Packaging accounts for 70% of beauty industry waste. Considering it’s what’s on the inside that counts, that makes no sense.
We prefer refillable beauty products that keep the Earth a beautiful place to live in.
Not only do skincare refills save on trash generation, but they also save you money since you aren’t paying for unnecessary packaging.
So without further a dew, we’ve busted out those empty glass jars and pumped our way through a whole bunch of refillable beauty brands to find the best of the best. And these brands not only use responsible packaging, but also healthy ingredients and ethical production.
Look out for our new Brand Rating System (coming soon), which will evaluate brands based against distinct eco-factors, including their environmental footprint and chemical use. Here’s our explainer for more info on that.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Best Refillable Skincare Brands That Are In It To Skin It
Setting the tone for what refillable beauty products should look like, Activist Skincare offers a plethora of lightweight refillable moisturizers, toners, cleansing gels, serums, and more. We use several of their high-quality products as part of our daily low waste skincare routine, and can’t recommend them highly enough.
Elate finishes your beauty routine off with coveted cosmetics, like refillable finishing powders, foundations, and primers.
Index: Refillable Skincare Products And Brands
- Activist Skincare Jump to brand
- Meow Meow Tweet Jump to brand
- Oneka Jump to brand
- Elate Cosmetics Jump to brand
- Conscious Skincare Jump to brand
- Plaine Products Jump to brand
- The Good Fill Jump to brand
Activist Skincare
Activist Skincare’s Refillable Packaging
Price Range: $$
Looking for refillable beauty products made in the USA?
Like a good foundation, Activist Skincare has you covered.
The clean beauty brand has lovely low waste goodies, including cleansers, toners, balms, serums, oils, and zero waste sunscreen—all crafted with love in their Southern California studio.
You can conveniently shop through their beauty products by skin concern, with filters for anti-aging, oily and acne-prone, and dry skin.
About Activist Skincare
Activist Skincare works with sustainable suppliers and prioritizes women and people of color when selecting their partners.
All of their ingredients are cruelty-free and vegan.
Their products are housed in recyclable and refillable glass, and their product boxes are made from PCR recycled content.
My Personal Review of Activist’s Healing Water Toning Mist:
“No matter your skin type, Activist’s Healing Water Toning Mist will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your skin like it had mine. The mist is designed to smooth and hydrate for up to 72 hours, thanks to the gentle yet powerful formulation of licorice root and certified organic botanicals like cucumber, calendula, and lavender. As something I use every day for a little lightweight and dewey moisture in the morning, this is one skincare refill you won’t want to mist out on.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Meow Meow Tweet
Meow Meow Tweet’s Refillable Products
Price Range: $–$$
Meow Meow Tweet’s refillable skincare products really have us saying, “Wow Wow Neat!”.
Partly because of their clean formulas, and also because of the details in their eclectic plastic-free packaging.
On their bulk aisle, you can paw your way through vegan and cruelty-free toners, facial oil, facial cleanser, hand washes, and more.
When you’ve finished the product, simply ship the original packaging back so MMT can reuse it (they only accept bulk containers for now.)
We’ve already tried their refillable system a plenty with our favorite bulk product, the Rosehip Shea Face Cream.
True to their multi-purpose manifesto, the cream can also be smothered on everything from dry face skin to a baby’s diaper rash.
Tamanu, Rosehip, and Pumpkin Seed oils will have you putting on that eco-friendly lipstick and kissing that dry, itchy skin goodbye.
About Meow Meow Tweet
Meow Meow Tweet might be our conscious skincare catnip, but they are so much more than that: vegan, cruelty-free, 100% natural, you name it, and this brand ticks the box.
Everything is shipped 100% plastic-free with compostable and biodegradable packing peanuts, paper, cardboard, and paper tape.
Plus, you can stock up and receive discounts, via their point based rewards program.
Oneka
Oneka’s Refillable Jars
Price Range: $
The best kinds of refillable beauty products are the ones that come from Oneka—shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion, that is.
While the brand has an impressive line of facial skincare products, too, only one is currently available as a refill.
Nonetheless, their non-comedogenic Unscented Face Cream has rightfully earned its name on the list.
Featuring biodegradable ingredients of cacao seed butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, seaweed, and calendula, the product is rich in hydration but gentle on the skin. And it goes without saying, but you’ll find no parabens, silicones, and artificial fragrances.
About Oneka
The family-owned ‘Best For The World’ Certified B Corp sources their EcoCert certified organic ingredients from their regenerative farm, located in Quebec.
Focused on keeping Canadian waterways clean, the clean brand makes only biodegradable products and regularly contributes to Water First.
Along with a number of other earth-friendly non-profits like Plastic Bank and Taking Root.
Elate Cosmetics
Elate Beauty’s Refillable Containers
Price Range: $–$$
We’re elated to tell you that Elate is one of the few refillable makeup brands offering foundation, powders, and primers.
Your first purchase comes with a sustainable, water treated bamboo jar (and plastic sifter) and your refills come in a biodegradable paper tube.
