The Body Shop Easy In-Store Refill Stations

The Body Shop is on a mission to not only scrub up your body, but to also scrub up the world and to do that they want you to play your part to clean up your act and clean up the planet and to make life a little easier, they have brought in new easy in-store refill stations. That refill revolution starts now!

Starting now, The Body Shop wants refill stations to become mainstream, it isn't a new invention, quite a few brands offered this service before Covid19 and Lockdown, but it is an important service. We have all got used to hearing the terms 'Terracycle', 'Bring it Back' and refill stations add to the importance of enabling you to do as much as you can to help the planet.

It’s a simple switch that saves a whole lot of plastic. Because when you refill, you throw away less – and it starts with one bottle to replace them all. We’re closing the loop on waste and giving you more ways to shop the products you love, without the wasteful packaging. And with our global footprint, each of our small acts can make a big difference. Make the switch to refill and together we could save over 25 tonnes of plastic per year. 

We’re constantly working towards clever ways to empower people and the planet, so have a peep at how we’re sourcing ethically and sustainably, reviewing our packaging and rolling up our sleeves to help clean up our planet.

With an impressive roll-out of over 400 refill stations being launched in stores across the globe, with a further 400 planned in 2022, this is a bid by The Body Shop to help people like you and me to opt out of the need for excess packaging and eliminate waste before the products we purcashe reach our bathroom shelves.  To do this, refills need to be easy and accessible as well as convenient for everyone as far as possible and this is a great start.

Refills from The Body Shop are currently available for 12 best selling products that are used the most - shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and hand washes for the time being though this might change over time. To get involved, all you need to do is get your Aluminium Bottle from one of the participating stores and ask a member of The Body Shop team to fill up your bottle with whatever product you had wanted to purchase and already you have eliminated the use of one plastic bottle in your home and your routine. Just imagine how much good this could do for the planet - The Body Shop estimates that together we could save over 25 tonnes of plastic every year and you personally could save 32 plastic bottles from going to waste each year and switching to refill could also save your bank balance up to £76 per year, especially if you are a regular visitor to The Body Shop like I am for my Ginger Shampoo and Conditioner!  

If you look around your bathroom, your kitchen and even your beauty stash, how many plastic bottles have you got sitting there? Scary isn't it!

I really like the idea that I can take my bottles, which I was kindly gifted, to my local store, which does have a refill station and stock up on my favourite products instead of using plastic. Better still, when my two bottles arrives, they came packaged inside a RePack bag, it might not sound exciting but it is quite a clever idea! The RePack bag is resuable packaging which you simply attached the return address label too, put it in your nearest post box and it is returned to be used time and time again.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

#WeAreAllies

When great brands come together to form an alliance for a world-first campaign to tackle and highlight the amount of packaging waste in the beauty world, it grabs your attention!

Coming together with REN Clean Skincare is a collection of brands who form this alliance as part of the #WeAreAllies campaign.  Highlighting the fact that 70% plastic containers and packaging waste ends up in US landfills, a shocking figure I’m sure you will agree, with such a high figure, one brand on its own can only do so much, but with allies agreeing to join that campaign and to make a collective effort to make a positive change for our environment, that message becomes much more powerful.

By working together, sharing ideas and pioneering new solutions while at the same time raising awareness that will inspire other brands to follow suit with their own sustainable efforts.

So who are these brands and why are they part of the #WeAreAllies campaign? Working alongside REN Clean Skincare we have 4 other brands, from which I was sent some products as part of the campaign:

• Biossance - From Biossance is the 2021 Beauty Inc Award "100 Greatest Products of all time" and the 2020 Marie Claire Skin Awards "Best Facial Oil". This Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil. This is a luxurious lightweight oil which is said to deliver trifecta of skin-loving goodness in just 3 drops - hydrating, brightening and firming.  This oil is also housed inside a recyclable bottle and is EWG verified to reduce the environmental impact with every product created.
• Caudalie - From Caudalie is the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum which works to reduce all kinds of dark spots as it evens out the skin tone and boosts radiance. House in recyclable packaging, it is powered by Vine sap Viniferine which is proven to be 62x more effective than Vitamin C at brightening and to reduce dark spots appearance after just 1 bottle. Full review here.
• Herbivore - From Herbivore we have the Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydration Serum. This is a naturally derived plant-based serum which is formulated with Tremella Mushroom - an hyaluronic acid alternative, that leaves the skin feeling intensely hydrated, soft and visibly plump.  It also includes Vegan Collagen to moisturise and nourish skin while Strawberry Extract which is rich in antioxidants, including Vitamin C, to visibly brighten the skin.
• Youth to the People - From YTTP we have The Your Skin Goals Start Here nutrient-rich cleanser which is loaded with cold-pressed superfood extracts from kale and spinach which work to effectively cleanse the skin, remove build up in pores and at the same time balance pH without drying.

Finally from REN Clean Skincare we have the Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic, which I have reviewed here. Housed in a 100% recycled plastic bottle, this tonic exfoliates, brightens, tightens and hydrates to give your complexion a smooth, even and energised complexion that gives your skin that glow without irritation.

I absolutely love this initiative, the fact that five brands can come together in a fight to protect our planet, by not being competitors but instead being Allies.  I hope more brands join REN Clean Skincare and the rest of these brands in their campaign.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Protection from the sun!

With all the gorgeous weather we have had recently, I decided to try out a new SPF I’ve been waiting to review – MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield Unscented SPF 28**.  The product arrived packaged inside a lovely green and white cardboard box and everything you need to know about the product is clearly visible on the box.  Inside there is a 68ml plastic squeezy tube which is perfect for carrying in your handbag ready to top up during the day.

Described as "MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield SPF 28 is an unscented, environmentally-safe, full spectrum UVA/UVB sun defense that offers powerfully effective protection, yet is gentle enough for infants* and non-irritating near the eyes. Translucent Zinc and Titanium Dioxides provide a safe alternative to harsh chemical sunscreens".

Us Brits love nothing more than moaning about the four wonderful seasons that we have, I personally am a huge lover of all the seasons and I am never one to complain once the sunshine comes out, that said I am always conscious about sunscreen and am the kind of person to always be wearing it and carrying some in my handbag.  

I applied it in a morning before going outside, as instructed to do and then every few hours during the day.  The Cream itself is quite thick and luxurious but absorbs itself quickly into the skin and the best part is that it has no 'sunscreen' smell that you associate with suncream, something I have to admit I am not a fan of.  Once applied onto the skin there is no stickiness or tacky feel left behind, another pet hate of mine when it comes to sunscreen and it also left my skin feeling moisturised.

As I have mentioned, this product is completely unscented and uncoloured and because it is made entirely from natural ingredients there are no harsh chemicals. Infact this product is also:

• Cruelty Free
• Vegan Friendly
• Gluten Free
• Recyclable 

Add to that it also contains Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to help reduce signs of sun-induced irritations.

I have quite fair skin and tend to wear a factor of between 25-30 depending on where I am, some people might think that is a tad high for the UK but having once burnt rather badly on my shoulders, it is not a pain I intend to go through again.  Whilst wearing this suncream, even by the sea, I did not burn, so for me it definitely offered the relevant sun protection, especially on my shoulders and face.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield SPF 28 retails for £19.50 and is available to buy here.

Do you wear a high factor SPF? 

This post also appeared on Futures by Bex you can see HERE