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‘Seaspiracy’: Take action by supporting these ocean-friendly beauty brands that we love
From period products to refillable make-up, here’s the top conscious products we’ve tested
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Seaspiracy, the Netflix documentary currently causing a stir, exposes the impact of pollution and overfishing on the world’s marine life and coral reefs.
Directed and narrated by the 27-year-old British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, and from the creators of 2014’s Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, the film follows the devastating impact of the commercial fishing industry on marine mammals.
In the documentary, Tabrizi learns that discarded plastic fishing equipment makes up 46 per cent of the “great Pacific garbage patch”. From cotton buds and straws to plastic bottles, the filmmaker highlights the sheer amount of plastic humans contribute to the ocean.
Globally, plastic pollution kills 100,000 marine mammals every year, while every day, an estimated 15,000 pieces of plastic find their way into oceans worldwide.
Plastic has clogged up our oceans for decades, and though coral covers just 0.1 per cent of the ocean bed, it sustains 25 to 30 per cent of marine life. With seven times more plastic than young fish in the ocean, it’s time to admit we have a problem.
Read more:
If Seaspiracy has made you reassess your shopping habits, switching to more ocean-friendly beauty products is a great place to start.
It may seem plastic is everywhere, particularly in our cosmetic, beauty and skincare products, with the beauty industry reportedly producing 120 billion units of packaging each year – much of which ends up in our oceans. Luckily, myriad brands are making more sustainable consumption easier and more affordable.
Here, we’ve detailed some of our favourites, from period brands pioneering reusable menstrual products to natural deodorants and refillable make-up products.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
A big plastic polluter is single-use tampons. In 2018, the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British beach clean of more than 494 beaches turned up 580 tampon applicators. This pollution has given many brands the impetus to create reusable menstrual products, from cups to pads. Dame is on a mission to change periods forever and has paved the way for a more sustainable menstrual industry with its reusable tampon applicator (£23.79, Wearedame.co) – the world’s first. The award-winning design first launched in 2018 and earned a spot in our round-up of the best sustainable period products. Compatible with any applicator-free tampon, our reviewer said that it was a “breeze to use [and] self-sanitising”.
“Simply rinse off the reusable applicator and zip it away in its accompanying pouch once you’re finished,” they said. While pricey, the applicator is designed to last a lifetime. The brand’s follow-up product is the hugely popular reusable pad (£30.60, Wearedame.co) that comes with a handy drybag for storing when out and about.
A market leader in natural deodorants, Wild is a completely plastic-free and sustainable brand that delivers straight to your door. The aluminium holder comes in five different colours, while the aluminium- and plastic-free refills are made from bamboo pulps. The brand is both vegan and cruelty-free. Deservedly earning a spot in our round-up of the best plastic-free beauty products, our reviewer said “it’s box-ticking credentials are far beyond impressive”.
As a carbon-positive company, any produced during the manufacturing process is counteracted by planting trees. “As well as being kind to the planet, it’s also kinder to your skin,” our reviewer said. “It’s free of aluminium and parabens – the former (usually found in antiperspirants) blocks your sweat glands, while this deodorant masks any odour caused from sweating.” The deodorant is available on a very affordable subscription basis (£12 for the case and one refill, from £5 for refills thereafter) or as a one-off purchase including three refills for £25 (Wearewild.com). Choose from six scents: lemon meringue, fresh cotton and sea salt, orange zest, bergamot rituals, lavender haze and coconut dreams.
The average woman owns more than 40 different make-up products, but uses just five of them daily. This is where refillable beauty products come in. If you only buy what you will use, you can in turn minimise your plastic waste.
Every product in Danish-born make-up artist Kjaer Weis’s range is packaged in a refillable casing. The brand’s cream blush (£41, Contentbeautywellbeing.com) earned the top spot in our round-up of the best refillable make-up products, with our reviewer saying “we’re suckers for the buildable and easily blendable cream blush, which smells slightly of vanilla and comes in 11 pretty shades”. Shoppers can purchase the signature metal case which has a lifetime guarantee or a “red edition” (£8, Contentbeautywellbeing.com) at a more accessible price point. Refills cost £28 and come packaged in recyclable cardboard – we’re sold.
Even your shaving habits have an effect on the environment, and the razor industry is waking up to the reality of excessive plastic waste. The independent British brand Nuddy was founded in 2018 and provides plastic-free bathroom essentials, from shampoo bars to soap bars. All are vegan friendly, cruelty-free and nourishing. The brand’s plastic-free razor (£29, Nuddy.co.uk) came out on top in our round-up of the best eco-friendly women’s razors.
The fuss-free and non-slip pink razor was praised by our reviewer who said: “We loved the close shave with the single blade – the result with the vegan-friendly razor was super smooth legs with no irritation.” It’s available on a subscription basis as well as for a one-off purchase. “We think the razor is a great investment as it could last for years,” our tester said, adding “but when it comes to the blade subscription – which costs £9 a month or bi-monthly for five blades – we think the bi-monthly option would be the most cost-effective.”
The British natural skincare brand Tropic is committed to delivering freshly made, cruelty-free and eco-friendly skincare and beauty products. All the brand’s products are made in the UK using innovative ingredients sourced sustainably from botanical environments, from the Amazon rainforest to Australia. Standing with Cruelty Free International, the Vegan Society and PETA as a 100 per cent cruelty-free brand, all of its suncare products are certified vegan.
Tropic’s great barrier sun lotion (£28, Tropicskincare.com) came out on top in our review of the best eco-friendly sunscreens, with our reviewer praising how there’s “no oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene in sight and the chemical filters that are listed in the ingredients list have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they are reef safe and effective against UVA and UVB rays”. The formula was awarded with the trusted Protect Land + Sea certification and although it's pricey, you can be rest assured that you’re doing your bit for the ocean.
While recognising your skin is one of your most important organs that needs protecting, Aethic equally believes that oceans deserve the best protection, too. Founded in 2011, after Allard Marx became concerned about the skincare ingredients going out into the world, the company has since patented a scientifically proven and eco-friendly formula. Its sovee suncream (£58, Net-a-porter.com) is the world’s first to be certified marine positive, earning it a spot in our round-up of the best eco-friendly sunscreens. Our reviewer said: “There’s no zinc oxide or titanium oxide in this sunscreen – the key filter is a naturally occurring compound found in seaweed that was proven by King’s College London to absorb UVA and UVB rays effectively.”
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