5 Ethical Beauty Brands You Need To Know!
Lately, are you seeing a lot of brands advertising conscious beauty products and wondering what is it?
In recent years there has been a buzz around “Conscious” “Natural” “Cruelty-Free” and “Clean” beauty trends circulating the social media space.
The Beauty Industry has been notorious for its wrongdoings for a long time. In 2018, the annual campaign Zero Waste Week reported that 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, most of which are not recyclable. Not only environmental damage but there are reports of animal and child abuse during the testing process. The culmination of all these resulted in conscious beauty consumption.
The concept of conscious consumption is very simple, it is being aware and mindful of what you’re consuming. From reading the ingredient list to researching brand ethics, and talking to experts before making a purchase. Consumers are using their purchasing power to support brands that are making products that are environmentally, people, and animal-friendly. They only support brands that are transparent, and honest and communicate clearly about their product lifecycle process.
WHAT MAKES A BRAND CONSCIOUS?
A conscious beauty brand has a mindful and holistic approach to sourcing ethical and safe ingredients, has sustainable packaging, avoids animal cruelty and child labor, and tries to cause less environmental damage. They advocate the following principles:
- Complete product and marketing transparency.
- Using innovative packaging technology to reduce plastic, make it safe for the environment, and make it biodegradable.
- They are honest about their ingredient list and only use natural, non-toxic, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and hypoallergenic materials.
- Try to have a positive impact on the environment by initiating plantation drives, supporting causes, and being mindful of their waste.
5 HOMEGROWN BRANDS THAT ARE CONSCIOUSLY CREATING THEIR PRODUCTS:
Listed below are some of the homegrown brands that are breaking the stereotype and redefining the beauty industry one product at a time. They are sustainable, ethical, and eco-friendly from the word go!
Ārem Beauty believes in nurturing the skin and taking care of the planet. From using only clean and organic ingredients, and minimizing waste to reducing the carbon footprint generated through their products they have carefully created a responsible brand.
PRICE RANGE: Starting at 950 Rs
ETHICS:
- Certified Organic Ingredients
- Cruelty-Free
- Vegan
- Non-GMO
BRAND USP:
- Formulation designed to suit Indian skin tone
- Recyclable packaging
- 2% of all sales go towards the ‘Planet Fund’ for marine and environmental preservation.
- Post usage, repurpose of PPE tubes to give another life.
WTF PICKS: Golden Hour – Dew Stick Highlighter
Pure Earth, like its name, believes in being gentle on the earth and the creatures. A brand that uses ancient Ayurvedic formulation, sources its ingredients from Himalayan Glaciers, and empowers marginalized women groups. This brand is surely becoming one of our favorite ethical brands.
PRICE RANGE: Starting from 800 RS
ETHICS:
- Vegan
- Preservative free
- Gluten-Free
- Hand Harvested
BRAND USP:
- Ethically sourced ingredients
- Fair Trade
- Leaping Bunny cruelty cruelty-free approved.
- Pure Purpose Foundations
WTF PICKS: Laali – Lip Paint Pot
Ruby’s Organics believes in bringing the best version of yourself, whilst staying true to who you are. They offer functional makeup that is plant-mineral-based, with skin-loving ingredients, and for Indian skin tone. Their dedication to providing a complete list of their ingredients is becoming a crowd favorite.
PRICE RANGE: Starting from 650 Rs
ETHICS:
- Paraben-free
- Petrochemical-free
- Alcohol-free
- Cruelty-Free
BRAND USP:
- Specially formulated for Indian skin tones.
- Women-Led Brand
- 100% Natural ingredients
- Ecocert/Cosmos Certified Ingredients
WTF PICKS: Quick-set Liquid Eyeshadow – Copper
Disguise Cosmetics believes in creating innovative, good-quality products without harming any living creatures. All of their products are vegan and 100% cruelty-free. The love for a plastic-free environment has made them devise a program where aluminum and plastic empties can be returned to be sent back for recycling.
PRICE RANGE: Starting from 200 Rs.
ETHICS:
- Vegan
- Cruelty-Free
- Toxin-Free
- Lead-Free
- Paraben, Alcohol, and Sulfate-Free.
BRAND USP:
- Natural Ingredients
- PETA Approved
- Recycling Program
WTF PICKS: WRECKLESS BLACK 12- NAil Polish
Daughter Earth believes in carefully innovating the skincare line by infusing ancient Ayurveda and science. Their products are well-researched, responsibly sourced, and packaged while being mindful, ethical, and conscious. Their need to give back to the planet as well as the society, is what sets it apart from its contemporaries.
PRICE RANGE: Starting from 475 Rs
ETHICS
- Advanced green biochemistry + Ancient Ayurveda
- Responsibly sourced ingredients
- Cruelty-Free
- Vegan
BRAND USP:
- Reef-safe and earth-friendly.
- No microbeads, nanoparticles, octinoxate, avobenzone, oxybenzone, silicones, siloxanes, and SLS/SLES.
- No Plastic Packaging mission
- Profits are given back to causes like Plan India, Project Greenhands, One Tree Planted, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Vipassana International Centers.
WTF PICKS: Snowdust Setting Powder
These brands are spending a lot of their time and resources to bring forth cutting-edge products by infusing science and ancient Ayurvedic rituals. As consumers, these brands meet our demands for cruelty-free, non-toxic ingredients and sustainable products that are mindful of the planet and its resources. Supporting homegrown, small, and ethical brands like these is a powerful move by consumers. Hope this list inspires and motivates you to switch over to vegan, ethical, and sustainable beauty brands!