The 10 Best Zero Waste Lotion, Bars & Balms for Any Skin Type
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Go Plastic-Free with these Zero Waste Lotions
For most of us, lotion is one of our skincare essentials. Lotion keeps our skin moisturized and healthy, and we tend to use it every day. As such, choosing a sustainable, zero waste lotion can have a big environmental impact over time. Thankfully, switching to zero waste lotion bars and balms is pretty easy to do, thanks to the numerous sustainable skincare brands producing them.
Below, we’ve put together the ten best brands to find the perfect zero waste lotion for any skin type.
Why You Should Choose Zero Waste Lotion
The majority of lotion brands package their products in large plastic bottles. It can be difficult, or impossible, to get the bottles clean enough to recycle after use. While more brands are using recycled and recyclable plastic packaging, lotion pumps or caps usually can’t be recycled. This waste adds up - especially when we use lotion daily.
Thankfully, numerous brands are now producing a variety of zero waste lotions to choose from.
Zero waste lotion doesn’t further contribute to landfill waste. Everything is biodegradable and/or recyclable. From the ingredients to the packaging, if there is any packaging, no waste is left behind. This is why it’s best to choose a zero waste option if possible.
What to Look for in Zero Waste & Sustainable Lotion
There are numerous ways a lotion can be sustainable. What you’re looking for depends on your needs and preferences. That being said, there are a few key things to keep in mind when choosing a zero waste, sustainable lotion.
Most zero waste lotions should have several, if not all, of the following:
Reusable and/or recyclable, recycled/upcycled packaging
Biodegradable ingredients and packaging
Cruelty-Free
Organic
Vegan
Sustainably, ethically or locally sourced ingredients
Chemical-free
No parabens, sulfates or silicone
Transparent and sustainable production methods
Our Top Picks for Zero Waste Lotion, Bars, and Balms:
1) Ethique
Lotion Bars
Pricing: $13-$17 USD
Ethique is one of my personal favorite brands for zero waste products. They are an entirely plastic-free, cruelty-free, woman-owned company. Ethique has a wide variety of zero waste lotion bars to choose from, both scented and unscented. They even have a travel size option that comes in a compostable tube so you can easily transport your lotion with no mess. Each lotion bar is vegan, palm oil-free, and made with only natural ingredients like organic cocoa butter ethically sourced from a farm in the Dominican Republic.
Ethique is a climate-positive company and they donate 2% of their proceeds to different charity organizations.
2) Plaine Products
Body Lotion
Pricing: $30 USD
Last but not least, Plaine Products is founded and led by two sisters. They are a vegan company eager to combat plastic pollution. Their zero-waste body lotion is biodegradable, Non-GMO, and palm-oil free. Plaine Products lotion comes unscented or in Rosemary Mint Vanilla and Citrus Lavender. They offer a refill option that doesn’t include a lotion pump to prevent unnecessary waste. They also give you the choice to subscribe in 2-6 monthly installments and save 10% on the total price.
Plaine Products was founded after one of the founders noticed the amount of plastic pollution on a beach vacation. This inspired her to launch a zero-waste skincare company that’s completely plastic-free and chemical-free. Everything they make, including their lotion, they use themselves. Each product is zero waste and comes in recycled packaging. Plaine Products is now a certified B Corp.
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3) EcoRoots
Lotion Balm
Pricing: $34 USD
EcoRoots makes a moisturizing and nurturing lotion balm. EcoRoots uses primarily organic ingredients and it’s compostable and fair-trade. Their lotion is plastic-free and comes in reusable glass jar. The Grapeseed and Organic Jojoba Seed Oils used in this lotion help nourish skin by delivering rejuvenating antioxidants and essential fatty acids to help skin perform at its best. EcoRoots even uses plant-based labels that are made from wildflower seeds, designed to break down into food for bees after use.
4) Cocokind
Lotion and Balm
Pricing: $11-$19 USD
Cocokind is a woman-owned skincare brand based in San Francisco. They have several zero waste options to choose from, such as their multi-use balm and skin butter. I’m personally obsessed with their skin butter. It’s made from natural ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter, perfect for the whole body.
Their vegan multi-use balm is ideal for dryer spots like lips and hands. For each purchase, they donate 5% of the proceeds to One Tree Planted.
