauty.com)
Much Less Waste
Common Heir 2%: Common Heir 2% Ceramide Barrier Boost Serum comes in single-dose, biodegradable capsules that preserve potency and are completely waste- and plastic-free. The capsules deliver the perfect amount of serum, leaving no visible trace (other than your now less-stressed-out skin). ($88; commonheir.com)
Emma Lewisham Supernatural Sleeping Mask ($110) Kiwi Emma Lewisham wanted to take clean beauty to the La Mer-level of luxe—and it just happens to be the world’s first carbon positive beauty brand, too. This overnight mask has 22 different actives including gardenia jasminoides extract, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and rose flower water to work overnight to help your skin rebuild collagen and hydrate. The carbon footprint of the product of every product is always shared (this one is 23.81 kgCO₂e/litre) and when you purchase a refill pod (over a new product), you’re reducing your glowy skin’s carbon footprint by 67 percent.
Innovative Ingredients
Brands are in the lab to find safer, more sustainable substitutes for problematic ingredients. Palm oil, for instance, has been linked to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, unfair labor practices, and wildlife endangerment.
Palmless Save the F@#%ing Rainforest: The self-explanatory Palmless Save the F@#%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil is instead powered by torula oil, a multipurpose, novel oil that’s created in a lab. ($45; gopalmless.com)
The Maker Writer Candle: The Maker’s candles are not just some of the best-smelling ones in the industry, but also vegan (made with non-GMO soy), cruelty-free, and formulated without phthalates, parabens, formaldehydes and synthetic dyes. The fluted vessels are made with post-consumer-recycled glass, and perfect for upcycling to become holders for makeup brushes or household clutter. The Writer scent smells like smoke, with the faintest hint of wet ink, making it the perfect accompaniment for Sunday morning paper time. ($80)
