Clean beauty brands that are eco-luxury at its best

Oh, the allure of beauty packaging; it's hard to resist the thrill of unwrapping the cellophane, the release of the ribbon, unfolding layers of cardboard, to get at the promise that lies beneath…

What also follows is the green guilt that creeps in. However, the new sustainable beauty swaps don't compromise on the wow factor – but are all consciously cautious in everything from their formulas to distribution and, of course, that all-important packaging.

The experts are in no doubt that we are almost at crisis point for the planet.

With wake-up-call campaigns from David Attenborough and environmental strategist Professor Johan Rockström and scary statistics and predictions such as more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050 – we should all be doing our bit.

Some brands have whole eco-departments (think Stella McCartney and LVMH). There's also a new initiative such as The British Beauty Council's Beauty Coalition launching early next year to accelerate collaborative change across the UK's beauty sector.

Plus, stores like Selfridges, Net-a-Porter and Cult Beauty all now offer 'conscious' sections – meaning it's easier than ever to shop well.

Other brands start as they mean to go on, with a whole planet-friendly manifesto.

Floral Street is one of those which have pioneered the way. Michelle Feeney, founder of Floral Street, says,

'We apply the four Rs– reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle – to every aspect of our business. We reduce the use of fragrance by having a high concentration, 20%, of oil in our perfumes.

'We encourage people to reuse our glass candle pots and we offer a fragrance refill service in our Covent Garden store.

'You can repurpose our compostable fragrance carton to store your keepsakes or even grow seeds in it, and all our packaging is recyclable.

'We have international accreditation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for being vegan and cruelty-free, enabling us to feature the globally recognised bunny logo.

'Our positive, sustainable actions have secured us with the use of both the World Land Trust and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) symbols.

'The wood fibres we use in our packaging and blotters are certified by the FSC which promotes responsible management of the world's forests.

'In 2019 we received certification that we helped to protect over 4,000 square metres of endangered forest with our carbon off-set via the World Land Trust.

'Also, the 'give back' to the Royal Horticultural Society, who we partnered with on the launch of our Electric Rhubarb fragrance last year, could be equivalent to funding the planting of 2,500 new trees.'

Hats off to the company. And 70% of the beauty industry's waste is from the packaging, which means these spritzes have a seriously sustainable heart.

The question is: what can we do to make our beauty regimes more eco-friendly? Feeney says, 'When I started looking into how I could create a sustainable beauty brand, I was horrified, even by my bathroom cabinet!

'The fragrance industry seemed to be even further behind on the eco-friendly front. So, on a personal level, I started there, as I do every year in my kitchen. I looked at how I could do without, what I could reuse, recycle, or even give away, and began to change my beauty habits.

'I would always encourage people to do this and start to make changes. We can all adopt new behaviours, and even small steps can make a big difference if enough people choose sustainable options.'

So, here are the easy, sustainable swaps that don't sacrifice on quality – so you can set your manifesto of change with CW's guide to the best in planet-friendly beauty and the easy sustainable swaps that are easy to implement and lovely to use.

​Sustainable Spritzes | Floral Street

The fragrance industry has been shrouded in mystery – until now. Floral Street fragrances are not only transparent with their ingredients, but their scents are trailblazing.

We love Arizona Bloom – a nomadic scent with a spirit of adventure, or Chypre Sublime with damask rose, incense and pepper – it's the perfect pairing for a little black dress.

The company has also launched its Scent School, a brilliantly interactive online session, where after receiving the scents in the post, you are guided by the Floralistas, the scent geniuses, so you can sniff out your favourite fragrance: the perfect gift for a socially distanced girls' get-together.

​Chypre Sublime Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £60

Chypre Sublime eau de parfum, 50ml, £60 – buy here

Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum, 10ml, £24

Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum 10ml, £24 – buy here

​Clean skincare | Honest Beauty by Jessica Alba

Honest Beauty spans skincare, tools and make-up and offers vegan, plant-derived formulas with no toxic ingredients.

The uncomplicated range is both botanically based and scientifically proven and is made without any nasties. We love the Magic Beauty Balm that gives skin a lit-from-within glow to rival that of the founder, Jessica Alba.

Honest Beauty Magic Beauty Balm, £16 – buy here

Pro-planet make-up | La Bouche Rouge Make-up

The cosmetic industry is the third most polluting industry, after automotive and fashion. So La Bouche Rouge, decided to make a stand, with a pledge to avoid using plastics, even recycled options, from the formulation process to products, along with distribution in stores.

The range of products for eyes, face and lips is crafted in France, and is sustainable, refillable and totally lust-worthy.

La Bouche Rouge Make-up from £26 – buy here

​Best in basics | Holland & Barrett Reusable Cotton Pads, £8

Holland & Barrett have some great initiatives and brands to invest in.

These clever discs can be used to replace up to 1,000 regular cotton pads, so not only are you helping to save the planet – you'll also save some cash.

Holland & Barrett Reusable Cotton Pads, £8 – buy here

​Finally: Maybelline's Recycle Scheme

According to research carried out by Maybelline, 45% of make-up wearers admit they had no idea it was possible to recycle make-up, while 42% admit they wouldn't know where to start.

Meanwhile, 24% are confused about how to dispose of them properly, resulting in leaving old or out-of-date products in their make-up bags or drawers, even though 83% of make-up wearers would describe themselves as sustainably minded or environmentally aware.

As a result, consumers can now take any make-up item to 1,000 Tesco, Superdrug, Boots, and Sainsbury's stores and deposit their empties in specialist in-store recycling bins. Click here to find your nearest store.

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