When Ben Grace founded SBTRCT in 2020, his goal was clear: strip away the unnecessary, focus on what truly matters, and build a skincare brand driven by sustainability. Inspired by the belief that "less is more" could be more than just a design principle, Grace envisioned a company that would challenge the excesses of the beauty industry - excess packaging, excess water usage, and the over-reliance on palm oil.
This philosophy led to the creation of SBTRCT's innovative solid-state skincare products, offering high performance with minimal environmental impact. By removing plastic, drastically reducing water content, and committing to palm oil-free formulations, SBTRCT isn't just making skincare products - it's pioneering a new approach to beauty where ethics and efficacy work hand in hand.
For Grace, ‘less is more’ is about more than minimalism; it's about thoughtful choices that create lasting change. SBTRCT has earned its place as a leader in sustainable beauty, with awards like Best Zero Waste Brand and Best Eco Brand validating its mission. This commitment extends beyond product formulation to innovative packaging solutions, such as home-compostable materials and the elimination of plastic, ensuring that every element of the brand aligns with its sustainable ethos. But beyond accolades, the brand's real impact lies in helping consumers make better, more conscious decisions.
This is SBTRCT's story: proof that by subtracting the unnecessary, we can add something truly meaningful - better skincare, design, and a better future for our planet.
The birth of SBTRCT: A vision for sustainable beauty
"It happened quite organically," Grace told Packaging Innovations. "I exited my previous skincare business, took time to reflect, and simplified my life - buying less and making things last longer. I've always been frugal, but it became clearer: if we strip away what we don't need, we value what we consciously keep. That's the future of consumerism - whether we like it or not.
"If things are made to last, with better quality, then buying less but better is a great approach. I started thinking: what would it look like in skincare? Consumers are making conscious choices - water, groceries, vegan leather - but prestige beauty was slow to notice."
Convinced that this approach represented the future of consumer behaviour, he sought to apply the philosophy of thoughtful simplicity to skincare, and SBTRCT was born. Committed to embedding the "less is more" ethos into every aspect of the brand, Grace even reflected it in the name, removing the vowels from "Subtract" to create something visually distinct. With a clear mission in mind, he set out to develop high-performing skincare products that minimise environmental impact—proving that exceptional results don't have to come at the planet's expense.
SBTRCT offers a pioneering line of expertly crafted skincare bars, designed from the ground up using high-quality, proven ingredients in a concentrated, solid form. The collection includes various products - cleansers, moisturisers, and serums - with standout innovations such as the world's first solid retinoid, the Rejuvenating Night Balm, and the first solid Vitamin C serum, the Vitamin C Booster. These groundbreaking formulations deliver exceptional skincare results without compromise.
"It all flowed naturally from there," he added. "I think it was that straightforward because I've seen a lot. Many brands cherry-pick the issues they want to tackle, usually going for the easy wins - the low-hanging fruit. For me, it was different. And, of course, it's easier to take a pure approach when starting from scratch with a blank sheet of paper than when you're a multinational organisation trying to reverse-engineer your formulation principles and packaging practices. That's harder than starting fresh with a clean slate, asking what we want to create. How are we going to do it?"
A brand built on thoughtful choices
Beyond performance, SBTRCT tackles three critical environmental issues in the beauty industry: plastic waste, water overconsumption, and dependence on palm oil. The brand's products are entirely plastic-free, housed in home-compostable packaging, and made without palm oil while using minimal water. SBTRCT seamlessly combines cutting-edge skincare expertise with a commitment to sustainability.
"I wanted to take a purist approach and create something meaningful - something different within the industry," he continued. "It's such a saturated market that there's no point in launching another skincare moisturiser, oil, or serum. I wanted to create something with real, tangible impact. That's important for consumers - they want to see clear benefits. It reinforces the impact if they can physically see that the product has no plastic packaging, water, etc. Ultimately, I felt that to make a meaningful difference, I had to tackle all three challenges simultaneously, especially when I had the opportunity to make those decisions."
SBTRCT's product development process is driven by close collaboration with expert formulators who share a passion for sustainability and innovation. For Grace, working with people who believe in the brand's mission is essential to creating groundbreaking products. New ideas often emerge from his in-depth research or formulators discovering promising ingredients that could perform effectively in a concentrated solid format.
Once an ingredient shows potential, the team creates samples in the lab, followed by rigorous stability and challenge testing. This process spans several months to ensure the product's safety and durability. After meeting these benchmarks, the product undergoes a formal safety assessment and is put through user trials with a trusted research partner to confirm its performance and validate its claims.
The final stages involve designing the packaging, ensuring it aligns with the brand's sustainability principles, and preparing for launch. Though the development cycle is detailed and time-intensive, Grace finds it deeply rewarding, knowing that each new product represents a step toward improving the beauty industry.
"I'm not naïve enough to believe that performance isn't the primary reason people buy these products," said Grace. "They want products that work. If your product doesn't deliver results, doesn't stand up to the competition, or outperform it, then no matter how "sustainable" it is, it's not going to succeed, and you're not going to have the impact you set out to achieve in the first place. Product performance was always, along with tackling environmental challenges, absolutely front and centre - and continues to be."
Pioneering solid-state skincare
Solid skincare was largely unexplored territory, and Grace saw an opportunity to design products that performed exceptionally and elevated the user's daily rituals. Skincare, for many, is a moment of calm in a busy day, and SBTRCT's minimalist yet aspirational approach - from branding to the creation of the world's first plastic-free retinoid - was designed to enhance that personal experience while promoting sustainability.
