With all the testing my job entails, I know how much waste arises from an enthusiastic beauty habit. All that cellophane wrapping and all those cardboard boxes and plastic bottles make me feel quite guilty, and I’m not alone. A recent Mintel report showed that many consumers feel uneasy about the waste involved in looking good. Apparently, 20% of Brits look for products packaged in recyclable materials, and the greatest growth in the ethical beauty market in the past two years has been in products with ecofriendly packaging.

However, the fact that a product comes in a recyclable box doesn’t mean it will actually be recycled. It’s a question of inadequate facilities: only a few of the UK’s waste-sorting schemes would be able to dispose of a plastic bottle that is less than one litre in volume in an ecologically sound way, for example. So, even though the material may, in theory, be recyclable, the bottle itself may not be. It causes something of a dilemma for any cosmetics brand wanting to carry green credentials – and equally for the ethically aware beauty junkie. The best solution so far seems to be post consumer regrind (PCR) packaging, which has already been recycled from something else. The benefits are diverse: it cuts the amount of waste ending up in landfills, uses up to 90% less water and two-thirds less energy, and boosts the demand for recyclable plastic, thereby encouraging the provision of better recycling facilities.

Origins and Aveda use recycled cardboard, plastic and glass, but they haven’t yet chosen 100% PCR materials. “The beauty industry is all about perfection, with packaging often reflecting that promise,” says Louise Potts, founder of Naked, a bodycare brand that uses 100% PCR packaging whenever possible. “Numerous brands have rejected PCR materials, as using a 100% regrind in a bottle can alter the clarity and even look dirty.” Origins admits that, for aesthetic reasons (ie, “the inconsistency of the board colour”), it only uses 50% of its boxes consists of recycled paper. Until ethics overtake aesthetics, you can lessen your eco guilt by logging on to www.recoup.org, where you can find out how to wash your hands of your old face-cream pots without a dirty conscience.

LUST OF THE WEEK

Among olfactory experts, the orange flower tree is apparently lovingly referred to as the “pig of perfumery”, due to the fact that every part of it can be used to produce a scent. And the sum of its parts is Miller Harris’s divine Le Petit Grain eau de parfum. A cologne made of orange oil, neroli, petitgrain and eau de brouts absolute, it is as refreshing as a light summer breeze skimming across the Med.

£110; 020 7629 7750

TRY 3: deep moisturisers

Leaving aside wrinkles, lifting skin or evening out tone, if you’re after an out-and-out moisturiser, try one of the new super-hydrators.

Elemis Maximum Moisture Day Cream, £35; available from May
A lightweight formula that seals in moisture exceptionally well.

Clarins HydraQuench Rich Cream, £30
Best for seriously parched skin – it melts in like butter on piping-hot toast.

Chanel Précision Hydramax + Active Cream, £38
Tackles severely dry skin with a patented moisturising enzyme.

Times recommends

• It is possible to look stylish while pregnant
• Britain’s tot models
• Who and what benefits from the heat wave?