People kept their glass jars. They told us, again and again, that the jars were too pretty to throw away, and asked whether there was a way to buy just the cream. That question turned into a two year project. It also turned into our most popular change.
Where the idea came from
We began in 2017 with glass because it keeps formulas fresh and is easy to recycle, but a jar that gets thrown out after one use is still waste. When customers started keeping their jars and asking for a top-up, the answer felt obvious: give them a pouch that fits the jar they already own. Simple, and a little overdue. If a good jar can last years, it should.
It also changed how we pack. Pouches use far less material than a jar, and they post flat, so more of them fit in a van. The savings go back into the price, which is why a refill costs less than a jar.
How the refills work
Buy the glass jar once, then buy refill pouches from then on. A pouch costs less than a jar: Calm Water Gel Cream is £28 in the jar and £24 as a refill. When a pouch is empty, post it back free and we will recycle it. The cream inside is exactly the same. Nothing changes but the packaging it arrives in.
What it saved in the first year
In the first year after launch, in 2022 and into 2023, customers chose 18,600 refills instead of new jars. That saved around 2.8 tonnes of glass, and it kept a lot of very nice jars in use on bathroom shelves across the country. It is a small number against the big brands, but it is ours.
What comes next
Refills now cover Calm Water Gel Cream and Cloud Barrier Cream, and the next step is Marshmallow Body Lotion. We are testing pouches that fit the 500 ml bottle. If there is a product you would like to refill, tell us at hello@mallowskin.co.uk or ask at any of our studios. We will keep testing until a pouch works as well as the jar.
