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Skincare
Brands that are devoted to the environment & foster non-toxic beauty solutions for your everyday skin, makeup, & hair routines.
WHY Non-Toxic Skincare
Knowing that our bodies absorb the personal care products we use, it’s important to give ingredients a second look. Our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we slather onto it and the sensitive areas around our faces and armpits can absorb two to six times as much as other areas of the body.
Companies are not completely transparent about what’s in their formulas, which is surprisingly not required by law in the United States. They are allowed to put nearly any chemical into personal-care products sold in the US—even known carcinogens. To put it into perspective, the E.U. has banned around 1400 ingredients from personal-care products, and the U.S. has banned under 40.
A red flag is the blatant green-washing and marketing—“natural,” “organic,” “pure”, “green,” “clean” or “non-toxic”— that deceives people into trusting that they’re making healthy choices. We have the right to know what’s in our products so we can choose to use them or not.
The best advice for finding safe products is that simpler is better. Use fewer products overall, especially on children or when pregnant. The Skin Deep database from the EWG is a great resource for researching your favorite products to find out what’s in them and how they rate for toxicity. Choose products in the 0 to 2 least toxic range, with the green circles. If a product is labeled as organic, look for certified organic ingredients in the ingredients list or the USDA Organic seal.
Check out this GOOP article, it’s a fantastic resource about what you can do to take control, learn about what you’re putting in your body, absorb the nitty-gritty on greenwashing of ingredients in the beauty industry, and how you can pursue an impact toward change.
ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
We bundled a batch of brands that make quality, non-toxic products with a consciousness for the environment and transparency we can back. For example, some brands incorporate biodegradable or compostable packaging. Others partner with environmental organizations, both donating a portion of their sales and using their voice to mobilize communities, or use locally & environmentally friendly sourced, Fair Trade materials and labor.
If you’re going to buy new skin or hair care product, feel good knowing you’re using your dollar to vote for a safer, healthier, more transparent, conscious and sustainable industry overall.
ACCOUNTABILITY RATING
To determine the brand’s accountability rating, we used Lex Weinstein’s Conscious Collab checklist of 15 major factors including sustainability, ethics and transparency attributes among others. For every 3 boxes checked, a star is given to the brand, creating the potential to earn a maximum of 5 stars of sustainability.
Click here to see the checklist in it’s entirety.
“The economy is dictated by trends, and we decide the trends. It is our responsibility to make sustainability a permanent trend that drives those industry standards forward.”— L. Weinstein
OSHAN ESSENTIALS
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Small batches, ethically-sourced organic ingredients, vegan & cruelty free, recycled packing & shipping materials
Product Range | Skincare
Based In | Maui, HI
Oshan Essentials handcrafts formulas in small batches without any toxic additives, using only 100% natural, pure, organic, wildcrafted, ethically sourced ingredients with no synthetic color or fragrance, and no parabens, phtalates, sulfates, or petrochemicals.
Their containers, boxes and labels are made in the USA, supporting domestic jobs and reducing carbon footprint of shipping. Using only recyclable glass containers for product, shipping and retail boxes and packing material are made with recycled post-consumer content.
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NOTO BOTANICS
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Fair Trade Certified collections, give backs, community support, recycled shipping, vegan & cruelty free, sustainable packaging efforts
Product Range | Unisex skincare & makeup
Based In | California, USA
Noto Botanics sources mostly local ingredients that are vegan, cruelty-free, and/or fair trade certified slave/child labor free pigments. “Power in simplicity”. It’s a multi-use cosmetic line that is packed with uncomplicated yet high performing natural & organic ingredients. The company focuses on cultivating an inclusive, mindful, and conscious community with products diverse in cost and identity, and with a philanthropic and activist based edge.
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SALT AND STONE
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Ethically & sustainably produced ingredients, organic, recycled packaging
Product Range | Unisex skincare, deoderant, & sunscreen
Based In | California, USA
Salt & Stone is a unisex skin and body care that focuses on thoroughly researched natural, organic, cruelty-free ingredients grown and produced in ethical and sustainable ways, without the use of pesticides, artificial fragrances, sulfates, silicones, petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates or GMOs.
Their mission is to create safe formulas that are “Green and Clean”. They use recyclable packaging made from post consumer recycled materials.
