Did you know that the Gulf’s clean beauty industry is projected to reach USD 2.6 billion by the end of this year, with 38% of consumers prioritising natural ingredients over cost? Meanwhile, Dubai’s fashion scene is embracing more circular and eco-conscious approaches, from upcycling and durability to local production.
Shopping with sustainability in mind used to be dismissed as just another trend, but it is clear that a shift in the collective consciousness, about health, wellness and planetary concerns, is happening and social media is also influencing consumer convictions and choices. Shopping sustainably is a powerful way for families to reduce waste, support ethical practices and align daily purchases with values. From buying eco-friendly cosmetics to choosing timeless clothing, every small step adds up.
Why Sustainable Shopping Matters
With rising awareness of climate change, extreme heat, and resource depletion, families in Dubai need shopping that’s kind to both the environment and their values. Choosing eco-friendly products helps reduce plastics, toxic chemicals, and waste, especially in fashion and beauty, where fast turnover often creates landfill overflow.
Many clean beauty products are free from harsh or toxic ingredients, making them safer for everyone, especially children and pregnant family members.
It is also true that while sustainable shopping might cost just a little bit more than normal shopping in the short term, it can also cut down long term costs by your choice of products that are more durable and its ability to be recycled, resold and reused.
There is also increasing support for local innovation and investment in sustainable products and businesses. Brands and designers in Dubai are embracing local production, upcycling and circular fashion, all of which reduced waste by maximising the life span of products that are modified, repaired and reused. From emerging names focusing on deadstock fabrics, to community markets using biodegradable packaging, sustainable shopping supports a growing movement of responsible business.
Fashion: Shop Sustainably With Style
Go for brands offering upcycling and local designers. Several fashion innovators in the city are creatively upcycling fabrics and using deadstock materials, reducing waste and crafting unique garments. Investing in these designs is not only economical, but also meaningful as every outfit has a story and a less impact on the planet.
Fashion-swap events are gaining momentum in the UAE. These community gatherings let families exchange gently-used clothing and accessories, also perfect for children who outgrow clothes quickly and for refreshingly affordable 'new' pieces.
'Pre-loved treasures', particularly in fashion, is a good way to shop sustainably. Thrift stores such as Thrift For Good offer quality fashion at a fraction of the cost. These pre-loved options save clothes from landfill and support charitable causes.
Source fabric in textile souks. For those who sew or design, Deira’s textile souks carry organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo fabrics, which are eco-friendly materials that are grazing more sustainable wardrobes.
Explore sustainable fashion brands and products. Families in Dubai can easily find out, through social media or their own research, some of the best sustainable brands that are grounded in sustainability and ethics. For example, Glossy Lounge is a trendy, eco-friendly clothing and accessories brand. The Giving Movement offers clothing made from recycled products and also maintains transparency regarding sourcing and manufacturing while also supporting charitable causes. Also, shopping at the Sustainability Hub and other thrift stores at Al Quoz can be a rewarding experience.
Beauty And Personal Care
Beauty products typically create a surprising amount of waste. Think of all the plastic tubes, bottles, jars, and packaging that accumulate every year. The good news is that more and more global and home-grown brands available in Dubai are embracing sustainability.
Clean beauty movement is growing as consumers prefer natural, toxin-free products. Many stores and brands offer vegan, cruelty-free, and organic personal care.
Look out for refillable beauty products. Several brands offer chic refill stations or replacement pods, cutting down drastically on packaging.
The Dubai-based brand Herbal Essentials uses naturally sourced ingredients with recyclable packaging, while Shiffa, founded by Dr. Lamees Hamdan, celebrates organic, cruelty-free skincare rooted in the region’s botanical traditions.
Choosing multi-use products is also important, especially while buying cosmetics. You can also find artisanal versions at markets such as Ripe Market, alongside international eco-friendly labels stocked at Sephora Middle East and Faces.
Everyday Shopping
When it comes to home shopping, many often find themselves making dozens of small purchases each week or month, including cleaning sprays, paper towels, candles, storage solutions and so on. Taken individually, these items don’t feel like much, but together they add up to a significant environmental footprint.
The key here is to replace the disposable with the durable. Swap paper towels for washable cotton cloths, plastic cleaning bottles for glass ones you can refill, and paraffin-based candles for those made from soy or beeswax, which burn cleaner and last longer.
Stores like The Green Eco Store, Organic Foods and Café, and Carrefour’s eco aisles now stock a surprising range of eco-friendly food items, cleaning products and everyday household alternatives.
De-consumption Equation
Sustainable shopping in Dubai is also about slowing down the pace of consumption. Sustainable shopping encourages us to step back and ask a simple question before buying: Do I really need this, or do I just want it? If the answer is the latter, it’s worth waiting. More often than not, that impulse fades, and the money you save can go toward something of true quality that you’ll cherish for years.
Sustainability is not about deprivation. It’s about joy. There’s a certain delight in finding a dress at Thrift for Good that comes with a story, in refilling your favourite almond shower oil instead of adding another bottle to your shelf, or in supporting a small local brand at a weekend market. Each of these choices is not only kinder to the planet but also more personal, more connected, and ultimately more satisfying.
As such, truly valuable shopping habits align with the sustainable principles as well as aesthetic ones. What you consume must be good and beautiful, for both yourselves and for both the planet.
At the end of the day, shopping sustainably is not just about reducing waste or cutting carbon footprints. It’s about creating a lifestyle that feels considered, connected, and conscious.
And perhaps the most sustainable choice of all is to see shopping not as a race to acquire more, but as a way to live better.