You know that at Bag Affair we are always searching for sustainable solutions – in our work but also in our private life. And that is the reason why we want to share our zero-waste beauty routine with you.

Let’s be honest, we all want to reduce plastics in our life, live more sustainable and with a lower impact. But there are sectors which are quite confusing. Fashion is definitely part of it as you rarely know what is produced where and how. This is the reason why we have the “ethical fashion” category in our blog to give you inspiration.

But a second sector is definitely products in your bathroom. Third on the list are probably cleaning products in the house.

In this article we want to share some tips and brands you can really trust when it comes to your zero-waste beauty routine.

All brands listed are brands are vegan and work sustainably. They are brands we trust in and we hardly recommend you try.

Brands to trust for your zero-waste beauty routine

To help you in the jungle of brands and promises we present to you here 4 brands we use and we recommend.

Akibé

You know we always praise products made close to France. But if you do it right, you can also produce a little further away, still respecting humans, planet and making amazing products. This is what the brand Akibé does. They manufacture in Gabon, and support local communities with their production.

The brand is specialized in solid shampoos. They offer four varieties, all as good as the others. They are soft on the skin and hair, while efficiently washing. Most ingredients are natural (yes, you read correctly, not all is natural) but the brand is hyper transparent and explains all details here.

Solid hair products are becoming more and more important on the market, but please keep in mind that not all are truly sustainable. Akibé is, and we can really recommend their work. Claire the founder of the brand worked for over 15 years for big cosmetic brands. She always had the same problem: missing transparency, more marketing than true effects and no real engagements towards humans and nature.

In terms of packaging the products come in paper packaging, light for the transport, and entirely recyclable.

Endro Cosmetics

Endro is the brand which is closest to us – in terms of distance as they are in Brittany as well. A brand founded in 2019 by Boris and Marion as they made a simple observation:  your deodorant has many ingredients, complicated formulas which are not natural and can even be dangerous for your health. Marion made it simple: She produced her deodorant herself. A huge success as she shared it with family and friends.

Such a success that they made a business out of it: Natural cosmetics with only 4 ingredients, all bio and natural. Plus: their packaging consists of little jars which are reusable.

The brand did grow rapidly thanks to their efficient and natural products. And today their offer grows rapidly offering as well toothpaste that we love, as well as a new product: A scrub. Two versions for the face and for the body, the scrubs are natural, made of 7 ingredients and even 1 which is a reused source. Packaged in the glass jars, efficient, and made in Brittany. We could not ask for more!

La crème libre

One product we all use every day is the facial cream. It is a product we always have, in the past was that this still comes with a jar. Either plastics which helps to be lighter and lower CO2 during transport or glass which can be recycled but is heavier. La crème libre has the solution: one concrete jar which is practical though beautiful and a little refill package which is light, and made of plastics.

The pots are made of concrete and are handcrafted in Champagne-Ardenne. The size of the care refill has been optimized to reduce single-use waste by 90%. A more ecological and economical solution since you only pay for the formula and not the packaging

But it is a bio-plastic which can be recycled and they are working hardly on finding a plastics-free solution.

Their offer includes only vegan, natural and made in France products and give you the choice of different formulas. All creams are made for every kind of skin and can be used by the whole family (including pregnant and breastfeeding women and children over 3 years old).

When you look at the list of ingredients you will probably want to eat a fruit salad: Cucumber, Cassis, Almonds, apples and more are in their products. Products with the power of nature !

What we love about the little jar is that its lid is made of cork, our all-time favorite material.

ZAO MAKEUP

You might remember ZAO from giveaways we did on social media before. This French brand is our favorite for decorative cosmetics. Their natural colors for the eyes are just gorgeous and their mascara with Aloe-Vera sublimes your lashes while protecting them.

But did you know that they also have solid products for your beauty routine? One of the new products we love is the solid make-up removers. They are gentle to your skin while efficiently removing all your make-up. Further, they come in a little metal box, easy to store and truly sustainable. To use them it is very simple : just take your washable cosmetics pads and a little water. Gently rub the make-up remover with a little water in the palm of your hands. Apply the foam to your face and wash off with the help of your pads. A step of your beauty routine which is easy, fast and perfectly zero-waste.

All products from ZAO are 100% natural, vegan, organic and refillable. Yes that is definitely another great argument: You can refill all of their products. Plus: The store retakes your empty packaging to recycle them correctly.

How to select cosmetics and beauty items?

To conclude, here are 3 steps to help you. As explained in blogs before, the word “sustainable” is quite wide, without any true definition. This is also the case when talking about products for your bathroom.

The offer is growing rapidly and Greenwashing is as always a problem. Here are three rules that can help you:

  1. Less is more: Read the ingredients and keep in mind that the less is inside the better. Further, as soon as you find complicated words, hard to understand, better not to go for it.
  2. Select vegan products: Vegan products are free of any ingredients of animal origin. Better for them and better for you.
  3. Look at the packaging: There are certainly great products with little ingredients and vegan put packaged in single use plastic. Keep in mind that the packaging has an impact as well and select glass, recycled paper or no packaging at all.

We hope you did not only discover new brands and products, but you also know better on how to select those items for your bathroom. Last but not least: Check out these brands and their offers which are much wider than what we talked about. We are sure you will fall in love once tried. Trust us!