Refillable beauty is the future. Here are my top picks for a sustainable routine, from skincare to make-up

The Guardian

09-03-2025

From empty mascara to shampoo bottles, beauty products create a lot of plastic waste. Switching to refillables is a fairly effortless way to cut down on single-use products that might otherwise end up in landfill.
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The beauty industry is coming under increasing pressure to consider its vast environmental footprint and contribution to global plastic waste. According to the British Beauty Council, 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away, and of the 14% of beauty products we recycle, only about 9% can actually be processed. The rest ends up in landfill, taking up to 450 years to break down. And if the planet-saving draw isn't enough, then perhaps the financial gains might sway you; refilling your beauty products can save you some serious cash, too.
Although not all beauty products are refillable, thankfully plenty are. These are some of my favourite beauty products – I've used and loved them all – that also have refills. Many are sustainability (and money-saving) gamechangers – it's a win-win-win.
Living Proof Full shampoo, 236ml
£29 at Sephora£29 at Look FantasticLiving Proof Full shampoo refill pouch, 1 litre
£66 at Sephora£66 at Selfridges
If your hair is a tad on the limp side like mine, keep a stash of this sulphate-free volumising shampoo on hand. It's enriched with peptides from amaranth to bulk up the hair fibres, and antioxidants to protect it from environmental damage. Use the giant 1 litre pouch to top up your travel size and regular bottle multiple times.
Violette Fr Frange Puff dry shampoo brush, 2g
£38 at Violette FrViolette Fr Frange Puff refill, 4g
£24 at Violette Fr
We're used to the spray-and-go approach to dry shampoo, but this handbag-size brush targets greasy spots directly. It's ideal for fringes and it's laced with a beautifully fresh scent. Washing the brush is easy, and when it runs out you simply buy the refill sachets.
Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'huile Originale hair oil, 75ml
£58 at Kérastase£58 at SephoraKérastase Elixir Ultime L'Huile Originale refill, 75ml
£42.80 at Boots£42.80 at Look Fantastic
For added shine, softness and heat protection of up to 230C (446F), this camellia-infused hair oil is my go-to. It's the perfect finishing oil – even on fine hair – because it isn't greasy at all, as it was developed to work on all hair types.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar purifying cleansing gel, 400ml
£23.99 at Superdrug£24.50 at BootsLa Roche-Posay Effaclar purifying cleansing gel refill, 400ml
£18.99 at Superdrug£19.50 at Boots
Formulated for oily and blemish-prone skin, this fresh foaming gel gives a gentle cleanse without stripping the skin's delicate barrier. The added zinc PCA helps to reduce excess oil and gently dissolves dead skin cells to keep pores unblocked – all without irritating the skin. This refill saves you £5 and uses 75% less plastic than the original.
Tatcha The Water Cream, 50ml
£67 at Sephora£67 at Space NKTatcha The Water Cream refill, 50ml
£58 at Sephora£58 at Space NK
This much-loved Japanese skincare brand has several refills for its cult creams. If you're looking for a hydrating, light moisturiser then the Water Cream is my first choice; it has an ultra-light gel-like texture, feels cooling on the skin and contains fermented Japanese superfoods for a mega-dose of antioxidants. The refill uses 57% less plastic than its original packaging.
Skin Rocks The Antioxidant, 30ml
£70 at Skin Rocks£70 at Space NKSkin Rocks The Antioxidant refill, 30ml
£60 at Skin Rocks£60 at Space NK
This mega antioxidant serum is laden with vitamin C, brightening peptides and a slew of well-chosen ingredients designed to boost the efficacy of all of the above. It's the smart choice if you want a do-it-all serum that covers all your skincare needs – and then some. You'll save £10 with the refill: simply unscrew the outer glass bottle, remove the lid, untwist the existing inner refill from the pump and replace it with a new one.
Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience lipstick, 3.5g
£49 at Space NK£49 at SelfridgesLisa Eldridge Rouge Experience refill, 3.5g
£25 at Space NK£25 at Selfridges
This refillable lipstick is unbeatable. Not only is it beautiful (and inspired by the vintage lipsticks makeup artist Lisa collects) but it's a real innovation. Most lipstick refills contain plastic and other hard-to-recycle elements, but this one has a 100% aluminium refill that is infinitely recyclable. The shades are oil-based so aren't drying and have excellent staying power (mine even lasted through at least five spicy margs).
Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe, 7g
£71 at Victoria BeckhamVictoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe refill, 6.8g
£47 at Victoria Beckham£47 at Selfridges
These sleek palettes have quickly become my daily go-to. They're beautiful, long-lasting shades that take the hassle out of choosing what colours work well together. If you buy an original Eye Wardrobe – the gorgeous tortoiseshell case that houses the shadows – you can switch in the refills whenever you wish to change them.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder, 8g
