The beauty category is far from perfect, but the low-waste trend is helping consumers reduce their single-use products and change perceptions about reusable items.
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As consumers demand more from their routines — more performance, more transparency, less environmental harm — the beauty industry is evolving. Case in point: according to recent sales projections, the refillable makeup market is projected to double to around $5 billion by 2033. Lipstick, once considered disposable by design, is now a cornerstone of sustainable reinvention, expected to hit nearly $2.9 billion by that same year. While the numbers are impressive, the more compelling shift is aesthetic: sustainability no longer comes at the cost of style.
The beauty industry is responsible for producing 120 billion units of packaging annually, making the shift toward refillable formats no longer a fringe experiment, but a strategic imperative. Driving this momentum is a confluence of cultural and economic forces. Younger consumers — particularly Gen Z — are increasingly motivated by environmental values, with 67 percent saying sustainability plays a key role in their beauty purchases. Brands are responding with durable packaging, refill stations, and materials innovations that merge functionality with aesthetic appeal.
But Sonya Lunder, director of community science for the Sierra Club’s Gender, Equity & Environment program, told Allure that the benefits of refillable packaging are “a net decrease” to the amount of plastic that is produced.
Lunder cautions that while refillable packaging may be effective in reducing plastic pollution on an individual consumer level, it’s an attempt at “shopping our way out of the problem,” which shifts the burden from corporations to individuals. She says corporate responsibility and government protections “are the most equitable and effective ways to protect the environment and reduce plastic production,” she said.
Even as corporations face pressures to implement more sustainable alternatives, the path forward is clear, says NPD. In its recent report, it says refillable is no longer just a trend, “it’s the future of cosmetic packaging.”
Low-waste and refillable beauty routines
From powder cleansers that dissolve into a creamy lather to reusable masks that rival spa-grade treatments, these low-waste alternatives are quietly recasting beauty as something more tactile, enduring, and yes, indulgent.
These five routines prove that conscious beauty can still feel extravagant.
1. The reusable sheet mask that upgrades your skincare, not your trash bin
One of the most wasteful parts of skincare is also one of the most popular. Sheet masks, often made from synthetic blends and drenched in single-use pouches, are a landfill regular. But washable masks are reclaiming the ritual. So are reusable under-eye masks — both made of medical-grade silicone designed to hold your favorite eye or face cream in place without adding another product to your routine.
Shop reusable masks
- Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask ($25, Sephora)
- Pacifica Beauty Reusable Lip Line Mask ($15, Amazon)
- Swanicoco’s reusable Bio Cellulose Mask ($23.63, Amazon)
2. The bar cleanser that feels like bottled luxury
Gone are the days when bar soap meant dry, squeaky skin. Today’s cleansing bars are packed with skin-loving ingredients and elegant delivery. Brands like Evolve Together offer powdered face washes that foam on contact, while Ethique’s solid cleansers come in chic, compostable packaging and formulations for everything from oily skin to sensitive types. These aren’t back-to-basics; they’re a forward leap in sensorial design.
Shop eco cleansers
- Evolve Together Face Wash Powder ($63, Evolve Together)
- Ethique Bliss Bar Gentle Solid Cleanser ($17, Amazon)
- Kitsch Castor Oil Shampoo Bar ($13.99, Amazon)
3. The refillable lipstick that deserves a permanent place on your vanity
A refillable lipstick isn’t new, but it’s finally beautiful. Once clunky and industrial, today’s versions blend luxury with logic. Kjaer Weis’ slim, silver tubes feel weighty in the hand and house creamy color refills in thirty shades. Dior and Guerlain now offer lipsticks with customizable cases, some adorned in velvet or gold. And the formulas? As rich and pigment-packed as ever.
Shop refillable lipstick
- Kjaer Weis Lipstick Refill ($30, Kjaer Weis) + Iconic Edition Case ($48, Kjaer Weis)
- Guerlain Rouge G Customizable Lipstick ($38 refill + $42 case, Guerlain)
- Dior Refillable Lipstick ($50, Sephora)
4. The foundation compact that refines your makeup ritual
Foundations and powders are joining the refillable wave with sleek, mirrored compacts and click-in refills. Rose Inc’s Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum pairs its glass dropper bottle with refill vials. Westman Atelier offers its Vital Skin foundation sticks with minimalist refills, packaged to reduce waste but maintain an ultra-luxe feel. The textures are sheer, the designs sculptural.
Shop refillable foundation
- Prada Beauty Reveal Skin-Optimizing Refillable Soft Matte Foundation ($70, Sephora) + Refill ($55, Prada)
- Dior Dreamskin Fresh & Perfect Refillable Face Cushion SPF 50 ($90, Sephora) + Refill ($48, Sephora)
- Fara Homidi Essential Face Compact Refillable Concealer and Foundation ($88, Sephora) + Refill ($48, Sephora)
5. The body care ritual that redefines indulgence
Refillable doesn’t end at the face. The body category is rapidly evolving, from aluminum deodorant canisters to glass-jar body butters. Nécessaire offers refillable body wash in fragrance-free or eucalyptus options, while brands like Salt & Stone and Corpus elevate deodorant packaging with sculptural vessels meant to last. The result? A shower routine that feels intentional, even ceremonial.
Shop refillable body care
- Sol de Janeiro Rio Deo Aluminum-Free Refillable Deodorant Cheirosa ’62 ($18, Sephora) + Refill ($16, Sephora)
- Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver Refillable Body Wash with Niacinamide + Probiotic ($36, Sephora) + Refill ($56, Sephora)
- Josie Maran Vanilla Vibezzz – Whipped Argan Oil Refillable Firming Body Butter Jar ($36, Sephora) + Refill ($62, Sephora)
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