Best zero waste oils in beauty
WHAT IS ZERO WASTE BEAUTY?
Zero waste means that we aim to send nothing to a landfill, incinerators or the oceans. This lofty goal may sound impossible to achieve, but is worth serious consideration when you realise that the average person in the United States throws away their body weight in rubbish every month.
Experts predict that global solid waste generation will exceed 11 million tonnes per day by 2100. The drive towards zero waste beauty is a necessary requirement to help prevent pollution, although it is important to recognise that every beauty product will have some waste footprint somewhere throughout its supply chain.
We are all striving to play our part in the fight for a cleaner, healthier planet. Whether it’s readdressing our home recycling methods, adjusting how we travel, or considering the impact of buying certain products.
Drastic measures have been made in the personal care sector with regards to reducing waste already but there is so much more work to do.
WHAT ARE ZERO WASTE OILS?
What are zero waste oils?
Zero waste oils are carrier oils that pressed from fruit and vegetable seeds, which are sourced as waste by-products from the juice, jam and jelly industry.
‘’Luckily, various oil producers have now started using waste ingredients to create zero waste oils, which are not only great for us as formulators but also meet important principles of environmental sustainability.’’
- Founder & Formulator Agne V
The supermarkets decided a number of years ago that they had a demand for seed-less or pulp-less jams and juices. This decision created waste in the production of these jams, concentrates and juices, because the excess pulp and seeds that were removed from the juices and jams were left as waste. Some of this waste was utilised as natural fertiliser, but the majority of it and all of its nutritional goodness was left to waste.
Luckily, soon enough, a micro-market emerged and the seeds and pulp were saved so they could be further processed and have oil extracted from them. A cosmetic gold-mine was discovered by creating oils with powerful inherent benefits and an even more powerful ingredient conscience: zero waste.
BEST ZERO WASTE OILS FOR SKINCARE
ACAI BERRY SEED OIL
INCI: Euterpe oleracea oil
Characteristics: Dark, Light, fresh, fruity aromatic oil
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the jam/juice industry
Acai Berries contain around 50 seeds per fruit. They’re all tiny, but packed full of antioxidants just waiting to be cold pressed.
The Acai berries come from the multi-stemmed palm Euterpe oleracea Mart., which grows in South America.
South America is the best place in the world for growing Acai berries, hosting a huge industry to create acai juice.
These fruit seed oils give us the perfect opportunity to blend sustainability and beauty.
Acai Berry oil skin benefits - Anti-Aging: Powerful antioxidants found in Acai oil as well as wonderful moisturizing properties make this oil a powerful anti-aging treatment for fine lines, wrinkles, and dry, damaged skin. Dry, Cracked Skin: This very rich and hydrating oil can fix anything from dry lips to cracked heels on your feet.
Abundant in vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as minerals, acai berry extract helps revive skin, heal damaged skin cells, and restore moisture.
You can find this amazing oil in Reverse Visible Signs of Photo Aging Facial Elixir and Bamboo Stem Magic Skin Activator
BLACk currant SEED OIL
INCI: Ribes nigrum oil
Characteristics: Dark oil with an earthy aroma
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the jam/juice industry
The seeds are collected as by-products of jams and then dried, filtered and cold pressed to create this beautiful earthy oil.
Black Currant contain between 50-100 seeds in each fruit, giving us plentiful raw materials to extract this beautiful cold pressed oil.
Black Currant skin benefits - l is a powerful antioxidant rich plant oil that contains deeply therapeutic properties that make this a wonderfully healing oil. It's a fantastic oil for use on skin particularly if you you suffer from inflammation, eczema and uneven skin tone. Its high antioxidant content helps to protect skin cells from free radical damage which can be caused by environment. It helps to slow down some of the effects that can come as a result of this type of skin damage. This is particularly helpful to those with darker skin tones that may experience variations in pigment tone or hyperpigmentation. Blackcurrant seed oil works preventatively to help stabilise changes in the skin. It is an anti-dermatitis, anti-inflammation and anti-acne oil that may help to keep minor skin problems at bay by fighting bacteria.
