Want to change up your look while changing the status quo? The best zero waste makeup brands can help you do both, whether they focus on entirely plastic-free components (like compostable packaging) or offer a refillable makeup solution.
Why Choose Zero Waste Makeup?
Here’s why we think it’s important to consider low waste options when buying makeup:
- The beauty industry is notorious for its plastic use, contributing significantly to global pollution. Traditional makeup packaging often uses non-recyclable plastics – even if they claim to be recyclable, many are actually extremely difficult to recycle so they generally end up in landfill where they take hundreds of years to decompose. Many of us use a lot of makeup which means if we buy new mascaras, lipsticks or palettes in traditional packaging, we’re individually contributing to an enormous amount of waste.
- By opting for refillable or compostable packaging, you’re also helping to conserve both resources and energy, which are heavily consumed in the production of single-use plastics – not to mention most plastics are ultimately made from fossil fuels.
- While packaging takes center stage for this guide, many zero-waste brands prioritize formulations free of parabens and other harmful chemicals, opting instead for organic ingredients and clean formulations.
With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of zero waste cosmetic brands that take clean beauty to the next level by creating either plastic-free cosmetics (where the packaging can ultimately be easily recycled or composted) or refillable makeup. We’ve also looked for safe ingredients and formulations so you can dab, draw, blend, and tint without worrying about your beauty routine’s impact on the planet (or your health). Many of these we’ve also personally reviewed and tested so look out for our reviews throughout this guide (or watch the video below).
Note: Our brand rating system assesses brands based on multiple sustainability-related criteria, including things like chemical use, biodiversity impact, and product safety. Brands need to opt in to be rated. Look out for rated brands below and find others in our directory.
Related Guides: Zero Waste Mascara; Sustainable Makeup Remover; DIY Cream Blush
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. We explain this further in our Terms of Use.
Zero Waste Makeup We Love
River Organics’ makes a range of makeup for lips, face and eyes, packaged in FSC certified compostable tubes. Their produces are made with 75% organic ingredients and are shipped plastic free. River Organics has been comprehensively rated by us on their sustainability credentials – find the full rating here.
Axiology offers 3-in-1 makeup crayons (balmies) with simple paper wrapping, and a range of foundations and shape sticks in compostable tubes. The balmies are ideal for minimal and multipurpose makeup users like us who appreciate their sustainable simplicity. We use their balmies DAILY for easy go-to and waste-free cheek and lip color.
Certified B Corp Elate Cosmetics offers a range of refillable makeup including foundations, blush, mascara, concealer, and finishing powder. You can also fully customize your collection with their refillable palettes. Over 75% of their ingredients are certified organic and 95% of their packaging materials are reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
Index: Zero Waste Makeup Brands (Plastic-free & Refillable Options)
- River Organics Jump to brand
- Axiology Jump to brand
- Dab Herb Makeup Jump to brand
- Terra Stoma Jump to brand
- Fat and the Moon Jump to brand
- Plant Makeup Jump to brand
- Bee You Organics Jump to brand
- Elate Cosmetics Jump to brand
- Zerra & Co. Jump to brand
- Kjaer Weis Jump to brand
- Eco Minerals Jump to brand
Plastic-free Makeup Brands (Or Very Low Plastic Use)
River Organics
Compostable
All or some products are compostable, either in an industrial facility or at home
Cruelty-free
Products are not test on animals at any stage in their production.
Handcrafted
Products have been made by hand, typically by an artisan or group of artisans.
Locally Made
Products are made local to the brand's headquarters.
Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxic
Organic
Products are made from organic materials.
Plastic-free
All products are entirely plastic-free
Recycled materials
Some or all products are made with recycled materials
Small business
This brand is a small business run by less than 15 people
Sustainable Materials or Ingredients
Either all or most products are made with sustainable materials or ingredients.
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
Vegan
This brand does not use any animal products or by-products in their products
Woman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.
Zero Waste
Products are made with a low or zero waste approach where ideally no or limited waste is created throughout the production process or at the end of life.
Certified Vegan
Leaping Bunny
Certified Vegan
The Certified Vegan logo, managed by the Vegan Awareness Foundation (Vegan Action), ensures that products contain no animal ingredients or by-products and have not been tested on animals. It’s one of the most recognized vegan certifications, helping consumers identify items that meet strict vegan and cruelty-free standards across food, cosmetics, clothing, and household products.Leaping Bunny
The Leaping Bunny certification, managed by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), is the globally recognized gold standard for cruelty-free products. It ensures that neither a company’s finished products nor their ingredients are tested on animals at any stage of development. Brands must also agree to independent audits and supplier monitoring, guaranteeing genuine cruelty-free commitment across their entire supply chain.Price Range: $–$$
River Organics offers a full range of vegan zero waste makeup including mascara, tinted lip stains and balms, highlighters, brow wax, blush, and concealer. All their makeup is cruelty-free certified by Leaping Bunny and is also Vegan Society certified.