Cocokind is leading the way in transparency when it comes to sustainable brands. For each product, they break down each ingredient used, how it’s made, how to use it, and how to recycle it properly.
5) Blendily
Lotion Bars
Pricing: $16-$18 USD
Blendily is a woman-owned company that produces handmade, zero waste botanical skincare. They have a full sustainable skincare line, but their lotion bars are wonderful. They offer two scents, Lavender and Rosemary. Each small batch sustainable lotion bar is vegan and made from organic ingredients. One awesome thing about Blendily is that they have their own garden where they grow most of their ingredients. If they can’t grow it themselves, they source directly from local farmers.
They also handmake each bar in their storefront, in their “Skincare Kitchen.” Blendily even invites customers to visit and watch them make their products.
6) Etee
Lotion Bars
Pricing: $8.10 USD
Etee has a complete line of zero waste products including their lotion bar. Each lotion bar comes in a refillable tin, and they offer the option to purchase refill bars with no packaging. Their lotion is biodegradable, compostable, and made from six sustainable ingredients. Etee’s lotion bars are cruelty-free, palm-oil-free, and without sulfates, parabens, or toxic chemicals. As a company, they are completely plastic-free. Plus their lower price point makes their products more accessible.
7) Alaffia
Balm and Body Butter
Pricing: $5.99-$16.79 USD
Alaffia is another personal favorite of mine when it comes to sustainable skincare companies. This Black-owned company sells its products at an accessible price point in numerous convenient storefronts like Target. Alaffia is Fair-trade, For Life, and Good Manufacturing Practices Certified. While all of Alaffia’s products are low waste and natural, their line of balms and body butter are perfect zero-waste moisturizers. Each product is made from a base of unrefined shea butter sourced from West Africa and from West African recipes.
Each lotion comes in a variety of scents and unscented options, perfect for dry skin, daily use, or treating skin conditions. Their products are packaged in a fully recyclable tin.
8) The Best Kind
Body Butter
Pricing: $11- $100 USD
The Best Kind makes a luxurious handmade body butter from shea and cocoa butter. Their body butter only contains seven ingredients, all-natural. The Best Kind’s lotion is non-GMO, vegan, mostly organic, with natural fragrance and no parabens. It’s available in a range of sizes starting from 1 ounce up to 100 ounces. Their body butter is a great choice if you’re someone with dry to combination skin and looking for something to use on both your face and body. Each lotion is made with love in Brooklyn, in small batches.
9) Moon Valley Organics
Lotion Bars
Pricing: $13.19 USD
Moon Valley Organics is a B Corp Certified sustainable skincare brand based in Washington. They make lovely herbal lotion bars in a variety of essential oil-based scents like Lemon Vanilla and Bergamont Geranium. Each lotion bar comes in a reusable metal tin, but they also offer refill options without packaging.
Their products are Non-GMO and Certified Organic. One unique thing about Moon Valley Organics is that they are working on expanding habitats for pollinators on their farm.
They have their own four-acre “pollinator sanctuary,” where they grow many of their ingredients. Anything that they can’t grow themselves is sourced from local, organic suppliers and farms. They also host volunteers from WWOOF to provide education on organic farming and pollinator habitats. Plus, they donate 10% of their profits to organizations that support this cause.
10) Fat and the Moon
Lotion
Pricing: $18 USD
Fat and the Moon’s sustainable “All Cream” lotion is a botanical blend made from shea butter. They also have an aloe lotion if you’re looking for something more lightweight. Each ingredient is ethically sourced, wild, or organic. They source from local farmers when possible. Their lotion is handmade and packaged in reusable jars. Fat and the Moon is a woman-owned company passionate about being a body-affirming, sustainable skincare brand that promotes conscious self-care.
They use botanical wisdom to create nourishing, healing products. Fat and the Moon also donates a portion of their proceeds to different justice organizations whose causes they support. As a plastic-free company, all their shipping materials are recyclable, upcycled, or biodegradable.
About the Author
Alicia Briggs is a writer & editor specializing in slow travel & sustainable living. She has been a full-time traveler since 2018 and runs her own blog, Learning the Local Way, where she covers responsible travel tips and guides.
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