Facial cleansing is an essential step in a regular skincare routine. It keeps the skin clean and helps remove dead skin cells while maintaining hydration to keep us looking our best. It’s also ideal for preparing the skin for other products and treatments, including serums, moisturizers, and makeup.
However, traditional face wash products are typically packaged in shiny but unsustainable plastic bottles, and can contain hidden nasties that are bad for you, and the marine life that’s at the other end of your drain pipe!
That leaves us with trying to source an effective, natural, eco-friendly, and plastic-free face wash, which can be challenging if you don’t know where to look.
Luckily, we’ve done the hard yards to bring you a list of zero-waste facial cleansers to keep your skin in good condition and protect the environment while doing so.
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Best Eco-Friendly Face Wash Brands
Ready to ditch the plastic and embrace a zero waste skincare routine?
Choosing plastic-free, environmentally friendly, and waste-free face wash brands contributes to a better world while still taking care of your skin and overall health. Browse our favorite brands and products below!
Plaine Products Refillable Vegan Facial Cleanser
Plaine Products Face Wash is a vegan facial cleanser that’s hypoallergenic and certified cruelty-free. It comes in recyclable and refillable packaging to help you invest in a much-needed, earth-friendly circular economy.
A face wash with natural ingredients, the cleanser includes essential oils and Vitamin C to help tone the skin, protecting it from premature aging and leaving it radiant.
In addition, this zero-waste product is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, GMOs, palm oil, and synthetic fragrances. And Plaine Products gives back to environmental charities with every product sold.
Seed Phytonutrients Purifying Facial Cleansing Powder
This facial cleansing powder from clean beauty brand Seed Phytonutrients is derived from earth and skin-friendly, sustainable ingredients that create a creamy foam when mixed with water.
The antioxidant-rich cleanser contains grape and raspberry seed oils for glowing skin, and pink kaolin clay for purity, delivered with the comforting scent of chamomile, davana, and rose.
In addition, the high-performance product comes in zero-waste packaging, with a recyclable aluminum bottle shipped in recycled materials.
Ethique Deep Green Solid Face Cleanser
This eco-friendly cleanser for oily to balanced skin is plastic-free, zero waste, vegan, and cruelty-free – like all Ethique products!
The solid bar is made from French green clay, castor oil, sweet orange oil, and sea salt for deep yet gentle, sustainable cleansing. The conscious cleanser helps release dirt and address excess oil without drying the skin, yielding cleaner, healthier, and hydrated skin.
In addition, by eliminating plastic waste from its production and packaging line, Ethique has avoided using over 20 million plastic bottles. They’ve also given back to the environment by planting more than 350 000 trees!
Activist Sea-to-Skin Cleansing Gel
This refillable, vegan face cleanser from the women-owned brand Activist comes in a recyclable glass container.
It easily removes makeup and dirt, unclogs pores, and rinses away easily – without stripping the natural moisture from your skin.
Its all-natural ingredients include spirulina extract, grapeseed oil and sunflower seed oil.
This sustainable cleanser is also palm oil-free, vegan and cruelty-free, and you can subscribe to get refills delivered to your door.
EcoRoots Facial Soap Bar
Zero waste face wash options don’t get much more cost-effective than this EcoRoots facial soap bar. With each solid bar replacing up to three bottles of conventional face wash!
The organic facial soap bar contains pink clay for your pores, charcoal tea tree, which is great for oily skin, hydrating shea oatmeal, and orange bergamot oil to leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed.
The handmade, cold-pressed, and naturally scented soap leaves the skin hydrated and healthy and is available in 4 different formulations.
These bars are naturally vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate and paraben-free, and they come in simple zero-waste packaging.
Blueland Facial Cleanser Starter Set
This innovative, dermatologist-tested cleanser from B-Corp certified company Blueland transforms from a powder into a bottle of pH-balanced gel once you add water.
The hydrating plant-based ingredients include kaolin clay, oats, coconut acid, and Vitamin E, yielding a non-foaming, gentle, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free cleanse.
The earth-friendly formulation doesn’t include any parabens, sulfates, silicones or phthalates.
Simply buy the starter pack, then refill with the handy paper sachets. What are you waiting for? A sustainable glow awaits!
HiBAR Cleanse Solid Face Wash Bar
An essential part of your zero waste skincare routine, you’ll enjoy the deep cleansing benefits of silk protein and amino acids with this gentle and refreshing HiBAR zero-waste face wash bar.
This sustainable and value-for-money facial bar is free of plastic packaging, fragrance-free, and plant-based – an all-natural face wash suitable for sensitive skin.
One bar is equivalent to 8oz of regular cleanser, and as it’s solid – it makes the perfect travel companion too! Choose from their Cleanse, Renew, or Hydrate bars to find the best match for your skin.
Aesop Amazing Face Cleanser
If you’re looking for a more traditional cleanser, this plant-based option from Aesop should be your go-to!
