7 Highly Effective Zero Waste Face Moisturizers That Provide Hydration for All Skin Types

An open jar of white moisturizer cream from Fat and the Moon

Thank your skin for all you put it through with these insanely hydrating zero waste face moisturizers. Good for the planet, good for your skin, and no plastic at all. 

Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Thank your skin for all you put it through with these insanely hydrating zero waste face moisturizers. Good for the planet, good for your skin, and has no plastic at all.

Your face tells the world your story. Laugh lines, wrinkles, freckles, and acne scars are the details of your story. It helps you express yourself and also helps you hide. Your face goes through a lot!

What your skin needs can vary based on the season, the weather, stress levels, the water, the time of day, and even your period cycle — if you have one. And with all these factors your skin doesn’t always get the love it deserves.

The loudest companies will tell you to use (their) most potent ingredients which strip all the natural oils off your face, then sell you another product to help you relieve the dry skin that weirdly showed up around the same time you started using their product.

It’s exhausting!

Taking care of your skin doesn’t have to be difficult. It can take some trial and error to learn what your skin needs and when it needs it but once you find it …. *chefs kiss* it’ll be worth it.

Take care of your face with our favorite zero waste face moisturizers.

Why Do I Need A Face Moisturizer 

The purpose of a face moisturizer is to rehydrate the skin and put moisture back into it. Your skin naturally holds water, but not hydrating enough, using harsh products, and other things can make your skin look and feel dryer and lose elasticity.

Dehydrated skin leads to flaking, sagging skin, wrinkles, and premature aging.

Using a face moisturizer shields your skin by acting as a protective barrier. It also keeps water molecules from escaping from the skin's surface which keeps your skin hydrated.

When Should I Apply My Zero Waste Face Moisturizer

So here’s the tricky part — all of those beauty products you’re being told you absolutely need to buy and those very expensive serums you purchased need to be applied in a certain order, otherwise, it can reduce the effectiveness.

The process varies a bit from morning to night but after cleansing, you want to apply your products from lightest to heaviest.

Wash your face morning AND night to make sure you’re starting with a fresh palette. This gives the products the best chance of absorbing into your skin. If you wear makeup, use a makeup remover. If you have extremely dry skin and washing 2X per day exacerbates your dryness, try splashing cold water instead or find a more hydrating cleanser.

Illustration by Grace Kim from Byrdie Skincare Routine Order

Do I Really Need A Zero Waste Face Moisturizer

Ya do.

It doesn’t matter your gender, race, age, everyone should be using a face moisturizer. There are so many wonderful brands that are using ingredients and packaging that are friendly on the planet and your skin that not only should everyone be using a moisturizer but everyone could be using a zero waste face moisturizer.

Adding a zero waste face moisturizer full of natural, hydrating ingredients is one thing your skin will thank you for. Especially 20 years down the road.

Pay Attention to the Ingredients

The type of skin you have will help determine what kind of moisturizer you should be using. 

  • Those with dry skin should look out for a heavier moisturizer that’s more oil-based.
  • People with sensitive skin will benefit from a moisturizer that uses calming ingredients such as aloe vera, oatmeal, hyaluronic acid, and beeswax if you can.
  • Those with oily, normal, and combo skin should look for water-based, light formulas.

Our Favorite Zero Waste Face Moisturizers

Plaine Products — Zero Waste Face Moisturizer

Metal reusable 2oz container of face moisturizer from plain products with metal screw top lid.

Plaine Products has created a line of refillable products that contribute nothing to the landfill. This zero waste face moisturizer is vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-free, and palm oil free. This skin-softening moisturizer can also help reduce texture, fine lines and wrinkles. After using, send your empties back to the company to be washed, sanitized, and reused.

Shop zero waste Face Moisturizer

UpCircle Beauty — Vegan Face Moisturizer

Open jar of upcircle face moisturizer.

Winner of "Best Moisturizer" in the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2021, this fast-absorbing moisturizer is perfect for day or night daily use. And it’s plastic-free! This cream is rich in Vitamin E and made from discarded Argan shells, a natural by-product of the Argan oil industry, plus Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, and Blood Orange. It’s 100% vegan and comes in a glass jar with a metal lid that can be upcycled or recycled.

Shop vegan Face Moisturizer

Activist Skincare — Precious Oils Active Infusion

Don’t let this lightweight oil fool you — it provides the perfect amount of hydration for every skin type — sensitive and acne-prone skin included. A few drops of this oil will leave your skin happy, and hydrated, with a dewy (not oily) finish. And the best part? Subscribe and when you’re getting low you’ll be shipped a refill pouch that can be used to refill your dropper bottle. Refill pouches are lightweight and use 115% fewer emissions than shipping glass.

Shop precious oils active infusion

Circular Bodies — Hemp Cream

6 amazing ingredients combine in this hemp cream to keep your skin, lips, and even hair ultra-hydrated. This lightweight cream melts as soon as it comes into contact with your skin, absorbing immediately and providing intense hydration. Lavendar essential oil creates a calming scent with healing properties. At the end of its life, wash and upcycle the jar for small plants, leftovers, or anything else!

Shop hemp cream

Fat & the Moon — All Cream

Glass jar of Fat and the Moon All Cream with Metal lid

All Cream is not too heavy, not too light but the perfect blend of moisturizing ingredients that can be used on the face or body. Made with only 6 natural ingredients, a little bit of this cream goes a long way. Ingredients are Sunflower Oil, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Rosewater, Beeswax, and Elderberry Extract. All Cream comes in a glass container with a metal lid that can be upcycled or recycled.

Shop all cream

Dew Mighty — Bloom Jelly Serum

Both a serum and a moisturizer this is the ultimate in zero waste products. This solid bar comes in a reusable tin container meant to last a lifetime. To use the bar, rub it on your face for as much coverage as needed. It provides the long lasting moisture of a face moisturizer but all the effectiveness of a serum at the same time! Shipped in veggie coat paper that can be recycled or composted.

Shop Bloom Jelly Serum

PAPR Cosmetics — The Everything Stick

We could all use a little extra moisture, especially in the wintertime. That’s where The Everything Stick comes in! Keep it in your bathroom to make it a part of your everyday routine. Add a couple of swipes for extra moisture or use it in sensitive areas such as around your eyes. You can also carry it with you and top up on some moisture whenever you need it — face, hands, elbows, you name it. Created with 7 potent, anti-oxidant-rich super oils you’ll never have a dry patch again! Once the product is gone, compost or recycle the paper push tube.

Shop the everything sitick

When looking for a zero waste face moisturizer, look for natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced and contain ingredients beneficial to your skin type. It may take your skin some time to adjust and it may take some time to figure out what your skin needs. But this list is a great place to start! Once you find the one, or few, that work for you, your skin will rejoice. Now go forth and moisturize!

Shop all Face Moisturizers at zerowastestore.com

Comments (2)

comment avatar
jetpeel
March, 13. 2023

Thanks for sharing this post.

comment avatar
Olivia Manuel
October, 4. 2022

I would like to check out your zero waste face moisturizers my face had brown sun patches dark lumpy shadows under eyes So I need some kind of moisturizer. oil based creams no good makes skin more darker need moisturizer to lighten skin not to darken it more .

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