£39 at Charlotte Tilbury£39 at John LewisCharlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder, 8g
£34 at Charlotte Tilbury£34 at John Lewis
If you're looking for a setting powder that isn't cakey or drying, then this could be it. It sets makeup and mattifies, but leaves a slight sheen to the skin so it doesn't look flat or ashy. There are only four shades, but each works for multiple skin tones. A refill saves you £5, and replacing the used powder pan is simple. Take a hairpin or paperclip and push the hole on the back of the compact to pop out the used powder pan, then switch it for your new one and recycle the old.
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Fussy natural deodorant case
£10 at FussyFussy natural deodorant refill
From £5 at Fussy
Choose your recycled plastic case, and pick from several scents (I'm obsessed with Parma Violets) to create your own bespoke deodorant. The refills are compostable and the deodorant is laden with shea butter and probiotics – and unlike many 'natural' deodorants, it genuinely works.
Estrid The Weightless refillable antiperspirant
From £9.95 at Estrid
For those looking for an aluminium-free deodorant that comes in a spray, your prayers have been answered. Powered by vitamin C-rich noni fruit extract and prebiotics, this spray helps to balance your underarm microbiome, quell any irritation post-shave and is approved for use on sensitive skin. Pick from a deodorant or an antiperspirant – deodorant just masks odour, but antiperspirant stops odour and sweat – and even have the refill delivered with a subscription.
Sol de Janeiro deodorant, 57g
£16 at Space NK£16 at Cult BeautySol de Janeiro deodorant refill, 57g
£14 at Space NK£14 at Cult Beauty
This aluminium-free deodorant comes in a variety of sweet-ish scents (Beija Flor Rio is the best, I think) and uses tapioca starch to absorb moisture, and papaya extract to help prevent ingrown hairs. It's beloved by teens, but don't let that put you off. The refills save you a couple of pounds, and simply slot in and out effortlessly.
L'Occitane almond shower oil, 250ml
£22 at John Lewis£22 at Cult BeautyL'Occitane almond shower oil refill, 500ml
£32 at Cult Beauty£35 at John Lewis
This shower oil softens dry skin, leaving it moisturised without that tight post-shower feeling. It goes without saying that it smells incredible and can be decanted from the giant 500ml refill bottle into various smaller containers for home and travel.
Kiehl's Creme De Corps, 250ml
£36 at Space NK£36 at BootsKiehl's Creme De Corps refill, 1 litre
£93 at Space NK£93 at Selfridges
Kiehl's bestselling Creme De Corps moisturiser is beloved for its fast-absorbing, skin-soothing power that leaves even the driest of skin with a gentle olive oil and cocoa butter-encircled sheen. Use this giant refill to top up any of the bottle sizes (including the travel mini).
Commune Seymour hand wash and reusable pump, 500ml
£55 at Commune£55 at LibertyCommune Seymour hand wash, 500ml
£37 at Commune
Ultra-chic packaging, uplifting scents inspired by the Somerset countryside, and refillable? Ditch whatever brown-bottled fancy hand wash you're using now and switch to Commune instead. When you've finished it, simply keep the reusable pump and pop it into a new bottle.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Intense purse spray, 3 x 7ml
£165 at Chanel£165 at John LewisChanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Intense refills, 3 x 7ml
£80 at Chanel£80 at The Fragrance Shop
Chanel's existing refillable travel sprays are some of the most beautiful around, but this smaller version, designed to be worn as an accessory on your bag or belt, takes it to the next level. It comes with three 7ml sprays, a mini fragrance holder, and a pearl-and-chain strap to wear any way you like.
Diptyque Orphéon solid perfume, 3g
£56 at Diptyque£56 at SelfridgesDiptyque Orphéon solid perfume refills, 2 x 3g
£36 at Diptyque£36 at Liberty
There are lots of benefits to a solid perfume: they're ace for travel, and they often last longer as the balm helps to adhere the scent to the skin for longer. Orphéon nods to nostalgia with warming tonka beans, earthy cedar and sparkling jasmine. The two refills save you £20 and you get two, and you can recycle the empty solid perfume pan when they're all used up.
Penhaligons Halfeti, 100ml
£215 at Penhaligons£215 at Selfridges
Penhaligons offers clever refills on some of its bestselling scents at selected stores across the UK (including London's Regent Street, Liverpool and Glasgow). Take your empty bottle in to refill, join the loyalty programme and you'll get 20% off. As well as the saving, doing this produces 46% less waste compared with buying a new bottle. And if you're looking for scent inspiration, Halfeti is spicy, smoky and woody in the very best way.
Anita Bhagwandas is a freelance beauty editor and consultant obsessed with finding products that actually deliver what they promise. When she's not helping beauty brands shape their diversity strategy or trend forecasting, she writes for titles such as Condé Nast Traveller, Elle, Allure, Vogue and many more. An expert with more than 15 years in the beauty industry, she is the author of Ugly: Why The World Became Beauty Obsessed and How To Break Free and writes the popular beauty culture newsletter The Powder Room