UpCircle Beauty began by giving new life to spent coffee grounds. Since then, the UK beauty label has expanded its capabilities to upcycle much more foods. Besides hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, this night cream employs antioxidant-rich blueberry extract obtained from the juicing industry. The extract is said to also contain pro-retinol that fends off signs of ageing. 

Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minarovica founded British skincare brand Bybi Beauty in 2017 in their houses before expanding to a brand known for its “efficacious, pro-planet formulas and standout eco packaging.” One example of the brand’s upcycling efforts can be seen in the Strawberry Booster. It is made with strawberry seed oil obtained from the seeds removed prior to juicing and is especially great for those with dry, flaking skin who needs extra nourishment.

Priscilla Tsai founded Cocokind with the intention of creating a beauty label that’s fair, transparent and disrupts the status quo of “aspirational beauty” while having products that are efficacious and gentle. Its body scrub upcycles coffee grounds sourced from a (local) Californian coffee manufacturer and helps to slough off dead skin. The caffeine in the coffee is said to help to firm and brighten the skin too. 

Tina Hedges believes in the power of superfoods that she taps into with Loli. The beauty oil, which can be used on the face, lips and hair,  is made with upcycled plum seed oil extracted specifically from the French Ente plum. The protective oil contains vitamins A, C and E and essential fatty acids and the formula is also bolstered by pomegranate seed oil, tea tree oil and sea buckthorn oil.

O’right is so committed to being sustainable that it achieved zero carbon in 2020. One of its hero products is this shampoo, which contains natural caffeine extracted from upcycling coffee husks in its home country, Taiwan. The sulfate-, paraben- and phthalate-free shampoo is then housed in a fully biodegradable bottle made with coffee grounds, which the brand said could sprout into a coffee tree when planted. 

Lano is perhaps the only brand in this line-up that isn’t vegan as it uses lanolin obtained from wool washing. The label is the brainchild of founder Kirsten Carriol who grew up watching how her grandfather’s hands become soft and supple after shearing sheep. This moisturising ointment is made with 100 percent cruelty-free lanolin (which is said to mimic human oils) from Australian sheep and touts 101 uses. 

Nicolas Gerlier created La Bouche Rouge with the aim of combining French luxury and craftsmanship with earth-friendly formulations and packaging. The brand debuted its perfume line in March 2023 which is made with 30 perc ent upcycled ingredients, 90 per cent natural ingredients and 100 per cent natural alcohol. The collection has five perfumes – Rouge, Nude, Bleu, Rose and Ambre – and they are housed in a glass body wrapped in a hand-crafted leather case.

Likely the most well-known brand in this list.  The Body Shop has always marketed itself to champion humans and the environment. The Carrot line, which has a facial wash and moisturiser, is made with “wonky carrots from the United Kingdom” and is supplemented with organic aloe vera grown in Mexico.