Happy Wednesday! Today, I am sharing with you 11 ethical and sustainable skincare brands that respect both our planet and our skin.
I always found that eco-friendly or vegan brands lacked accurate, reliable, and effective formulations, backed by science. I always found they cared more about being vegan and eco-friendly rather than creating effective products to have healthy skin. Their products either contain too many essentials oils, too much fragrance, or weird ingredients like lemon. All of which are not good for your skin.
The thing is natural ingredients are not always good for your skin (if they are not well-formulated) but I do understand why a lot of people want to go for eco-friendly or “clean” brands. You want to protect your lovely planet! But in order to have healthy skin, you need to look for skincare products backed by science. Personally, I always look for clean skincare with thoughtful formulas. I know it’s hard to find a brand that makes both their priority hence why I decided to make this list for you
Now, if you want to know what are the ethical and sustainable skincare brands I recommend, then keep on reading. Don’t forget to check out my previous post: REVIEW // Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid by Paula’s Choice.
Note: I know there are more than 11 sustainable brands in the market but these are the ones I know of and love. But feel free to leave brand names in the comment section below! I would love to discover new brands 🤍
11 Ethical and Sustainable Skincare Brands
Paula’s Choice (sustainable skincare brands)
The first brand on my list is Paula’s choice. Paula’s choice is a skincare brand formulated effectively with no fragrance and that follows a no bs philosophy. “Our philosophy? Smart, Safe Beauty”. They care about the performance of their products and about being honest with their customers. They also package their products in a way that air and light don’t affect the formula. Moreover, they are dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint and seeking sustainable ingredients and packaging for their products. I mostly love them for their transparency and I applaud their dedication to educating their customers. They truly are an amazing skincare brand and they sell well-formulated products.
Youth To The People
The second brand on my list is Youth To The People. Youth To The People is a vegan skincare brand from California. They care about the impact they make on the environment so they make sure that their ingredients are ethically sourced, they encourage conscious consumption, and they “support non-profits and activists working to amplify diverse voices and increase inclusivity, build a more just world, and save the planet”. On top of that, they aim for their products to have a high-performance using scientific progress and constant trial. As you know, Youth To The People is one of my favorite skincare brands, their products perform like a dream and I love that their packaging is eco-friendly.
Isla Skincare
The next brand on my list is actually new to the market, it’s “Isla Skincare”. Isla Skincare is a Canadian skincare brand that officially launched last November of 2020. The brand focuses on creating products with effective formulas while keeping the planet in mind. They go against excessive routines and unnecessary waste. Moreover, the brand looks to reduce its carbon footprint and sources its ingredients ethically.
“We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible and leaving the world better than we found it. All of our ingredients are ethically sourced from USDA approved facilities that use a cold-pressed extraction method. Our products will be housed in glass containers and we will use recyclable materials wherever we can, with the least amount”.
The cherry on top is that the brand is vegan, cruelty-free, and tries to be as inclusive as possible! Personally, I have not tried their products but judging from the ingredients list, the two serums they offer seem amazing!
Krave Beauty (Sustainable skincare brands)
Amongst other great sustainable skincare brands, is Krave Beauty. Krave Beauty is a Korean skincare brand created by a beauty influencer named Lilah Yoo. The whole existence of the brand is “to fight the ineffective yet conventional skincare routine that has trained you to apply more than what your skin actually needs”. They put a big emphasis on being transparent with their customers and teaching them about skincare. They focus a lot on a minimalistic lifestyle and being conscious of what you buy for your skin, which you know, I want to support. On top of all of that, they stand against overconsumption and overproduction. Both are extremely harmful to our planet! As a matter of fact, the brand took the decision to not release any product in 2020 to contribute to this minimalistic lifestyle.
Biossance
The fifth ethical and sustainable brand on my list is Biossance. Biossance is a clean skincare brand that combines science technology and sustainability. First of all, they are dedicated to creating effective and innovative products for the skin while keeping the earth clean and protected. Biossance actually started after creating a cure for Malaria using biotechnology. “Today, over 120 million royalty-free treatments have been successfully given thanks to this technology. Inspired to continue using innovative biotechnology to make a positive impact on the world, we turned to skincare—and the ingredients people put on their faces and bodies every day”.
