Podcast 259: The sustainability of travel beauty

Travelling is one of life’s greatest joys, but have you ever considered the environmental footprint of your beauty routine on the go?

From the tiny shampoo bottles in hotel bathrooms to the disposable travel minis packed into our hand luggage, travel beauty generates an astonishing amount of waste. And let’s not forget the mountains of confiscated cosmetics tossed at airport security. It’s a sustainability crisis hiding in plain sight – yet barely anyone is talking about it.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier – Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica – lifts the lid on the hidden waste of travel beauty.

Lorraine is joined by Andrea Endres, an expert at the intersection of beauty and travel, to explore how we can rethink our routines. From refillable hotel amenities to solid beauty bars and smarter packing choices, they uncover the most practical and innovative ways to cut down on waste without sacrificing quality.

If you’ve ever questioned the true cost of those “free” hotel toiletries, wondered how wellness and sustainability could work together in travel, or wanted to know how indie beauty brands can break into a market dominated by big players, this episode is for you.

“Luxury isn’t just about expensive packaging and well-known brands. It’s about the awareness of ingredients, sustainability, and impact. A truly luxurious experience should connect you to the local culture and the natural beauty of your destination.” — Andrea Endres

In this episode with Andrea Endres, you will hear:

• The hidden waste crisis of travel beauty. Why billions of plastic hotel amenities and airport-confiscated products go unnoticed, and how this impacts the environment.
• How hotels contribute to beauty waste. From single-use plastics to mass-produced toiletries, the industry still prioritises convenience over sustainability.
• Breaking into the hotel amenity market as a small indie brand. The challenges indie beauty brands face and creative ways to pitch sustainable alternatives to hotels.
• The rise of wellness travel. How the booming wellness sector presents new opportunities for sustainable beauty in hotels, spas, and retreats.
• What travellers can do. Practical solutions for reducing your beauty footprint on the go, from solid beauty bars to refillable containers.

Key takeouts include:

• Travel beauty waste is a massive but overlooked issue. Hotel chains discard 5.5 billion plastic bottles yearly, and UK airports alone see £270 million worth of beauty products binned each summer.
• Sustainability should be integrated into the luxury experience. More hotels are offering refillable dispensers, but guests need education on ingredient quality and eco-conscious alternatives.
• Indie beauty brands must get creative to enter the travel market. Hotels often prioritise cost and convenience, but smaller brands can offer unique guest experiences, like workshops or locally made products.
• Wellness tourism is on the rise. Travellers are seeking experiences that align with sustainability and self-care, creating new opportunities for ethical beauty brands.
• Travellers have the power to make a difference. Simple changes, like bringing refillable travel bottles, choosing multipurpose products, and refusing unnecessary hotel toiletries, can significantly reduce waste.

Meet our guest: Andrea Endres, Seasoned Expert in the travel & beauty industries

Andrea Endres is the creator of Holistisk Hudvård, a Swedish blog dedicated to natural and holistic skincare, and the founder of the Skin Body Spirit Summit, where she shares her passion for sustainable beauty and well-being.

Currently, Andrea is training as a Tourism and Travel Consultant and a Wellness Travel Specialist. She has plans to launch Inside Wellness Travel, a new venture that will organise holistic retreats for entrepreneurs in the beauty and health industries. Andrea is committed to making the travel industry more sustainable by integrating holistic values into tourism experiences.

Through her workshops, collaborations, and future retreats, Andrea inspires her audience to make mindful choices that align beauty, wellness, and sustainability.

Find out more about Andrea:

• Website & links: Andrea’s Linktree
• Instagram: @holistisk_hudvard | @wellnesstravelspecialist

Special offer for listeners: Andrea offers a Power Journaling workbook to help you clarify your skin’s unique needs.

Related episodes:

• Episode 111: Are beauty samples sustainable?
• Episode 203: Turning the tide on plastic in beauty

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.