I’m doing something a bit different today than previous posts on the blog: sharing my low-waste minimal beauty routine. I’ve gotten a couple of questions about this lately, and it has taken me SO LONG to find a routine that actually worked for me, with products I love – so I figured I’d share it with you! I’ve definitely found that less is more and works better for me. I’m going to share the products I use on a daily basis for you, in the event that you’d like to check them out. Read on for my low-waste, minimal beauty routine.

Skincare

Cleanser

I’ve gone back and forth with a few different cleansers and I’ve stuck with Lush, let the good times roll. It is a light exfoliating cleanser, so I only use it at night to really scrub the muck off my face. I don’t cleanse my face in the morning, just rinse with water.

What makes it low-waste? You can recycle the tubs back at lush which they repurpose into new containers.

Price? Less than $20 for the small tub

Toner

I make my own rose water with rose petals, which I use as a toner. Any other rosewater-based toner would work too, but it’s super easy to make so I like to do it myself! If you want to see a tutorial of this, let me know.

What makes it low-waste? I make it myself in a glass jar, so it’s essentially zero-waste! You can compost the rose petals once you’ve used them and re-use the glass jar.

Price? Only cost is purchasing a glass container and the rose petals. I bought the rose petals in bulk, I can’t remember the cost but it was fairly cheap and they last a long time.

Moisturizer

It took me LITERALLY FOREVER to find the moisturizer I wanted: with ingredients I actually liked, that wouldn’t totally break the bank. I tried making it myself, but that didn’t go very well lol. I found this one at a market in Toronto and haven’t looked back since! It’s a very rich moisturizer and works great for my dry and sensitive skin. HIGHLY recommend bee-23 products!

What makes it low-waste? Comes in a glass jar that can be recycled.

Price? Jar is $35 and lasts a few months (using morning and night).

Sunscreen

Let me tell you, this was a journey. I feel like I tried SO MANY different options on the market. I really wanted a tinted one that had a strong enough SPF for me to use everyday, with relatively good-for-you ingredients. I finally found a tinted sunscreen from Eucerin! Most I used were either too dry or too greasy, but Eucerin has the perfect texture and gives just the right amount of glow. I’m OBSESSED. I use this most days and add foundation if I want to on top, but in the summer I don’t bother with that because I feel glowy enough already!

What makes it low-waste? This is probably one of the only skin care ones I have that isn’t fully reusable, but the carton is recyclable. There is also a lot of product in here, so it lasts for a long time and you aren’t going through it like crazy.

Price? About $20 from Amazon for the 50ml bottle

Face tanner

This product I don’t use everyday, but I do want to include my face tanner because it is SUCH good quality. I use Saltyface for both their face and body tanner. I’m OBSESSED with their products! They are absolutely incredible and actually use quality ingredients, which is super hard to find with tanning products. I highly, highly recommend checking them out.

What makes it low-waste? All of their products are in glass containers which can be recycled. They also offer refills for their body tanner so you can keep the original container!

Price? Face tanner is almost $50 and body tanner is almost $70. Both last a VERY long time and are worth the investment!

Otherwise, that’s it for the majority of my skincare. These products are what I primarily use on a daily basis, apart from the face tanner which I use every so often. Sometimes, I will add in a serum, but I don’t use it everyday. All in all, I keep it as simple as possible and my skin loves me for it. Less is more!! The total cost for cleanser, toner, moisturizer and sunscreen is about $75.

Make-up

Makeup

I have been using Au Naturale for many years and use them for pretty much every make-up need I have. They are really good quality and naturally sourced. Lately, I’ve been using mascara from Ilia but otherwise, everything else is Au Nat. My skin loves their makeup too!

What makes it low-waste? All of these products can be recycled.

Price? It varies by product. Makeup options from Au Naturale typically range from $40-50 for foundation, face products, and lip products with some products a bit closer to $30. It is expensive but very worthwhile for the quality ingredients. Ilia mascara is $38 for the full size, but I usually get the mini version at sephora which is less than $20 and still lasts me awhile.

Makeup remover

I have the makeup removing cloths that don’t require anything extra. You just use warm water and wipe away the makeup on your face. No remover or anything else needed. Highly recommend!

What makes it low-waste? Completely zero-waste because the cloth is reusable, just throw it in the wash!

Price? I think I got a two-pack of the cloths at Winners for $10. Definitely a steal!

That’s the sum of my make-up routine. Generally, I don’t wear a ton of makeup on an everyday basis, so the products I do have last a very long time. I typically go a few months before I need to re-stock my supplies, and might be a bit faster for the mascara.

Hair care

For my hair, I use the shampoo and conditioner bars from Jack 59. I’ve used bars from a few different companies in the past, and the ones from Jack 59 are by FAR the best in terms of quality! My hair absolutely loves them, and hopefully I won’t have to use anything else again 😀 The shampoo bar I use is the Energize shampoo, perfect for revitalizing hair. The conditioner bar I use is Citrus Shine, formulated for curly hair. My hair feels SO silky and I’m not even exaggerating when I say I noticed a difference after ONE wash. I’m also able to go longer between washes with these bars, plus they’re zero-waste which is an added bonus! PS – if you want an even deeper clean when you shampoo, get a scalp massager, they make a HUGE difference.

What makes it low-waste? The bar itself is zero-waste which is excellent. It comes in recyclable paper packaging.

Price? It’s about $25 for one bar, which lasts me months.

Andddd that’s it! I’m very happy with my current routine and the quality of the products I have! The full cost of everything I use is about $75 for skincare, $50 for haircare, and $20+ for make-up, with tanning products being extra. It can add up but I truly believe it’s worthwhile to invest in quality products with great ingredients. My skin and hair really loves it too, so I’m sticking with them for now.

Let me know your thoughts on this blog, any potential favourites you have, and if you have any questions! If you happen to find your newest fav product, let me know in the comments 🙂