Everything is made with minimal ingredients, 75% of which are organic —like jojoba oil, and shea butter. They use natural mineral pigments and their mica is lab-made and conflict free.
Their collection is packaged with sustainability in mind, using FSC certified compostable paper tubes and compostable paper.
Founded by Corinne in Wilmington, NC, River Organics is committed to transparency, and small-batch production. Customers consistently praise the clean ingredients, gentle formulas, and beautiful natural finishes – often reviewing this plastic-free makeup at 5/5 stars.
River Organics has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Axiology
Axiology has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Ericka Rodriguez founded Axiology when she couldn’t find decent cruelty-free, vegan lipstick. Their growing collection of paper-wrapped, plastic-free cosmetics can be found at several major retailers, and US shipping is available from the website.
The BIPOC-owned, woman-run business sources several ingredients (including shea butter and moringa oil) through fair trade channels. They also source all compostable outer packaging from a woman-owned recycled paper co-operative in Bali.
All products—which include Balmies, Multi-Sticks, Foundations and Shape Sticks—are PETA-certified cruelty-free and vegan, and made with simple ingredients, about 70% of which are organic. Beyond not using any palm oil, Axiology also provides financial support to several animal welfare organizations.
My Personal Review of Axiology’s Balmies:
“Axiology’s 3-in-1 makeup crayon is one of my favorite makeup products. The paper-wrapped colorful lipsticks can also be used on cheeks and eyes, so I don’t need separate products – love multi-use! Plus, I’m a big fan of the fact that they contain nine simple ingredients and are the perfect size for popping in my handbag for on-the-go application.
“I also recently tested the new Shape Stick, a super creamy multi-use stick that makes contouring effortless (even if, like me, you’re a little cosmetically challenged).”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Dab Herb Makeup
Dab Herb Makeup has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Coming to you from California, Dab Herb Makeup is a “Nature to Nurture” beauty and skincare company that uses mostly certified organic, wild-harvested, and food-grade ingredients, ethically sourced from carefully chosen suppliers. Everything is handmade in micro batches to reduce waste and guarantee freshness.
All of their plastic-free makeup products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and palm oil-free. You’ll find botanical butters, herbs, oils, and plant pigments on the full ingredient lists they share for each product. They avoid the use of minerals but do use mica, sourced from a Responsible Mica Initiative member.
Dab Herb offers makeup for eyes (mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, and eyebrow pomade), face (foundation, concealer, luminizer, primer, contour powder, blush, color corrector), lips (gloss, tint, balm), and makeup tools—all of which come housed in glass or tin containers and compostable tubes. Refills (available on request) come in paper pouches, and orders ship in paper mailers.
My Personal Review of Dab Herb’s Petal Concealer:
“Several of Dab Herb’s products have a place in my everyday beauty routine, but I’m especially drawn to the Petal Concealer, a creamy and moisturizing spot treatment rich in nourishing ingredients like raw and unrefined avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and food-grade flower petals that’s perfect for touching up those surprise midday pimples and red spots.
The pocket-sized pot is super small and portable, but because it has such great spot coverage, it’s lasted me over a year already.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Terra Stoma
Terra Stoma has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Woman and Latina-owned Terra Stoma is a Texas-based brand founded by clinical herbalist Taylor Terrazas. Committed to inclusivity, their gender-neutral makeup range is formulated for diverse skin tones and available at a more affordable price point. That’s even given that their prices incorporate a “Plastic Tax,” which is donated quarterly to social and environmental initiatives.
As a member of SBBC (Small Business for Big Change), the brand’s products are made in small batches using clean formulas and are sustainably packaged in aluminum, glass, or paper with hemp or sugarcane labels.
If you want to shimmer and sparkle without harsh chemicals and toxic ingredients, Terra Stoma’s high-pigment colors fit the bill. The range includes shimmery liquid eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, foundation, illuminator, and eyebrow pomade. Many products contain mica, which is ethically sourced and free from nanoparticles and heavy metals.
My Personal Review of Terra Stoma’s Beauty Stick:
“I’ve tested several of their range of plastic-free makeup products, including the multi-use Beauty Stick for lips, cheeks, and eyes, which comes in a fully compostable and ultra compact cardboard tube. I love how silky smooth it feels, and it smells divine! You also only need a small amount because the color is so vivid and it spreads so well, so each stick lasts a long time in my experience.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Fat and the Moon
Fat and the Moon has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Drawing inspiration from herbalists and natural healers, women-owned Fat and the Moon creates all-natural, mostly organic “potions” that prioritize healing and “empowerment through self-care”.
