Most makeup comes in plastic containers. A lot of makeup contains toxic chemicals. Even non-toxic makeup expires in a short time. For these reasons, it is important to creatively reuse cosmetics and packaging.
Cosmetics Without Plastic Packaging
- Elate Cosmetics – they use bamboo packaging and refills – Check out this interview with Elate Cosmetics on the Zero Waste Countdown podcast.
- Makeup Geek – they use metal packaging
- Axiology – they make lipstick in recycled aluminum packaging
Terracycle and Garnier have a program to recycle plastic packaging, as do many brands such as Aveda, Origin and MAC Cosmetics.
Does your Makeup Contain Toxic Chemicals?
Check with the Think Dirty app.
Is your Makeup Expired?
Look for the Period After Opening symbol which shows how many months you should keep a cosmetic after opening the package.
How many months do you typically keep open cosmetics safely?
- Blush, eye shadow – 2 years
- Lipstick – 1 year
- Eye liner and mascara – 3 months
Where to Donate Unopened Cosmetics
How to Repair Broken Cosmetics
How to Creatively Reuse Expired Cosmetics
Nail Polish and Remover
Tips on the least toxic nail polish and removers
Acquarella – one of the least toxic brands of nail polish and removers
Mascara Wands for Wildlife Rescues
Organizations who gather mascara wands to help clean wildlife are:
- Appalachian Wild
- New Arc Center in Aberdeen
- Project Wild Wands Canada
DIY Non-Toxic Makeup
Get inspired by learning about how Bea Johnson manages her cosmetics. She wrote the book Zero Waste Home. She uses organic cocoa powder for blush!
There are many tutorials on how to make non-toxic cosmetics.
Artists Who Make Art with Cosmetics
Honors art students from Asheville High School in North Carolina made a very cool mosaic mural of an owl from mascara wands at the Asheville Museum of Science.
Laurel Roth Hope made sculptures of peacocks and other birds using fake plastic nails and nail polish