Educating consumers on using solid products became just as important as creating them. From "how-to" videos to follow-up emails with practical guidance, SBTRCT has prioritised user support.
"Solid skincare hadn't been done before, especially in a significant way," he explained. "The path I've chosen isn't easy. Many brands stick to traditional formats because they're cheaper and simpler to produce. But I've been lucky to work with people who believe in the vision and have helped develop this range.
"Our Vitamin C booster, for example, was a challenge. Vitamin C is proven to enhance skin tone and glow, but stabilising it was tough. We discovered an oil-soluble derivative, combining it with rosehip and sea buckthorn oils to deliver exceptional efficacy. Now, more ingredients are available, helping us to overcome those early hurdles."
For SBTRCT, the compostability of their packaging is a crucial aspect of their sustainability efforts. Unlike many brands, they avoid complex recycling challenges. Their carton packaging, for instance, is made from domestically compostable board, which offers two options: it can either be composted or easily recycled through curbside services.
By eliminating components like pumps, sprays, and springs that require specialised recycling, SBTRCT sidesteps the complications other brands face. They also recognise that recycling alone isn't the solution to the plastic crisis, noting that only about 10% of plastic packaging is recycled, with much of it either incinerated, sent abroad, or sent to landfills.
"Another issue we faced with solid-state products, particularly those with higher oil content, was that they could sometimes leach oil into the cartons," said Grace. "To address this, we found a solution in a material called NatureFlex - a certified, domestically compostable film wrap that prevents this issue entirely. Solving these kinds of small, practical problems was crucial.
"We faced similar challenges when it came to the carton board. One of my key concerns was avoiding greenwashing, which is quite prevalent in this space—everything we claimed needed to be backed by proper certification. For example, if we say our products are vegan, they must be certified vegan by the Vegan Society. If we claim to be cruelty-free, we need certification from Cruelty Free International - which we have.
"Likewise, when I wanted to say our cardboard was domestically compostable, we needed to find certified domestically compostable carton board. This turned out to be more difficult than expected. You can find FSC-certified carton boards, but when you ask if they're domestically compostable, they might say yes—only for you to later find out they're not certified by a globally recognised body like TUV in Austria. Without that certification, it wasn't acceptable for us.
"There's a lot of extra legwork involved - whether in sourcing the right packaging materials or finding the right ingredients. For instance, sourcing palm oil-free ingredients is a significant challenge. There are alternative routes, but remaining completely palm oil-free was very important to me, so I was willing to go the extra mile and push harder to find suitable alternatives.
"Ultimately, it's all the more rewarding when you overcome these obstacles and create a great product that reflects your values."
Performance and sustainability: A balanced approach
Grace will be appearing at the Packaging Innovations event on February 13th, 2025, where he will participate in the panel discussion titled "Industry Insights: The necessary evolution of sustainable packaging in the beauty industry," which will take place on the Circular Economy Stage from 13:30 to 14:15. This panel will explore the beauty industry's packaging transformation, focusing on innovations like new materials, refillable solutions, and upcycling. Experts will discuss how brands can inspire customers to embrace sustainability.
"I’ve learned that there’s a significant, committed group of people who genuinely want to buy better products - products that are better for the environment, have less impact, and are plastic-free,” he continued. “These consumers are extremely loyal, highly engaged, and deeply supportive, which is fantastic. It’s great to have such backing from our customers.
“However, I also believe that solving this problem at scale requires action from all sides, with collaboration across the board. Everyone needs to be involved - governments, manufacturers, brands, retailers, and consumers. It’s not enough to expect the customer or the brand to carry the entire burden.
“You only need to walk into a large beauty retailer or supermarket and look at all the plastic packaging to grasp the scale of the problem. Imagine a single store with, say, 100,000 units of beauty products in plastic packaging. Now multiply that by the number of stores in that chain, then multiply that by the number of chains - it’s staggering.
“This is a massive, ongoing issue, and while plastic isn’t the only environmental concern, it’s certainly one of the most visible and pressing. Addressing it will require small steps to reduce a brand’s footprint or tick a box and meaningful actions that lead to real, lasting impact.”
What is frustrating for the individual is when brands or businesses selectively choose the issues they want to address, as this is seen as problematic. Grace believes that the problem requires a more holistic approach. And that starts with access to better packaging solutions. Traditional brands need packaging innovations to support their transition to more sustainable formulations.
“This brings in the role of packaging manufacturers,” he said. “They’re responsible for developing these innovations, but the challenge is achieving a scale that makes the packaging affordable for brands. That’s probably one of the biggest hurdles the industry faces. Fortunately, there are emerging companies offering better packaging solutions for traditional formulations. Now, while those traditional formulations may still fall short in some areas - for example, they often contain palm oil or excess water - at least viable packaging solutions are becoming available. Ultimately, I believe the key to solving these issues is tackling them head-on, without compromise.”
For SBTRCT, ensuring product performance is paramount. No matter how sustainable the packaging or ingredients are, the product must deliver results. This focus on high-quality performance has been key to the brand’s success, particularly in solid skincare, where many products have struggled to match traditional formulations.
Equally important is having the right team - partners, investors, and collaborators who believe in the vision and are committed to making it a reality. With their support, SBTRCT has navigated challenges and built a brand that meets high standards and stands out in the sustainable beauty market.