The terms “clean” and “green” are thrown around a lot in the beauty industry, so it can be tough to figure out what exactly they mean, and who exactly is using them right. From ethically sourcing ingredients to putting the final product in recyclable packaging, there are so many things a beauty or skincare brand can do to be sustainable.
Here are five sustainable beauty brands you can trust, thanks to their ethical practices and the Butterfly Mark from Positive Luxury. Read on to find out what sets them apart and what they’re doing to protect the planet and produce amazing products. And, if you want to know more, check out each brand’s events for Positive Week here.
111Skin
Created by board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Yannis Alexandre, 111Skin is a range of cutting-edge products inspired by the skin’s own healing process. Focusing on prevention rather than repair, the brand’s star formula is called NAC Y2, which is a trio of active ingredients that stimulates the production of the body’s most powerful intracellular antioxidant. The results are younger-looking, smoother skin.
Every 111Skin product is free from parabens, toxins and beeswax, and the brand is part of the Ethical Trading Initiative. The entire business is earth-friendly and innovative, which results in a line of skincare that’s as conscious as it is effective.
Trinny London
After struggling with finding the right products for the job, Trinny Woodall started creating her own makeup, blending different things to get the right consistency. She then decided it was time to take things into her own hands, and she launched her eponymous brand, Trinny London.
The brand is committed to creating high-quality makeup that suits a range of skin tones and skin types, and is formulated with the best ingredients. Trinny London also reduces waste by reducing packaging and encouraging customers to reuse their empty makeup jars.
Argentum Apothecary
Based on the healing power of colloidal silver, Argentum Apothecary is a range of skincare that’s natural, potent and restorative. Founder Joy Isaacs was inspired by her own mother’s use of colloidal silver to treat cuts and burns, and prevent infection, and in 2010, she decided to translate that into her own line of skincare. Along with dermo-cosmetic scientist Dr. Gilbert Mouzin, they created Argentum with two active ingredients: silver hydrosol and DNA HP which have a catalytic effect on each other and enhance the potency of each formula they’re in.
Argentum does not test on animals, and their ingredients are ethically sourced from producers who share their same priorities. Their containers are also made with special UV-resistant glass that protects their products, and they can be recycled or reused.
Inlight Beauty
The founder of this skincare brand, Dr. Mariano Spiezia, is a doctor, herbalist and expert on organic skincare, and Inlight Beauty brings together all his research. Combining medicine, ancient alchemy and the power of plants, he created Inlight’s star ingredient: the Bio-lipophilic Matrix. This combination of raw, organic oils work with the skin’s lipidic layer and help support its own physiological process. That results in healthier skin that looks its very best.
Every Inlight Beauty product is oil-based and water-free, ensuring the highest level of concentration for the actives. As an advocate of slow beauty, each product is carefully crafted in-house in Cornwall, UK, over a six-week process, and raw materials are processed as minimally as possible to maintain their integrity. Everything is 100% organic, cruelty-free and contains no synthetics or chemical fragrances.
One Ocean Beauty
Founder Marcella Cacci’s passion for the ocean was the impetus for her skincare brand, One Ocean Beauty. Truly clean and clinically-proven, One Ocean Beauty offers up a range of skincare produced in an award-winning biotech lab. Apart from using lab-grown marine actives, like vitamin and amino acid-rich algae, in the products, the company also works to protect the habitats where those ingredients naturally grow.
Aside from focussing on getting all the benefits of natural, marine ingredients without interrupting their habitats, One Ocean Beauty is also a responsible employer with equal gender pay policies, and they are certified Leaping Bunny thanks to no animal testing.