Its paraben-free, vegan and cruelty-free formulation contains purifying lavender oil, mandarin rind, and Ylang Ylang for an effective yet non-drying deep cleanse with a pleasantly fresh citrus aroma.
The foamy gel is perfect for cleansing enlarged pores and congested skin. And the stylish reusable glass bottle can be recycled, or put to use in your kitchen or bathroom.
Yellow Beauty Golden Hour Face Wash
Yellow Beauty delivers a plant-powered, water-based cleanser enhanced with turmeric, pineapple, and vitamins C and E for soothed, smoothed, and softer skin.
It’s a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich exfoliant that’s ideal for every day use.
This zero-waste product is suitable for all complexions, including sensitive or irritable skin, and is certified cruelty-free.
It comes in recyclable glass bottles and is delivered with climate-neutral shipping.
Dewy.er Spirulina Face Wash
Discover this naturally nourishing, no-waste face wash from Dewy.er that’s ideal for combination or acne-prone skin.
The vegan formula offers the powerful benefits of spirulina, ginger root, tea tree oil, and chlorophyll to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh. It even works to even out skin tone and combat redness!
The hard-working face wash helps to reduce and address breakouts and acne, restoring a healthier balance to the skin.
It comes in a reusable glass bottle (large) or recyclable aluminum (mini) and all their products are genderless, palm-oil-free, GMO-free, cruelty-free and vegan.
Shine Skincare Co. Turmeric + Ginseng Face Wash
This handmade cleanser from Shine Skincare is a natural, low-waste face wash that contains the goodness of turmeric, ginseng, licorice extract, and provitamin B5.
Suitable for all skin types, the face wash leaves your skin looking more even, smooth, and glowing.
All products come with a crystal inside the bottle to infuse your product with positive and radiant energy. It’s housed in a recyclable glass bottle, with a reusable pump.
Ursa Major Morning Mojo Bar Soap
All skin types will benefit from this energizing zero-waste face scrub soap from Vermont-based brand Ursa Major. It gently exfoliates, soothes, and adds hydration to your skin.
Its grainy texture, combined with a creamy lather and refreshing fragrance, leaves your skin moisturized and invigorated.
Ingredients include moisturizing shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil, as well as botanicals for skin health. What you won’t find are any silicones, PEGS, glycols, parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, or synthetic fragrances.
And of course, the low-key packaging is sustainable too. Just throw it in your paper recycling or compost bin!
Conscious Skincare Enrich Organic Face Wash
Dispensed from a plastic-free amber glass bottle, this handmade, eco-friendly, and vegan face wash contains organic lavender and geranium essential oil for purification, toning, and softness.
The detergent and chemical-free facial cleanser from Conscious Skincare helps to clean normal and combination skin without any drying or tightening of your skin.
These zero waste face cleansers are certified cruelty-free, and free of parabens, phthalates, and synthetic preservatives, helping to protect your skin, the planet, and animals. The 100% recyclable glass bottle with an optional pump dispenser comes in three different sizes to choose from, and you can try a generous 10ml sample before buying a full sized product.
Facetheory Clarifying Cleanser
This facial cleanser from facetheory includes lactic, salicylic, and glycolic acid for superior cleaning of blemished, congested, and oily skin.
The acid trifecta penetrates deep into the skin to help control breakouts, open pores, and blackheads.
It is free of harmful mineral oils, silicons, and parabens, and it’s certified cruelty-free.
The zero waste skin care products are packaged in eco-friendly, reusable, and recyclable glass pots with a metal lid.
Scent Cerae Face Cleanser Push-Up Stick
This clay & shea cleanser from Scent Cerae is handmade using natural, skin-friendly and active ingredients that will leave your skin healthy and glowing.
In addition, it comes in four different formulations to cater to your unique skin type.
All of these zero waste products are packaged in sustainable natural cork, and paperboard push-ups.
The stick is also easy to use – apply it to your wet face, massage, and rinse with warm water.
Why Opt for a Zero Waste Face Wash?
As we face the ever-obvious effects of climate change, and learn about the exploitation, abuse, and waste of the planet’s natural resources, it makes sense to start embracing our conscious purchasing power.
This includes supporting zero waste skincare brands with naturally sourced and produced, often plant-based and organic ingredients.
These products have none of the synthetic and toxic components that pollute the planet, and the oceans, and harm human health. They’re also typically ethically and kindly sourced, manufactured, and transported.
Zero waste packaging means products are packed in recycled and refillable, reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging. This plastic-free packaging avoids single-use materials, helping to prevent waste and preserve the earth’s resources.
By avoiding what’s harmful to the environment, zero-waste skincare products are often better for you and your skin, healthier and gentler, with fewer harsh or damaging chemicals. Zero-waste face cleanser brands also frequently support the local community, farmers and micro-businesses, and worthwhile charities.
So, to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy and help protect our beautiful planet and its precious resources, choose zero-waste, plastic-free, and natural face wash products and packaging.
With our help, find the perfect guilt-free and eco-friendly facial cleanser for your skin.