Then, when you’re ready to refill beauty products from Elate, simply pop out the old pressed powder insert and replace with your new one or pour in the loose powder.
One of our makeup must-haves from this brand is their Unify Glow Powder.
Not only does it leave a natural glow and shimmer thanks to mineral mica powder, but we also found that it has the effect of purifying the skin when not recently washed and helps protect the skin barrier after application.
About Elate
So, what makes Elate so great?
They use only ethical ingredients, sustainable packaging, and inclusive marketing.
The golden trio of what we look for in our favorite sustainable makeup brands.
To elaborate, Elate only uses vegan and cruelty-free ingredients, 75% of which are organic and/or fair trade (fair trade is prioritized when both can’t be achieved).
The Certified B Corp also donates 1% of profits to social initiatives, and 1% to environmental initiatives every year.
In partnership with PACT collective, they have an effective recycling program for finished cosmetics.
Conscious Skincare
Conscious Skincare’s Refills
Price Range: $–$$
Conscious Skincare and refillable skincare products are one in the same.
After all, there’s nothing more conscious than refillable skincare packaging.
Which the clean brand knows everything about, with refillable moisturizers, face and body wash refills, shampoos, scrubs, toners, oils, and more—the largest selection we’ve seen in a refillable self care brand thus far.
If you’re wondering where to start, our personal recommendation is their Organic Body Lotion, tried, tested and loved.
Coconut and apricot kernel moisturize the skin while essential botanical oils leave our own skin smelling like a bed of flowers.
We’ve also tried out the men’s version, which is just as creamy and effective, but better when we want a less fragrant experience, as well as a fragrance-free version if scents aren’t your go-to eau de parfum.
About Conscious Skincare
So, how does this Wales-based beauty shop make some of the best refillable skincare UK readers may be interested in?
With an Ethical Consumer approved supply chain, PETA certified cruelty-free ingredients, and a business model that uses profits to support local charities and animal shelters.
Not to mention a long list of shunned ingredients like mineral oils, palm oil, SLS, parabens, and phtalates.
We don’t question why their best selling products have received multiple awards and accreditations throughout the year.
Plaine Products
Plaine Products Refills
Price Range: $–$$
Plainly speaking, Plaine Products makes a strong case for the best refillable personal care products and bathroom essentials brand.
Made from pla(i)net friendly ingredients you can understand, like aloe leaf juice, coconut oil, red algae, green tea extract, and more, taken right off the label for their vegan shampoo, which is SJ tried and tested.
Sensitive scalps that are prone to dandruff like ours can rejoice in the hypoallergenic, baby-safe, and color-safe formula that smells subtly delightful.
And sensitive skin in general can benefit from the likes of their facial cleanser, toner, and body wash.
Everything is vegan and cruelty-free, palm-oil free, and non-GMO.
About Plaine Products
Certified B Corp Plaine Products has a number of achievements, including being certified by Leaping Bunny, PETA, and 1% For The Planet.
The carbon-neutral band ships solely with recycled materials and houses all their products in refillable BPA-free aluminum bottles.
Similar to other brands, the only bit of plastic Plaine uses is for their pumps, but the idea is for you to keep your first pump and continue using it for subsequent refills.
My Personal Review of Plaine Products’ Shampoo & Conditioner:
“Plaine’s shampoo works wonders, leaving my hair super clean, and it foams up so quickly! A little goes a long way, which I love. The conditioner is really effective, so I don’t always need it, but when I do use it, my hair feels incredibly soft and smooth without any heaviness.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
The Good Fill
The Good Fill’s Beauty Refills
Price Range: $–$$$
The Good Fill’s refillable beauty products always have us filling good.
Offering a range of products in refillable jars, like dry shampoo, witch hazel, Epsom salts, clay masks, gels, and more.
Which can initially be bought with amber glass jars and refilled courtesy of BPA-free refill pouches.
For a full body holy grail, their Face, Hair, and Body Oil, as suggested, can be used on just about every crack and crevice.
The fatty acids in the formula give you a head-to-toe glow and much-needed boost of moisture—you’ll be looking like a Cullen everywhere you go.
About The Good Fill
Let’s give you the fill on The Good Fill.
The affordable online zero waste store exists to offer more sustainable alternatives to items we all use or dispose of on a regular basis. The basics – no more, no less.
Dish soaps, toothpaste, eco-friendly sponges… you get the picture.
Many of their products contain only USA-grown, non-GMO, and biodegradable ingredients.
They also recently started making a more beauty products in-house to ensure ingredient quality and sustainability, and to cut back on shipping miles and waste.
Shipping comes courtesy of up-cycled, recycled, recyclable and compostable materials.
My Personal Review of The Good Fill’s Lavender Geranium Shampoo & Conditioner:
“First things first: the Lavender Geranium scent? To die for! I’m seriously obsessed with this floral and earthy combo, and I was so happy to find the scent subtly lingers in my hair long after the shower is over. Performance-wise, this shampoo does its job in a quick foaming way, and the conditioner keeps my ends feeling soft with just a dabble.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