Second of all, in their packaging, they use compostable boxes and ship their products with a minimal carbon footprint, “we do this by funding tree planting and reforestation projects. Trees are great detoxifiers and actively absorb and remove CO2 from our atmosphere”. Finally, their star ingredient is squalane, which they retrieve from sugarcane. Sugarcane is actually an ethical and sustainable source. And, this way, it allows the brand to save 2 million sharks per year (squalene is usually retrieved from sharks).
Versed
The next brand on my list is Versed. Versed is an affordable vegan skincare brand that is dedicated to creating well-formulated products, free from harmful ingredients, and protecting the planet. “Sustainability is a part of every decision we make—from recyclable and PCR packaging to fuel-efficient shipping methods that have us nearing carbon neutrality and more”. Moreover, the brand encourages its consumers to recycle their products and inform them on how to do so correctly.
Versed is also in partnership with the Coalition for Rainforest Nations which is an organization that “assists tropical governments, communities, and peoples [to] responsibly manage their rainforests. [Because], healthy rainforests protect against a changing climate, generate needed biodiversity, and provide safe habitats”.
Good Molecules
The seventh brand on my list of “ethical and sustainable skincare brands” is Good Molecules. This brand is vegan and dedicated to offering affordable products with effective formulas backed by science and while making a change in the industry to protect the planet. Their packaging is eco-friendly and they source their ingredients ethically. They are also dedicated to educating their consumers on what is happening around the world regarding climate change and our environment in general. On top of that, they are dedicated to staying extremely transparent with their consumers. In fact, they add the percentage of each ingredient in each of their products.
The Ordinary
Next on my list is The Ordinary. Not only the ordinary has products with pretty sustainable packaging, but they also follow this amazing no BS philosophy. Their products have only key ingredients and are pretty straight to the point. You need a retinol serum, here’s a pure 1% retinol in squalane for only 6$. What’s next? They really make skincare more accessible and easy. On top of that, they are a very humble brand that cares about society. They care about educating their market and giving them the best of the products at an actual decent price. Moreover, they encourage skincare at its simplicity and go against excessive routines. They follow a minimalist behavior by just focusing on what’s necessary.
From an environmental point of view, they are not certified clean however, they do source their ingredients ethically and adhere to the strictest regulations, according to Khan (2020).
Ren Skincare
Next on my list of sustainable and ethical brands is Ren. “Great skin care shouldn’t cost the earth” is the motto that the brand follows. The brand looks to creating well-formulated products that offer good results without irritating the skin. Furthermore, their ingredients are ethically sourced and their products are sustainably packaged. For example, their bottles are made with ocean plastic and tubes are made from post-consumer recycled plastic.
Coola
The ninth brand on my list is Coola. Coola is a skin and body care brand that “choose[s] the most innovative, scientifically advanced ingredients that are also as natural, organic, sustainable, and locally sourced as can be”. They are 70% organic, they try their best to be eco-friendly and their packaging is recyclable which you know is important. With all of the makeup we buy and waste, it is important to dispose of them correctly and ethically and the brand encourages that. The brand is also fragrance-free and offers a variety of sun protection products. As most of you know, sunscreens are an extremely important part of our skincare routines!
Farmacy
Finally, Farmacy is a clean skincare brand that focuses on delivering products with natural ingredients but with thoughtful formulas. Their products as well as ingredients are locally growned and produced to diminish their carbon footprint. Moreover, they are a sustainable brand that cares about the future of our planet. “We respect our planet, and we do our part to be environmentally responsible by partnering with organic farms that use sustainable methods, and packaging responsibly. Our packaging is made with FSC certified paper from well-managed forests, inks based on naturally renewable raw materials and our jars are all recyclable (just remember to peel off the label first!).”
11 Ethical and Sustainable Skincare Brands!
That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you did, don’t forget to give it a ‘like’ and to subscribe to my blog for more posts like these 😍!
xx
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Love The Ordinary products!!
Author
Same!! Their products are wonderful 😍