Well Groomed | Skincare Capsules
With their ability to reduce product wastage, prevent potency degradation and decrease our plastic consumption, skincare capsules could be a micro-sized step we can all take towards a more sustainable beauty regime. On first appearance, this colourful new breed of eye-catching ampoules might seem like a gimmick, but they’re ticking a lot of our eco-friendly boxes…
Product wastage
Using capsules ensures you’re using a consistent amount of product with every use, meaning you don’t go overboard on application. Excessively pumping a serum or cleanser can lead to product wastage, with superfluous chemicals being washed down drains into our precious oceans. Although micro-beads in rinse-off cosmetics were banned in 2018, there are still a throng of toxic ingredients hidden in our serums, masks and moisturisers that have a harmful effect on marine ecosystems. Micro-dose capsules could be the answer to our conservation prayers.
Potency
Single does packaging keeps formulas punchy, providing a safe house for unstable actives. Sensitive ingredients such as retinol and Vitamin C swiftly lose their potency when exposed to light and air, meaning you’re on a time limit from the minute you unscrew the lid of your serum. Capsules prevent active ingredients being compromised and also reduce manufacturers reliance on preservatives, meaning formulas can be made cleaner. Good news for your skin!
Packaging
Too much cosmetic packaging currently ends up in landfill, and the more complex the components, the less easily it can be broken down for recycling. The majority of skincare capsules are made from biodegradable seaweed, meaning once used they can be put in your compost bin or dissolved in water. This process aims to eliminate all excessive outer packaging, leaving you with one refillable pot that has the potential to last a lifetime.
Bolt Beauty, a brand that immediately grabbed our attention, gave us the lowdown on the clever carrageenan coating for their capsules. Carrageenan, made from red and purple seaweed, has zero carbon footprint, and creates a livelihood for small-scale farmers…
Considered to be one of the world’s most sustainable crops, it grows quickly and requires no fresh water, land, or fertilisers. Even better, seaweed helps combat climate change. Just like trees, it sucks up CO2 through the process of photosynthesis, acting as a carbon offset. It also reduces the acidification and deoxygenation of the ocean, helping to fight the impacts of global warming on our seas.
Most seaweed cultivation is carried out by small scale farmers in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Seaweed farming doesn't have high capital or technological requirements so can provide a livelihood for coastal communities who have few other employment options.
It's also an industry where women contribute. In the Philippines 44% of seaweed farmers are women, and in other countries, women help tying the seeds and with harvesting.
If skincare capsules have ticked your sustainability criteria, WELL CURATED recommend checking out the following clean beauty brands…
Oskia’s single-dose oil serum capsules combine 2% Vitamin C with something called ‘Smart Vitamin E’, a more powerful anti-oxidant version of Vitamin E. Also enriched with plant-derived squalane to restore hydration, these super-charged capsules promise to boost skin health for a youthfully radiant complexion. Sustainability is at the forefront of Oskia’s practices, they have calculated over 98% of their packaging is recyclable and 97% of their ingredients are sustainably sourced.
Bolt Beauty launched in March 2020 with four innovative products. ‘Filthy Clean’ gently cleanses the skin without stripping it of its natural oils. ‘Mad about Moisture’, a nourishing moisturiser with antioxidants to quench thirsty skin. ‘Vitamin A Game’, a clever 0.15% retinol plus Vitamin E, making it ideal for those prone to reaction or just introducing a retinoid into their skincare routine. And ‘Glow, Don’t Shine’ which is designed to fight blemishes and excess oils without diminishing the dewiness of the skin. The cleanser is the first in capsule form and if we're ever allowed on planes again will become a travellers best friend.
Housed in packaging made from red seaweed, these pure 3% resveratrol capsules deliver a slow-releasing dose of the most powerful antioxidant polyphenol, found in the skin of red grapes. Along with essential fatty acids, biomimetic peptides and fruit oils, these ampoules are must if you’re fighting the signs of collagen-loss, skin pigmentation, or sun damage. Beauty Pie use plant-based inks and recycled board for their cartons, continually working to make their packaging as ecologically conscious as possible.