Why is "sustainable" described differently by every brand that uses the buzzword on its products? Well, like "clean beauty," it's not a regulated term, so brands can choose how they want to define it.

What's not confusing about sustainability, though, is that the beauty industry has a plastic problem and brands need to take strides in reducing how much waste their products produce. One such brand is Uni, a new refillable body care brand created by tech entrepreneur Alexandra Keating.

"The more I found out about the beauty industry, I realized from a waste standpoint there was something we could do to reduce single-use plastic that's going to our oceans and landfill," Keating tells InStyle.

Uni's initial collection includes a body wash, exfoliating hand soap, body serum, shampoo, and conditioner. When you order your first product, you're given an aluminum dispenser and an aluminum refillable bottle.

The packaging is sleek and minimal — in other words, they're products you'd definitely want to show off in your bathroom or on Instagram. And there's a good reason why Uni looks like no other body care brand you've seen before: the dispenser and bottles were designed by Marc Atlan, the creative director behind some of the most iconic beauty packaging, such as Comme des Garçon's Eau de Parfum bottle and Kjaer Weis' makeup.

"It's hard to be sustainable. I wanted to make it as easy as possible, but I knew if I created something it had to be beautiful and that people would buy it for function or aesthetic," says Keating. "And then, they would learn to adopt the sustainability behavior."

Once you hit the bottom of a Uni bottle, you can either send it to the brand for a refill or recycle it via curbside recycling. The dispenser is designed to protect the refill bottles and will last up to two years. Once you're done with it, Uni will take it back to break down the parts and properly recycle them.

The brand is also mindful when it comes to what goes into the products. "You can't just look at the packaging, [you] also have to consider ingredients. We use sustainably-sourced and up-cycled ingredients when we can, and we offset our shipping," explains Keating. "We try to take a holistic approach and not just make it about the refill system."

All of the products are certified reef-safe and vegan, and the unisex scents are made with natural fragrances. You can purchase Uni exclusively at weareuni.com, with prices ranging from $28 to $43.

Shop Uni's Refillable Body Care Products

From non-toxic makeup and skincare to sustainability practices, Clean Slate is an exploration of all things in the green beauty space. Find out what's really in your products — and what's being left out.

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