When I first started pursuing a sustainable lifestyle over 5 years ago, I thought when it came to makeup products, they had to come in a paper tube or they weren’t sustainable. This led me to really limit my beauty products, something that I love.
And while I have found so many amazing package-free beauty and makeup brands, I’ve realized that sustainability (as a whole) is so much more than just packaging.
Something can be plastic and be sustainable
Something can come in plastic and be sustainable.
There is so much that happens before, during and after a product is made that plays a huge role in how sustainable it is. To only look at the packaging is doing a disservice to the amazing brands who put the climate and earth first in more than just that one area.
We have to consider the ingredients, are they safe for us and gentle on the planet?
We have to consider how the ingredients were sourced. Was it ethically done with minimal harm to the planet?
How about everyone along the supply chain? From the hands that planted the seeds, sourced the ingredients to the people who made it and packaged it. We’re they all treated and paid fairly?
What is the brand doing about its carbon footprint? Are they neutralizing it or minimizing it as much as possible?
When it comes to packaging, is it recycled or recyclable? How about refillable?
With many brands hopping on the sustainability “trend,” we’re seeing more and more unethical and unsustainable brands using eco-friendly packaging to catch consumers’ eyes. But there’s so much more to it than that.
Here are some of my favourite Climate Positive Makeup Brands:
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If you’ve been on clean beauty Tik Tok at all, then you’ve most likely heard of Kosas thanks to their amazing revealer concealer. I bought it a few months ago and if I never use another concealer again in my life, I’ll be perfectly happy with it. Their makeup is curated for “skincare freaks” and it shows in their breathable formulas!
But Kosas is more than just a really good, clean beauty brand. Their products are made in the US and they recycled and recyclable plastic to package their products! They also do not test on animals and are Leaping Bunny Certified!
Sais has a LONG list of climate positive attributes:
- They’re climate neutral certified (meaning that for all the carbon emissions they put out, they are absorbing or “taking in” an equal amount)
- They’re a part of 1% for the planet meaning they donate 1% of all annual earnings to various environmental non-profits
- They’re plastic negative which means that for every product they sell, they contribute a percentage towards impact programs that work to remove more plastic waste than they produce
- They’re a part of the carbon neutral club so along with equalizing the company’s carbon footprint, they also offset their own team’s personal carbon footprints
- They’re also leaping bunny certified!
Products packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic and sugarcane bioplastics are just a small part of the sustainable initiative Caliray takes. They increase their recyclability by creating their products with (recycled) plastics made from one-single material.
They also not only use their “unusable” products to make new ones but will use materials from other brands as well to save on waste!
And while they don’t have a carbon-neutral warehouse yet, they work in a beach house to minimize energy consumption and buy offsets to help reduce their footprints
Vegan and Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-Free, Rose Inc. is making waves in the clean beauty space.
Their products are packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic and hemp and they even offer a few refillable options made from PCR and recyclable tins! They reduce their footprint as well by not adding any unnecessary plastic, glass or weights to their products!
At Athr Beauty, the earth is their muse. This is evident in the pallet of the brands as well as in their ethics and sustainability!
They’re packaging includes recycled plastic and aluminum as well as they also use water-based soy inks! Their products are certified cruelty free, sustainably sourced and ethically made! All of their products are recyclable and Athr is even a part of 1% for the planet!
Peta-certified, Tower 28 pledges 100% of its gross income to support ocean conservation through Heal The Bay.
They use post-consumer recycled plastic in their packaging, use plant-based inks and use as minimal packaging as possible. They’re still working on being 100% carbon neutral but in the meantime, you can offset your purchase on their website through a program called Cloverly!
Ilia is a staple in the clean beauty space but they’re also a part of 1% for the planet and are leaping bunny-certified cruelty-free!
Along with sustainable sourcing and ethical making, Ilia is on track to plant 1 million trees by the end of 2023 through One Tree Planted.
Westman Atelier is steadily working towards an entirely refillable line of makeup with lots of their products already available for refills. All of their website orders are also carbon neutral and they take responsibility for their packaging by offering a number of recycling options.
And to top off the clean ingredient cake, they’re also cruelty-free!
We don’t have to give up the things we love to live sustainably. There are so many brands creating authentic sustainable products. Like these climate positive makeup brands!
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