Selfridges has banned all single-use, plastic-based beauty wipes from its Beauty Halls and is replacing them with recyclable or reusable alternatives in a bid to encourage sustainable purchases. Beauty wipes are incredibly popular: research by Selfridges found that 20% of consumers use them at least once a day, and 35% consider single-use beauty wipes a beauty necessity. Furthermore, 13% of consumers currently flush single-use wipes down the toilet which can end up on the beaches and ocean if it doesn’t clog sewage and waterways first. More environmentally-friendly alternatives on offer from the retailer include Face Halo make-up remover, a non-toxic, reusable tool that quickly removes makeup using water only and can replace up to 500 single-use wipes.

Selfridges is also stocking Sarah Chapman Professional Cleansing Mitts, which lightly exfoliate and remove cleansers, makeup and grime, and Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Cloths, which are made from muslin and can be used multiple times.