Tired of greenwashing but still looking for ethical products? I get it, it can be incredibly confusing to sort out advertising from actual sustainability measures. After all, corporations have taken advantage of consumers’ increasing concerns by making false claims or only employing surface-level changes to pacify issues. With more information coming out about harmful substances in everyday products and with the climate crisis ramping up, the stakes have been raised. It has never been more necessary to make sure the things we’re consuming are sustainable, safe, and effective.
It’s important to know we’re doing right by the environment and our skin! But it can be difficult to find things in line with our ethics that can also deliver on their product claims. So, if you want the scoop on some brands that are centered on sustainability and effectiveness, read on! Here are 5 ethical beauty brands I’m currently loving that you should know about.
1. Krave Beauty
Krave Beauty is a brand that is trying to slow down skincare. They focus on intentional product releases and design practices and constantly share sustainability reports. Krave Beauty is one of the best brands I’ve seen in terms of accountability and transparency. You don’t have to go searching for information, they readily share it with the consumer!
This brand is also climate-neutral certified and offers vegan, paraben-free, and cruelty-free products. They also practice plastic offsetting and most product packaging is made of post-consumer recycled material that is either partially or fully recyclable. The brand also states that they are working on product biodegradability and developing sustainable sourcing practices!
Not only is Krave Beauty upfront about their sustainability efforts and plans, but they make some amazing products too. Krave Beauty truly delivers quality and effective products while striving to do better. The first product I ever tried from this brand was the Makeup Re-Wined jelly oil cleanser. It’s super gentle but still effectively removes waterproof makeup and sunscreen. It’s also one of the only makeup removers I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my eyes yet actually removes all of my mascara on the first go!
The Kale-Lalu-yAHA is another amazing product from this brand that I love. It’s a gentle AHA exfoliator that improves skin texture and small breakouts while brightening up my complexion. It’s gentle but helps minimize congestion and keeps my skin looking fresh and smooth.
2. The Ordinary
I feel like The Ordinary is a brand everyone knows about since they blew up for their straightforward approach to marketing and packaging. The parent company of this brand, DECIEM, readily admits that they don’t have all the answers regarding creating a fully sustainable company, but they are committed to doing better with full transparency. Just like Krave Beauty, this brand is focused on creating effective skincare while looking at the whole picture regarding environmental impact.
The Ordinary is dedicated to implementing responsible packaging, proper waste management, and responsible sourcing for their products. They also offer an in-store recycling program and have the goal of 85-100% of packaging being recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled, or recoverable by 2025. They also refrain from shopping holidays like Black Friday to combat overconsumption.
A lot of the time my entire skincare routine consists of just The Ordinary products, you just can’t go wrong with this brand’s ethics, affordability, and effectiveness! My favorite product from this brand is hands down the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, it’s a light serum that targets skin congestion, texture issues, dullness, and dryness. I have sensitive skin but love using actives so this is a must-have to ensure I don’t damage my skin barrier.
I also always go back to their Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, which has low-, medium-, and high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid molecules! This makes it super effective in adequately hydrating multiple layers of skin which helps texture problems I encounter due to my dry skin and keeps my skin plump and fine-line free.
3. 100% Pure
Bluntly put, 100% Pure is the gateway beauty brand that introduced me to ethical skincare. This brand focuses on clean ingredients and only makes cruelty-free and harsh chemical-free products! They also offer many vegan products and claim they’re working towards only having vegan products.
100% Pure is committed to producing the purest and healthiest products while also striving to be environmentally and ethically sustainable. They adhere to strict purity standards and ethical ingredient sourcing practices. This brand also does substantial philanthropic work which makes choosing their products even more appealing.
There are many products from 100% Pure that I love but one in particular is the Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants PM Facial Oil. This oil is jam-packed with potent anti-aging ingredients like Vitamin C, D3, retinol, and CoQ10. I use this for preventive measures so I can’t speak on its ability to truly target wrinkles but I do notice a big difference in firmness and skin suppleness.
Another product I love is the Super Fruit Balm. This balm is made of several skin-loving butters and oils that make it perfect for dry and sensitive skin. It’s also designed to deeply nourish the skin because of the nutrient-packed anti-aging antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients. It melts beautifully and lasts a long time. It brightens my complexion and makes my skin feel buttery soft, I can’t help but use this all over when the weather gets cold.
4. Biossance
Biossance is one of the newer brands on this list that I’ve started using but their list of ethics is inspiring. I feel comfortable using products by this brand because of their focus on clean ingredients. Essentially, Biossance is focused on clean chemistry by making nontoxic, vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free products.
They’re also creating energy and water-efficient factories and strive for minimal carbon emissions. Biossance has committed to implementing 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2030 too.
Their Squalane + Retinol Night Serum is an amazing antiaging serum for sensitive skin. It’s a time-release serum that targets fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, and texture while being easy on the skin. It can take some time for my skin to get used to new products but this one didn’t irritate my skin at all and showed results quickly. It was hydrating, gave my skin a healthy glow, and evened out my skin tone effectively!
I also love the Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil and cannot recommend it enough! I initially was gifted it during the summer and was worried since heat and the wrong type of oil could break me out. But, it’s surprisingly lightweight and goes such a long way yet is still moisturizing. This oil has tons of brightening and hydrating ingredients so it improves skin tone and texture. I have no problem using this oil all year round because of how moisturizing it is without clogging my pores.
5. Evan Healy
This is a brand I was introduced to that I initially did not expect much from. I was gifted a product from my brother and thought it would just be a standard oil but boy was I wrong! Their products are amazing and upon learning more about this company I’m thoroughly impressed. Evan Healy has a less is more philosophy and believes that this mentality helps us achieve balance for our skin and wellness.
Evan Healy focuses on holistic skincare that’s “created and formulated to work with the rhythms and physiology of the body, and to support long-term skin health and radiance”. They take a homeopathic and traditional approach to herbalism and beauty that is so inspiring. They source from small family farms and co-operatives and all products are cruelty-free with most products being vegan. Their products are also free of parabens, silicones, PEGs, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and toxic preservatives.
The first product I tried was the Pomegranate Vitality Serum and I think this is the best oil I’ve ever used. It’s touted as a nourishing regenerative oil that helps restore radiance, tone, and suppleness and I can honestly say it delivers! It’s jam-packed with skin-loving nutrients that I’ve noticed can improve basically any skin issue I have. My skin just loves this stuff, I can always tell a difference after using this product consistently.
Evan Healy’s Tea Tree Gel Cleanser was something I didn’t expect to like but it’s one of my favorite cleansers. It’s best for congested and acne-prone skin so I was worried it would be too astringent for my dry and sensitive skin. It’s such an amazing cleanser though, I always dread running out! This cleanser is a non-detergent gel which I think ensures it deeply cleanses without being too harsh for my skin. That makes it such an ideal cleanser for people with skin congestion and dry skin which can be hard to find!
It has never been more necessary to make sure the things we’re consuming are sustainable, safe, and effective.
Buying better is a way we can support greener habits and initiatives which makes finding ethical brands even more important! I hope my recommendations gave you some inspiration for effective yet ethical skincare brands to keep on your radar. In the end, you’ll know you’re choosing something better for your skin and the planet.