From skincare to deodorant, all products are freshly handmade to order with ethically sourced ingredients that include nourishing plant seed oils, clays, hyaluronic acid, botanical extracts, and essential oils. All Fat and the Moon products are palm oil-free and cruelty-free, but not entirely vegan, as the eye coals and lip stains contain beeswax.
Their “adornment” collection contains highlighters, eye coals (similar to eyeliner but less waxy and in pot form), and tinted lip/cheek stains, made by infusing alkanet root in nourishing sunflower oil, with a touch of rose geranium essential oil added for scent. They’ve designed their tin and glass jar packaging “to be a joy to reuse and a breeze to recycle,” and they support various charities and causes in their community.
My Personal Review of Fat and the Moon’s Ruby Red Tinted Balm:
“This is now the only lip color I use regularly. It doesn’t dry out my lips and the color is just right – not too bold that I feel self-conscious dropping my kid off at school but not meek by any means – I think the color really elevates my complexion (light skin) and I find it easy and smooth to apply – and it has a light, pleasant scent. The little pot is handy to store in a tight pocket and it’s lasted me a couple of years now with still plenty left to go (admittedly I only wear it a couple of times a week).”
Review by Joy McConnochie, SJ Co-founder
Plant Makeup
Plant Makeup has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Plant Makeup was founded by artist, musician, and all-round creative goddess Jes and her passion for plants. What started with blending herbal teas grew into something much bigger, and the art-project-meets-apothecary now offers a full selection of non-GMO, cruelty-free, and palm oil-free makeup, skincare, haircare, and scent products that she makes in small batches and ships from her home in Massachusetts.
Products are packaged in glass pot minis, metal tins, or compostable cardboard tubes adorned with Jes’s hand-drawn artwork. Orders ship in biodegradable, recycled, and upcycled materials.
A one-stop botanical shop, the range includes multi-use products, like bronzer/foundation, lip balm, eyeshadow, shimmer sticks, mascara, highlighter, and primer, made with love and sustainably sourced local and/or organic ingredients. They are made without mineral oil, nanoparticles, synthetics, toxins, or animal-derived carmine for coloration.
Bee You Organics
Bee You Organics has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Bee You Organics was founded by Larissa Warren, who started experimenting with developing natural skincare products after an accident left her skin badly scarred. Their bee-you-tiful beauty products are handmade in small batches and include organic sun-protective BB creams, face powders, mineral eyeshadows, eyeliner, and mascara.
Ingredients are ethically sourced, food-grade, mostly organic, and fairtrade where possible. All products are also non-GMO, cruelty-free, alcohol-free, palm oil-free, preservative-free, and water-free.
For packaging, they use tin, glass, or cardboard. Orders ship plastic-free, right down to the compostable labels, and they also accept returns of used containers for recycling/reuse.
Refillable Makeup Brands
Elate Cosmetics
Elate Cosmetics has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Canadian Elate Cosmetics’ products are vegan and cruelty-free with Leaping Bunny and PETA certifications, and over 75% of their ingredients are certified organic. 95% of their packaging materials are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Materials include bagasse (a byproduct of sugarcane production), aluminum, glass vials, FSC-certified wood, and bamboo.
You can recycle packaging at home or by returning your empties to the brand. Refills for most of their cosmetics are also available. Elate’s refillable range includes eye makeup (eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, and brow balm), face makeup (foundation, powder, concealer, blush, highlighter, bronzer), lipstick, lip gloss, refillable palettes, and kits.
All products are free from gluten and nano-sized particles. They do use some RSPO-certified palm oil derivatives and mica is sourced from Responsible Mica Initiative members. The Certified B Corp donates 2% of its annual profits to charity—1% to environmental nonprofits and 1% to social nonprofits.
Zerra & Co.
Zerra & Co. has not been rated.
Price Range: $$
Zerra & Co’s products are handcrafted with intentional, all-natural ingredients. Everything from mascara and lip tint to the makeup remover are Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, non-toxic, and 100% vegan.
You’ll find they’re either packaged in compostable tubes or refillable housing, like the Pressed Mineral Blush’s elegant bamboo mirrored compact, complete with a 100% bamboo sifter. In fact, they were the first brand ever to offer a refillable mascara in a glass tube with a built-in wand.
Subsequent refill orders of your favorite shade—thanks to all-natural mineral pigments like mica and iron oxides paired with oil absorbing kaolin clay—come in a minimalist aluminum pan in a compostable sachet. The brand also works to ensure carbon-neutral shipping and has a container return program where you can return any glass or metal containers with the lid for store credit. Orders are shipped in 100% compostable and recyclable materials.
Zerra & Co. beauty products are handcrafted in Baltimore.
Kjaer Weis
Kjaer Weis has not been rated.
Price Range: $$–$$$
Over 90% of Kjaer Weis products come in refillable makeup containers. Whether you’re looking for a foundation, refillable lipstick, powder, mascara, eyeshadow, or something else for your makeup kit, you’ll likely find Kjaer Weis has something that will suit you.
