10 Eco-Friendly Brands You Absolutely Need To Know About Now
Check out these eco-friendly beauty brands that are championing a commendable beauty movement, plus their products that you need to get your hands on.
In the pursuit of combating climate change and saving Mother Earth, the cosmetics industry is also making conscious efforts to reduce carbon footprint and create a positive environmental impact. Over the recent years, you’ve probably been bombarded by the terms ‘vegan’, ‘natural’, ‘organic’ and ‘eco-friendly’ on products that claim to be good for you and the environment. But what exactly does eco-friendly mean?
Eco-friendly brands cover sustainable ingredients, which are ethically sourced raw materials that can be grown and harvested without damaging the environment. It also involves phasing out non-biodegradables like silicone and plastic microbeads, using less packaging, or recycled or recyclable packaging, getting customers in on the refill act, and using renewable energy from the wind and sun to power daily operations and manufacturing processes.
For instance, 90 per cent of French medicine and dermo-cosmetics company Pierre Fabre’s (which includes brands like Avene, Klorane and Rene Furterer) manufacturing waste is used: 65 per cent via recycling and 35 per cent for energy production.
Not only are you doing your part to save the earth, you’re also saving your skin from harsh, harmful chemicals like parabens and sulphates. Here are 10 commendable brands that are championing the eco-friendly beauty cause.
Aveda is deeply inspired by the Indian healing system of Ayurveda, and is organic and cruelty-free. It regularly partners various organisations to raise public awareness about caring for wildlife and the environment.
It also saves more than 600 tonnes of virgin plastic a year because nearly 90 per cent of its plastic bottles are made mostly of post-consumer recycled materials.
Innisfree sources natural ingredients from Jeju Island – it is big on recycling and protecting the environment through its various initiatives. Plus, for every bottle or packaging you've recycled, you earn points that can later be used to offset future purchases if you're a member!
9.7 million of its bottles have been recycled in South Korea since its 2003 Empty Bottle Recycling Campaign.
L'Occitane transports 72 per cent of its products to subsidiaries by sea, reducing freight-generated CO2 emissions.
It also gives back to society by supporting projects that fight against childhood blindness and advocate for the economic empowerment of women.
Not only is The Body Shop one of the largest and most accessible eco-friendly beauty brands, it is also the organiser of the Forever Against Animal Testing and Bio-Bridges campaigns, which help to preserve biodiversity around the world.
Between 2014 and 2015, the company bought 3 million kg of community fair trade ingredients.
This renowned beauty brand combines the skincare benefits of plants with science and technology to create safe, non-toxic products.
It is a strong proponent of alternative testing and the founder of the Plant-A-Tree programme, which supports reforestation worldwide. 600,000 trees have been planted by Origins through its international reforestation projects.
Short for Ocean, Sun, Earth, and Atmosphere, the seaweed-based skincare brand OSEA was founded 20 years ago. Its products contain only natural, organic, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO ingredients that are sustainably grown and harvested.
Most of its products are packaged in recyclable glass bottles – plastic ones are a no-no.
The local label has an almost-edible cosmetic line and that's just one of the ways you know it's eco-friendly.
Its debut line, adorably called Positivitea, is a liquid-free range of skincare products. This makes its active ingredients three times more concentrated and potentially, more effective.
Being liquid-free as well makes shipping products a lot cheaper. Plus, because of Katfood's dry mix nature, manufacturing its products releases fewer carbon emissions as compared to products with liquid.
This botanical clay mask is made with matcha and jasmine rice, leaving skin looking brighter and smoother in just 10 minutes. Get your hands on Katfood here.
With its minimalistic packaging, Rooki Beauty products simply look chic!
Each product is formulated using superfoods such as carrots, chia seeds, and tomatoes. What's more, the company's site breaks down all the ingredients that are commonly used in their products so not only are you getting an education on superfoods, it's clear why they're using certain ingredients.
Made with fruit extracts and natural antioxidants, this youth-preserving masque is also rich in chlorophyll giving you that instant rich glow!
Get it here.
More of a cosmetics brand than a skincare brand, Solos is a vegan and cruelty-free beauty purveyor based in Singapore.
All products are made free of palm oil, parabens and artificial chemicals.
This multipurpose lipstick can be applied onto lips, cheeks and other parts of your face — depending on the colours selected. At $14, it's extremely affordable too!
Less packaging = less to recycle. So why are so few cosmetic brands doing it? Here are two which have embraced the act.
L'Occitane: Out of 22 ranges, eight come in refill packs.
Orbis: All of the Japanese company’s products in bottles and tubs are refillable.
Text: Goh Yee Huay, HerWorldPlus / Additional text: Cheryl LYS
Image: Pexels