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Beauty By Gemma Yates

Cutting Down on Plastic? It’s Time to Try a Beauty Bar

03/02/2021 by Gemma Yates

2 Min Read

We all know beauty has a plastic problem. From packaging and microbeads to face wipes and cotton buds, research shows that 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry. With eight million tonnes of plastic predicted to make it’s way into our oceans each year, the statistic that there will be more plastic than fish by 2050 seems no less shocking, but a lot less surprising.

According to Beat the Micro Bead, 95% of beauty packaging is thrown out after just one use, and only 14% of plastic makes it to a recycling centre. When you consider the additional plastic content inside some products, tt’s easy to see how the issue is spiralling out of control, but the positive news is that beauty addicts are ready to make a change. A GlobalWebIndex study showed that 42% of consumers now considered sustainable packaging important, while the number of consumers who say they would be willing to pay more for sustainable/eco-friendly products grew from 49% in 2011 to 57% in 2018. 

If, like us, you’re trying to make smarter beauty choices, knowing where to start can be hard. Beauty bars – solid blocks of beauty goodness for you and the planet – with minimal or zero-waste packaging are a the ultimate easy win. From shampoo to cleanser, shaving soap to exfoliator, here are the ones to add to your bathroom cabinet asap.

Biodegradable Bamboo Powder sloughs way even the scaliest winter skin (without feeling like you’re actually shedding a layer) while sunflower seed oil and aloe leaf juice bring the moisture. Extra points for the divine smell and easy-to-grip design.

Body Hero Exfoliating Bar, £12, Glossier



Soap on your face? Quelle horreur! Don’t worry, it’s not soap soap. Made with thermal mud and bamboo powder, this 3-in-1 cleansing bar designed to lift dead skin, dissolve oil and remove impurities, while the pH level of 6.34 preserves your skin’s essential moisture barrier.

Drunk Elephant Juju Bar, £24, Cult Beauty



Still shaving during lockdown? We salute you! Ditch the traditional pump dispensers for Friendly Soap’s Orange & Lavender Shaving Bar instead. Zero-waste small business Zedbees also stock Bamboo safety razors for a total shaving routine overhaul.

Orange & Lavender Shaving Bar, £3, Zedbees.



A double-duty cleanser you can use on face and body. Made from 75% natural ingredients and Gallinée’s signature scientifically-formulated complex of prebiotics to feed your skin’s good bacteria, this bar will leave it feeling clean, nourished, glowing and protected.

Gallinée Prebiotic Cleansing Bar, £10, Look Fantastic.



Uplifting in scent (pink grapefruit & vanilla) and shade, one Ethique shampoo bar equates to 3 bottles of liquid shampoo. Formulated for normal hair types, it’s a combo of organic, virgin fair trade coconut oil and cocoa butter and comes with a matching solid conditioner.

Pinkalicious Shampoo Bar for Normal Hair, £12.99, Ethique at Holland & Barrett.



Vegan, cruelty-free and plant-powered, Alter/Native’s products are (where possible) produced in the UK by small, local craft makers. Anything coconut-based gets our vote, and this suitable-for-all-hair-types conditioner bar promises healthy, shiny locks.

Coconut & Argan Oil Conditioner Bar, £5.45, Alter/Native at Farmdrop.



Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.

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I may have been a fashion editor for a decade, but I may have been a fashion editor for a decade, but I definitely lost my style mojo after baby no.1 (if I’m honest, two years later I’m still trying to find it) 
Lockdown, wearing gym kit for work and not wanting to spend money on maternity clothes I’ll only wear for a few months has meant wardrobe options have been relatively limited this pregnancy, but actually, that’s made life easier. Dungarees are my go-to - these @newlook cord ones have seen me through both pregnancies, my two besties through theirs and even survived an unfortunate ripping incident during the “birthing positions” part of my NCT course 🤣 Adding in a non-maternity top that still fits over bump (I managed to do up about 3 buttons on this @ganni one) is an easy way to make maternity wear feel a bit more “you”. Along with these dungarees and a denim pair I found on @ebay_uk, I’ve lived in @newlook’s leggings - the only ones I could find that didn’t go opaque - @topshop straight maternity jeans (RIP) @hm Mama gym leggings and a couple of dresses from my first pregnancy - mostly @asos maternity or @zara sized up. My maternity wardrobe tips? Look for dresses with easy boob access that you can wear post-pregnancy (I totally failed on this first time round 🤦🏻‍♀️) check out maternity rental sites like @for.the.creators (we have a post on this on site) or shop second hand on @ebay_uk @depop or Facebook marketplace. What are your maternity must-buys?
Just a cheeky bit of midweek nail inspo to either Just a cheeky bit of midweek nail inspo to either copy at home or save for THAT trip to the nail salon in April. You might have noticed in stories that my nails are completely bare at the moment - I had my last set of gels done in October (bright red in case you were wondering). I did a home removal job and tried to wing it through December with a couple of costs of a cheap festive glitter polish but it kept flaking off the same day I painted them 😅 I haven’t bothered using the at-home gel set I have because #twokids but LORD ALMIGHTY will I be glad to look at my hands and see a bright, shiny rainbow mani looking back at me 😭🙌🏼🌈 Hannah x
Lots of you asked about Gemma’s wallpaper when s Lots of you asked about Gemma’s wallpaper when she posted it on stories last week 🐆 It’s called ‘Leopard Walk’ by @cole_and_son_wallpapers 🐆 Speaking of statement wallpaper, we spotted @shopmatalan have an amazing range of statement rolls for under £25 so we’ve done a round up of our faves. Link in bio if you’re in the mood for a little lockdown DIY
Dreamy days ahead 🌼🌷🌸🌻 Dreamy days ahead 🌼🌷🌸🌻
Spring, we ready for ya 🌸🌷🌻🌺🌼 (all Spring, we ready for ya 🌸🌷🌻🌺🌼 (all dresses old aside from the first one which is linked in stories, the rest I’ve tagged anyway in case you fancy an eBay/Depop hunt 😈).

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