How Sustainable Is Kim Kardashian's New Skincare Line, SKKN BY KIM?

Is 2022 Kim Kardashian's year? She's been making headlines. (Although, when isn't she making headlines?) But this time, it's not for her Marilyn Monroe-inspired Met Gala look. She's launching a skincare line, and she says sustainability was a focus when creating it.

According to a press release, Kardashian's new skincare collection—which is named SKKN BY KIM—aims to "bridge the gap" between top dermatologists and experts, and anyone who's "seeking high-performance skincare." Kardashian revealed she was inspired by her struggles with psoriasis and learning how to care for her own skin.

The collection will launch on June 21, 2022, and it features nine products in the lineup: cleanser, toner, exfoliator, hyaluronic acid serum, vitamin C8 serum, eye cream, face cream, oil drops, and night oil. Additionally, the new brand's parent company is Coty Inc., which also owns Kylie Cosmetics. Prices of these new products range anywhere from $43-$95 and they're said to contain "clean, high-performance formulas."

Because the collection hasn't launched yet, we're still waiting on more information regarding how sustainable the brand and the products really are. We'd love to learn more about the ingredients that are being used to make this collection come to life, as well as the packaging.

However, there's one feature that caught our eye: The new line claims to feature "refillable packaging." Unfortunately, it's not as sustainable as it seems.

How Sustainable Is SKKN BY KIM?

Kardashian says she worked closely with dermatologists and estheticians to make this collection come to life. She also says she prioritized sustainable packaging—including the ability to refill your products.

"You will experience refillable packaging, and clean, science-backed ingredients designed to nourish all skin types, tones, and textures at all stages of maturity," Kardashian says in an Instagram post. "I created this line so that everyone can feel confident in their skin, and I can’t wait to finally be able to share it with you."

The thought of refillable products is nice: They eliminate the need for single-use plastics, as well as reduce the abundance of plastic waste (and other waste) that ends up rotting in landfills. Brands like Izzy, Fenty Beauty, and Elate are already on board with the trend. Unfortunately, Kardashian's version of "refillable" doesn't seem to be eco-friendly.

Kardashian is getting heat for the false advertising of refillable packaging after a new video revealed what the refill process actually looks like.

In a TikTok video that's garnered nearly 4 million views, Megan McSherry, the creator behind @acteevism, shared the reality: The brand is simply using reusable cases for its product.

TikTok users continued the discussion in the comments. In the top comment, a user made a comparison that has more than 92,000 likes: It's "the same as a decorative tissue box holding the actual tissue box inside of it."

The Takeaway

So, is Kardashian making sustainability a priority for SKKN BY KIM? At this point, it doesn't seem like it—much more work needs to be done in order for her to call the brand sustainable.