You can find this amazing oil in Reverse Visible Signs of Photo Aging Facial Elixir
APRICOT KERNEL OIL
INCI: Prunus armeniaca oil
Characteristics: Light, fruity aromatic oil
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from kernels left over from the juice / jam industry, although many apricots are now grown for their oil
We source all of our apricot kernels from Turkey, where there is a huge market for apricot kernel oil. Initially, the kernels were a by-product from the jam and juice industry, but the demands for apricot oil have started to outstrip the demands for apricot juice and jam.
This change in demand obviously changes the oil’s zero waste credentials slightly, as it is no longer fully a by-product. The oil is created by crushing the kernel to obtain the seeds within, which are then dried, cold pressed and filtered to create this light oil.
Apricot oil skin benefits - provides nutrition and support to your skin, helps to reduce the visibility of lines, wrinkles, and blemishes, as well as reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.
You can find this amazing oil in Reverse Visible Signs of Photo Aging Facial Elixir, Sleeping Pack Night Cream, Wrinkle Rebel Night Cream
POMEGRANATE SEED OIL
INCI: Punica granata oil
Characteristics: Clear, earthy aromatic oil
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the juice industry
Turkey is another great supplier of pomegranate seeds oil that would otherwise go to waste from the juice industry. It is very important to us that our pomegranate seeds are of the highest quality and contain around 70% punicic acid, which is the most valuable component of pomegranate seed oil.
Pomegranate oil skin benefits - the HIGH OMEGA 5 Fatty Acid (Punicic acid) levels in Pomegranate Seed Oil has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties by helping to fend off free radicals.
You can find this amazing oil in Reverse Visible Signs of Photo Aging Facial Elixir, Bright & Lift Facial Elixir
TOMATO SEED OIL
INCI: Solanum lycopersicum oil
Characteristics: Earthy aromatic oil
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the food industry
Think of all the tomato-based products we buy every week: tomato puree, tomato passata, tomato soup, tomato pulp. The tomato processing industry extracts more seed than anything else from tomato, which means that there is a big opportunity to create by-products that can be pressed to tomato seed oil.
The tomato seeds are dried and then cold pressed and filtered to create this gorgeous zero waste oil.
Tomato seed oil skin benefits - The star ingredient in Tomato Seed Oil is lycopene. Lycopene soothes skin, and helps heal dry or cracked skin. It also improves the smoothness of the skin, and can help against hyper-pigmentation. Tomato Seed Oil is also rich in Vitamin E. Thanks to the large number of antioxidants and vitamin C, one can use tomato for face whitening as they act as a natural bleaching agent. Applying tomato on face makes skin brighter and radiant while reducing pigmentation, dullness and dark spots. Helps fight with cellulite and stretch marks.
You can find this amazing oil in Bright & Lift Facial Elixir, Body Sculpt Stretch Mark Treatment Serum, Plum Up Anti Cellulite Serum
CUCUMBER SEED OIL
INCI: Cucumis sativus oil
Characteristics: Natural earthy aromatic oil
Zero waste credentials: the oil is cold-pressed from seeds that would otherwise go to waste in the food industry
If you’ve ever eaten a cucumber, then you’ll know that the seeds are very watery and fleshy, which means that there’s a lot of water to remove in the process of preparing the oil.
The cucumber is cored first. The seeds are then dried to a level that makes sure the water is removed and the seeds won’t oxidise quickly. Once the seeds have been dried for a month, they are put through a sieve which gets rid of any chaff, so that all of the seeds are left behind for cold pressing.
Cucumber seed oil skin benefits - Rich in linoleic acid, Vitamin E, and other nutrients, Cucumber Seed Oil is an excellent anti-ager, keeping the skin's protective barrier strong and improving firmness and elasticity. Both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, this versatile oil diminishes signs of aging while promoting cell regeneration.
You can find this amazing oil in Bright & Lift Facial Elixir