The Cream Blush, available in an array of hues, effortlessly influences your low-impact beauty routine with luxury, thanks to both its chic signature Iconic metal refill compact and ultra clean certified organic ingredients, including skin-enriching castor, jojoba, and rosehip seed oils. Like many of their products, it does contain beeswax for longer-lasting wear, meaning it’s not vegan.
Founded by makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Wise who was looking for a more attractive alternative to biodegradable packaging, Kjaer Weis offers a stylish makeup forever palette refillable via recycled paper palettes.
While they do utilize some safe synthetic pigments in addition to mineral pigments, each product contains at least 20% organic ingredients—many contain more.
Eco Minerals
Eco Minerals has not been rated.
Price Range: $–$$
Founded in 2007, Eco Minerals is a makeup brand based in Byron Bay, Australia. Their products are 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and palm oil-free.
Across their range of foundation, concealer, blush, bronzer, eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick, you won’t find any parabens, talc, magnesium stearate, bismuth oxychloride, nano-particle, fillers, dyes, or coated mica. Instead, you’ll find pure natural mineral ingredients, including responsibly sourced mica.
For a low waste makeup solution, they offer refills in kraft paper envelopes for some powder products and a 40% reduced plastic cartridge refill for their BB creams, radiance oil, and primer. Lipsticks come in recyclable aluminum tubes and all orders ship using biodegradable materials.
Finding The Best Zero Waste Makeup Brands
Not everyone has the time to devote to creating a personal cosmetics line themselves (we sure don’t), which is where plastic free makeup brands come in.
Finding zero waste makeup alternatives is no easy feat because traditional containers are difficult (at best) to recycle, often comprised of composite materials and components that would need to be separated to avoid recycling contamination.
Remember, zero waste is an ethos to use only that which can be reused or composted, instead of trashed or burned. It involves a lot of small steps and incremental changes and sometimes it feels like you’re never quite there.
Our Approach To Sustainable Makeup
If this is your first time visiting, our approach to sustainable beauty is to look for zero waste makeup brands and products that are:
- Cruelty Free and Vegan
- Non-toxic: We only want to put on our body what we would put in it. Ideally, that means all-nature and organic ingredients, but at the very least, we try to steer clear of the many harmful ingredients to avoid in skin care.
- Palm oil free: If not possible, then we seek brands that use sustainable, RSPO-certified palm oil.
- Ethical sourcing policies.
- Thoughtful packaging: Zero waste packaging means it either has no waste at all or waste that is compostable, refillable, or reusable.
Final Thoughts On Zero Waste Makeup Brands
The beauty industry wants us to believe we need all this synthetic junk to make ourselves pretty and presentable.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t glam up as little or much as you want, but we encourage you to be selective about the products you allow into your (hopefully) zero waste makeup routine.
At its core, low waste living is also a ritual of being more mindful about our consumption in small, everyday ways that overtime make a big difference. Make your beauty routine meaningful, too, for both yourself and the planet.
Who says you can’t spend Saturday night out and still be sustainable?
Send your girlfriend this list of zero waste makeup brands so together you can go green, get glam, and get down on the town.
Joy has been a passionate advocate for the environment since she was a small child. She grew up in South Africa and has been lucky enough to be exposed to the wonders of nature not just in Africa but all over the world. She founded Sustainable Jungle (together with her husband Lyall) back in 2017 after becoming enraged by the devastating impact of palm oil. She then founded the Sustainable Jungle Podcast and together with Lyall interviewed remarkable people from all over the world who were finding ways to create positive impact. Outside of Sustainable Jungle, Joy has always worked in the corporate world, starting out as an auditor and later moving into management consulting. More recently she specialized in Climate Investing for the Asia Pacific region. Given her experience, her current passion is Brand Ratings. She is very much enjoying going deeper on what it really means to drive sustainability performance and true impact through business operations.
Hopefully this isn’t completely obvious, but is there a key to the bullet point colors?
Hi Janice! You’re right it’s not super obvious, we should make that clearer. You can find a detailed description of what we look for here and a good explanation of the key here. Hope that helps!
Hi
I’m also trying to shop local miles and so these brands from west coast usa and Australia don’t fit the bill 🙁 Can you please keep with a list of UK//mainland Europe products, do you think? Thank you for the work you’ve done.
Thanks for the feedback Lorna, we’ve had quite a few folks asking us for this so will aim to do that in our next refresh of these articles. We started with this article which might help, but not many UK/EU brands yet, we will work on building up that list!
I was looking into zao cosmetics but haven’t heard a lot about them. Did they not make your list for a specific reason?
Thanks Abby! We actually did try reaching out to them to try learn more but never received a response. Good prompt to try again, thanks!
Zao make up brand as well
Thanks Jayde, we will try at some point to reach out to them again. No response on the first try!