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GREEN FOOT MAMA
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Fair Trade, locally & sustainably sourced ingredients, recycled packaging
Product Range | All ages skincare & SPF
Based In | Australia
Green Foot Mama’s holistic approach to body care uses pure high quality essential oils and Australian native botanicals. “Soil to Shelf”. All of their supplies and ingredients are natural, certified organic, ACO, Eco-cert or Fair Trade made by human hands using minimal processing.
They work directly with producing families (some local) guaranteeing ethical, sustainable and responsible practices. Their jars are made from 100% recycled PET plastic created with ‘no-waste’ processes they developed.
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MANDA
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Organic, food-grade, sustainable plant-based packaging
Product Range | All ages skincare & SPF
Based In | California, USA
Manda’s mission is to provide organic, food grade sun care solutions that last in all conditions utilizing the highest quality, all natural, protective ingredients without synthetic chemicals and stabilizers. It’s made by life long surfers, athletes, outdoor lovers, fathers and health nuts who won’t put anything on their skin that they wouldn’t feed their kids.
They pioneered a sustainable plant-based packaging that uses a bio-plastic tube derived from sugar cane and is produced in facilities powered by sugar cane. This bioplastic is 100% recyclable using existing recycling streams.
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100% PURE
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Biodegradable and reused packaging, vegan & cruelty free, give backs, tree planting, environmentally sustainable facility, recycled packaging
Product Range | Skincare, hair & body, makeup
Based In | California, USA
100% Pure uses biodegradable fruit pigments and formulas instead of using environmentally damaging petrochemicals. They adhere to strict purity standards that never contain harsh or toxic ingredients and provide a complete ingredient glossary on their website.
They take action to mitigate the impact their products and their way of doing business has on the environment. They’ve planted 19,283 trees so far with Trees for the Future. They were awarded the San Jose Green Certificate for environmental sustainability, a recognition given to a business with the lowest amount of landfill garbage, the majority recyclable.
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B.A.R.E. SOAPS
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Female & economic empowerment, fair labor, sustainability, give backs
Product Range | Bath & Candles
B.A.R.E. Soaps is an all-natural, socially conscious company. Each bar is made without preservatives, synthetics, or parabens.
Their idea is that a simple as a bar of soap can effectively help prevent the spread of diseases and illnesses while improving overall health and hygiene. The goal is to “bring antiseptic resources to everyone.”
They specifically look for projects that empower women by employing them with fair wages, educate children with a tangible trade, or initiatives that incorporate an element of environmental sustainability.
Because this company is a passion project of the founders, no one at B.A.R.E. soaps receives a salary. Profits are either reinvested back into the business (inventory, marketing, etc) or into their non-profit causes.
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THE ORGANIC SKIN CO
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Gluten-free, vegan & cruelty free, organic, give backs, tree planting, ethically & sustainably sourced ingredients, full transparency
Product Range | Skincare & Makeup
Based In | New Zealand
The Organic Skin Co sources ingredients from organic community farms in India that use extraction techniques not reliant on chemical solvents (like alcohol) to extract a plant’s nutrients. They’re website provides full transparency on the ingredients in their products.
They have a cool pod refill system that prevents you from ever disposing of your palette or pot. Their ‘One Product, One Tree’ initiative is a partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects that works to help reverse deforestation, and also provide jobs and hope to local, indigenous communities worldwide.
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MYCHELLE DERMACEUTICALS
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Transparency, sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing practices, gluten-free, vegan/vegetarian & cruelty free, give backs
Product Range | Skincare & SPF
Based In | Colorado, USA
Mychelle Dermaceuticals’ approach to beauty is to provide clean, conscious, and comprehensive skin care products that are bioactive, ethically sourced, and formulated with high-performance ingredients. They are free of phthalates, parabens, sulfates, ureas, artificial fragrances and colors, petroleum, and GMOs. They have full transparency and an ingredient glossary.
They were the first to use anti-aging peptides, plant stem cells, and clinically proven dermatological ingredients.
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BADGER BALM
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | B-corp, sustainability, packaging made from post-consumer recycled materials, Fair-trade ingredients, organic, ethically & sustainably sourced ingredients, family ran, transparency in business practices
Product Range | Skincare & SPF
Based In | New Hampshire, USA
Badger Balm uses mostly USDA Certified Organic ingredients in their products and believe that supporting sustainable organic agriculture helps to protect the environment (healthy air, water, earth, and people), produces higher quality raw ingredients and helps to protect the farmers and their families from the dangers associated with chemical farming.
