No More Single-Use: Your Complete Guide To Eco-Friendly Beauty Products

As we traverse an increasingly eco-conscious world, beauty, like other lifestyle factors, is becoming more about the footprint you leave behind. With climate anxiety and conscious consumption at the heart of Gen Z culture, single-use cotton pads and makeup wipes feel like relics of the past.

Nowadays, brands are launching eco-friendly beauty products, which are chic, sustainable, and surprisingly cost-effective. For the Singaporean cool girl balancing Sephora hauls with sustainability, these swaps are as aesthetic as they are practical.

What are eco-friendly beauty products

Think of eco-friendly beauty products as the glow-up that cares as much for the planet as it does for your skin. In addition to doing their skincare jobs, they’re created to reduce waste, avoid harmful or non-biodegradable ingredients, and promote sustainability across their life cycle from packaging to production and usage.

In most cases, the eco-friendly beauty movement shows up in three main ways: reusable tools, refillable packaging and sustainable ingredients. At its core, it’s self-care that saves Mother Earth and saves you money – since refills tend to be cheaper and reusability usually means a one-time cost.

Where to shop eco-friendly beauty products in Singapore

Good news: you don’t have to fly overseas or scroll shady TikTok shops to find eco-friendly beauty products. Singapore’s beauty scene is catching up, and these spots have all the things you need:

Sephora – Beyond Fenty Skin and MakeUp Eraser, Sephora now highlights eco-conscious brands like Tatcha and Glow Recipe. Look for their “Clean at Sephora” and “Planet Aware” labels if you want formulas free of nasties and in sustainable packaging.

The Green Collective SG – A one-stop eco hub at Funan Mall where you’ll find sustainable beauty, fashion and lifestyle products from local brands.

Local zero-waste stores – The Sustainability Project and Unpackt carry reusable and earth-friendly personal care and lifestyle essentials.

K-beauty flagships – Innisfree and Laneige have refill pods or eco-packaging options in their Singapore outlets.

Need help to get started on doing your part for the environment? Here are some eco-friendly beauty products we recommend!

Eco-friendly beauty products you should get

1. Reusable cotton rounds

Say goodbye to stacks of disposable cotton pads. Local zero-waste store The Sustainability Project carries reusable cotton rounds that are soft on skin and perfect for removing mascara or applying toner. To put things into perspective, it can replace as many as 125 disposable cotton pads!

2. Safety razor

Disposable plastic razors dull quickly and pile up in landfills. A safety razor made using eco-friendly materials such as wood or stainless steel from homegrown brands like Bamboo Straw Girl and The Sustainability Project is the grown-up upgrade. With replaceable blades, it’s a one-time investment that saves you from constant pharmacy runs.

3. MakeUp Eraser cloth

The cult-favourite MakeUp Eraser wipes away even waterproof makeup using just water! Lasting up to a thousand washes or three to five years, it’s a godsend for those who want to save on makeup remover. It is also your best travel companion, saving you the space and weight of carrying makeup remover and cotton pads or a thick pack of makeup wipes.

4. Biodegradable masks

A biodegradable mask like the Foreo UFO Mask that is made from natural seaweed and Tencel lets you take care of your skin and Mother Earth. In contrast, single-use sheet masks are often made using a complex combination of materials including non-biodegradable plastics and microfibers.

5. Refillable beauty pods

From cushion compacts to moisturising cream, refillable packaging is now mainstream. K-beauty favourites like Laneige and Innisfree offer refill pods, so you can get your staples without tossing the entire container.

Eco-friendly beauty products are the new cool

The next time you need to restock your beauty essentials, consider swapping out the boring, wasteful basics for eco-friendly beauty products that are smarter and way more chic. With beauty trends travelling fast and sustainability becoming a lifestyle flex, these products prove that you don’t need to give up your beauty routines to glow up responsibly and be planet-conscious.

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