10 Upcycled Beauty Brands that are Giving Discarded Food Waste a New Life
Image: Le Prunier
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WHAT IS UPCYCLED BEAUTY?
Who would have thought that used coffee grounds, bruised fruit, or fruit pits could be the star ingredients in skincare products? Upcycled beauty products give discarded food waste a new life by using waste products to create delicious new cleansers, balms, and scrubs. It’s all the rage in the skincare world right now, and let us tell you — the trend is here to stay.
We know the idea of discarded fruit or old tea leaves in your face mask might take some getting used to. But not only is it great for the planet, it can do wonders for your skin too. For example, did you know that brewed coffee grounds actually contain more antioxidants than unused ones?
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A BRAND:
Read the ingredient list carefully. Make sure the product is free of nasty toxins like parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, and synthetic colors or fragrances.
The brand should be cruelty-free, and plant-based is always a plus.
Look out for national or international certifications like ECOCERT, USDA Organic, or Leaping Bunny Certified.
Sustainable packaging: Is it reusable, recyclable, or compostable?
Is the brand paying its workers a living wage? What about ethical worker conditions?
Bonus points if the brand is BIPOC-owned!
NOW, OUR TOP PICKS FOR UPCYCLED SKINCARE BRANDS:
1) UpCircle Beauty
Upcycled ingredients: Used coffee, stone fruit pits
If you’re a fan of coffee, this one’s for you. London-based UpCircle Beauty uses upcycled Arabica coffee grounds in most of its products, which they get from local cafes in London. They have a range of coffee scrubs, including a floral blend face scrub ($22) for sensitive skin, & a body scrub with peppermint ($22). The coffee is blended with coconut and shea butter, so the scrubs are not only exfoliating and brightening, but also incredibly nourishing.
If you’re not a coffee girl, they also use fruit stones and chai spices in their products. Check out the cinnamon + ginger chai soap bar ($10) or our favorite Kaolin clay face mask ($26), made with ground discarded olive stones.
2) Kadalys
Upcycled ingredients: Rejected bananas
Kadalys rescues bruised or “ugly” bananas and extracts the banana bio-actives for its skincare products. Banana oils contain essential fatty acids, vitamin E, phytosterols, and polyphenols, all of which promote skin health. The antioxidants in the oils help with skin nutrition and hydration and prevent aging.
Kadaly’s products are certified organic by ECOCERT and are free of nasty parabens, silicones, and synthetic dyes and fragrances.
3) Cocokind
Upcycled ingredients: Used coffee
Cocokind’s products with their Asian-inspired flavors are the stuff skincare dreams are made of — plus it’s Asian (woman) owned! While upcycled ingredients aren’t the core focus of their collection, we love this scrubbing clay ($19) made with used coffee grounds which are sourced from a local coffee manufacturer in California. Made with coffee grounds which gently exfoliate, prebiotic chicory root which helps feed your skin biome, and red clay which deeply cleanses skin and prevents clogged pores, this is an all-round star product.
4) Three Ships
Upcycled ingredients: Leftover bark extract
The Radiance Grape Stem Cell + Squalane Day Cream ($35) from Three Ships contains one of the most unique ingredients in this list: Upcycled bark extract, which is high in polyphenols that aid in skin elasticity, hydration, and calm redness. The extract is made up of four types of upcycled tree barks (red maple, black spruce, yellow birch, and jack pine) that are by-products of the lumber industry in Quebec, Canada. The bark goes through an extraction, filtration, and purification process before it’s finally used in the skincare products.
5) Circumference
Upcycled ingredients: Leftover olive leaves
This regenerative gel cleanser ($48) from Circumference is a great option if you’re looking for a gentle, daily cleanser. The key bioactive ingredient is an olive extract which comes from upcycled olive leaves. Circumference partners with Brightland Olive Oil for their Waste-Not Sourcing Initiative to upcycle their organic olive oil by-products into luxurious skincare products. The olive extract is rich in antioxidants, making the gel ultra purifying, healing, and restoring. Your skin will love this one!
6) Codex Beauty Labs
Upcycled ingredients: Leftover soap shavings
Codex beauty labs makes the yummiest soap bars, and we’re big fans of this one ($10) from their Bia Collection. It’s made from upcycled soap shavings from the production of other Bia bars — how cool is that? Perfect for all skin types, the soap is made from ultra-nourishing shea butter and purifying pink clay, and is infused with citrus for that refreshing and energizing kick. Plus, it’s so pretty!
7) BYBI
Upcycled ingredients: Pumpkin
You’ll never believe what BYBI’s Acid Gold deep renewal face mask ($23) is made of.
The key ingredient is a pumpkin enzyme which is extracted from pumpkin flesh, a by-product of the pumpkin seed industry. We’re obsessed with the texture — it’s a thick jelly which is super satisfying to apply. The pumpkin enzyme enhances cell renewal, and the mask also contains exfoliating natural AHAs, which results in brighter, smoother, and firmer skin.
8) LOLI Beauty
Upcycled ingredients: Plum seeds
LOLI Beauty uses upcycled superfoods to power its skincare line.
Their signature Plum Elixer ($68) is made from upcycled plum kernels. Rich in antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins A and E, the oil is incredibly nourishing and healing and works great for both your skin and hair.
It also contains brightening pomegranate oil, soothing tea seed oil, and healing sea buckthorn fruit oil.
9) Le Prunier
Upcycled ingredients: Plum kernels
Le Prunier, as the name suggests, is all about plums. The brand uses upcycled plum kernels for its beauty products, which are a by-product of the organic family plum farm. Their signature product is the Plum Beauty Oil ($72). Rich in essential fatty acids and phytochemicals, this oil is a powerful antioxidant booster and helps heal and hydrate your skin. Their newest product is Plumscreen ($78), a broad spectrum SPF 31 sunscreen that is reef-safe, white residue-free, and ultra-nourishing.
10) Pai
Upcycled Ingredients: Bilberry Extract
Pai's C-2 Believe Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer gives you radiance without irritation with its sustainably-sourced, up-cycled bilberry extract ingredient. It is excellent for dehydrated, sensitive skin and helps soothe and moisturize without tightness.
Their products are certified organic by COSMOS, the Soil Association, the Vegan Society, and Cruelty Free International and is London Living Wage accredited.
About the Author:
Jyotika is a writer based in New Delhi. She writes about sustainable living and eco-friendly brands, covering fashion, food, travel, and wellness. Previously, she was the fashion manager at her family's bespoke fashion business, where in addition to her other responsibilities she worked on improving textile sourcing from local artisans to encourage grassroots production, as well as conducting sustainability workshops with employees regarding the eco-friendly disposal of fashion materials.
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