Fair-trade labor helps to protect the economic welfare of their farmers and their families. These are probably some of the reasons they ended up on the B-Corp Best for the World and Best for Environment lists.
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JUICE beauty
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics |Organic, transparency, sustainability, gluten free, vegan & cruelty free, environmentally sustainable facility, give backs, packaging made from post-consumer recycled materials, locally sourced ingredients
Product Range | Skincare & Makeup
Based In | California, USA
Juice Beauty provides clinically validated, authentically organicformulas and a proprietary base of nutrient-rich organic botanical juices. “Farm to Beauty”. The majority of their ingredients are from local West Coast USDA Certified Organic farms- better monitoring quality and limiting fuel waste.
They manufacture many products at solar-powered facilities.
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True Botanicals
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Organic, ethically & sustainably sourced ingredients, vegan & cruelty free, transparency
Product Range | Skincare, hair & body, aromatherapy
Based In | California, USA
True Botanicals uses both certified-organic and wild-harvested ingredients. They trace ingredients to their origins and ensure that their cultivation and production are sustainable for the local community as well as the environment.
All products carry their MADE SAFE seal, which certifies that they are made with safe, non-GMO ingredients and without toxic chemicals known to harm human and environmental health.
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DR. BRONNER’S
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | B-corp, transparency, fair trade, recycled packaging and shipping materials, give backs, organic, ethically & sustainably sourced ingredients, vegan & cruelty free, environmentally sustainable facility
Product Range | Body & home care
Based In | California, USA
Dr. Bronner’s uses pure organic and fair trade ingredients that are vegan & cruelty free, and no synthetic preservatives, non-GMO, or foaming agents.
They implement regenerative organic agriculture. They are achieving 100% renewable power and working toward zero waste in their U.S. factory. Some of their bottles are made from 100% locally-sourced post-consumer recycled materials.
Dr. Bronner’s was the first company to establish certified fair trade supply chains for coconut oil and palm oil. With give back programs to boot, they are the world’s third-highest-ranking B Corp.
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BURT’S BEES
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Responsibly sourced & traceable materials, give backs, recycled packaging and shipping materials, environmentally sustainable facility, cruelty free
Product Range | Skincare, Makeup, Body & Hair, Baby, Pet
Based In | North Carolina, USA
Burt’s Bees products are formulated without phthalates, parabens, petrolatum or SLS. They trace and monitor their key raw materials
Burts Bee’s invests globally in communities that support their supply chain, helping to safeguard access to clean water, support women’s and children’s empowerment, and promote health, safety and biodiversity.
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SEED PHYTONUTRIENTS
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Environmental sustainability, transparency, organic, recycled packaging and shipping materials, ethically & sustainably sourced ingredients
Product Range | Skincare, Hair & Body
Based In | Pennsylvania, USA
Seed Phytonutrients sources ingredients from organic farmers in the US and invests in seed diversity. They only use cold press and expeller methods to extract oil from seeds (opposed to chemical solvents).
They created a revolutionary shower-friendly paper bottle for their products that are made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper with a post-consumer recycled plastic liner, resulting in 60% less plastic than a traditional bottle.
They support their organic farmers by paying for 100% of their crop up front, regardless of yield. Allowing farmers to reinvest in their farms and plan for their future harvests.
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Lily Lolo
Accountability Rating | ★
Ethics | Vegan & cruelty free, transparency
Product Range | Skincare & Makeup
Based In | England
Lily LoLo uses natural, chemical free ingredients in their mineral based technology. Every product is free from harsh chemicals, dyes and fillers and has antibacterial properties to help improve the skin. They don’t use parabens, synthetic dyes or nano-particles.
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Luna Volta
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Made locally, independently owned, small runs, made by hand, repurposed/recycled materials, compostable packaging, fair trade, natural/organic materials, transparency, gives back, family ran, authentic, and made with intention
Product Range | Skincare & Makeup
Based In |San Diego, CA.
Luna Volta is a woman-owned, plant-based wellness company committed to honoring our planet. The brand focuses on regenerative hemp and believe in quality, design, and planet as its core values. Inspired by the Earth, the Moon, and the Stars, ‘Luna Volta’ roughly translates to ‘Moon Time’.
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