Upcycled Beauty: Transforming Waste Into Skincare

Upcycled skincare represents a unique approach to sustainability, transforming waste materials into beneficial skincare products. This inventive niche within the upcycling realm repurposes discarded items. Just like coffee grounds, a popular ingredient, a myriad of other organic materials, including various fruit remnants and leaves, are finding new life in skincare formulations. Adding to their distinctiveness, the upcycled skincare brands listed below also offer unique and eco-friendly refill programs. These initiatives reduce waste and emphasise a circular economy in the realm of personal care.

UPCIRCLE BEAUTY

UpCircle Beauty, a pioneering skincare brand established in the UK, has gained recognition for its innovative use of upcycled ingredients into their product formulations. This vegan, organic, and cruelty-free brand was built to fight against waste. Beginning its journey by repurposing coffee grounds, UpCircle Beauty has since expanded its vision, exploring a variety of other upcycled elements. The brand now includes unique items such as reusing of date seeds from date farming, nourishing face moisturizers made from discarded argan shells, and rescued flower petals from wedding venues and florists. UpCircle Beauty's inventive approach contributes to a more circular and waste-conscious beauty industry.

    
(Image Credit: UpCircle Beauty)

    

In 2022, Pulpe De Vie introduced giant XL ecopack formats designed for longevity. Each item contains 400ml of product, packaged in containers that are both recyclable and reusable. These formats are created to last twice as long, providing customers with sustained use without an increase in price. In the coming years they are set to launch a range of eco-friendly refillable products.

UNI

Uni is a refillable body care brand founded by Alexandra Keating in Australia. It offers body care products made from sustainable and upcycled ingredients. For instance, Uni's distinctive handwash is crafted using upcycled olive pits from Australia. Recently, they introduced a travel-sized kit, the "Mafia Bags Upcycled Sail Dopp Kit," created in collaboration with Mafia Bags, which upcycles donated sails into sustainable bags.

    

The brand is built around a refill system. It is designed for durability, and all the items are meant to be recycled and refilled, aiming to eliminate single-use plastic from ending up in landfills and oceans. Uni's packaging is built for refills, and once it's completely used, the brand accepts the packaging back to recycle, ensuring a zero-waste cycle.

LOLI BEAUTY

Loli Beauty is a vegan skincare brand in the U.S. that embraces a waste-free philosophy by formulating products with upcycled ingredients. Dedicated to zero-waste principles, the brand innovatively sources materials from the food waste of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. These organic discards are then distilled and transformed into a range of products for hair, skin, and body care. Emphasising their water-free skincare commitment, Loli Beauty's latest collaboration with Sumo Citrus has resulted in an upcycled cleansing jelly. This product is crafted from discarded mandarins, ensuring that unused fruit is repurposed.

    

Loli Beauty holds on to their "Pack4Good" philosophy, which involves the use of reusable and recyclable eco-friendly packaging. Over the next three years, their goal is to design and prioritise a system that focuses on reusable and refillable options. The brand is also committed to exploring materials that have the lowest environmental footprint, continuously seeking ways to minimise their impact on the planet.

Upcycled skincare is an innovative territory within green beauty, exploring the reuse of waste to set new standards in the skincare and beauty industry. It offers sustainable, eco-friendly options that are gentle on people and, most importantly, kinder to the planet.