When was the last time you checked what company your favorite mascara was from? Why is it so important to care about ethical beauty brands? What even is an ethical beauty company?
These questions have been running through our minds now more than ever as the world pushes towards corporate social responsibility and sustainable standards. The beauty industry is overly saturated with thousands of cosmetics that are tested on animals, made using animal products, harmful to our planet- or all three! And so, we must start making conscious decisions about what companies were buying from- and what damage our choices are making to our world.
Here is a list of ethical beauty brands that not only fight against animal testing, but also contribute positively to our environment and social justice issues.
- The Body Shop
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The Body Shop uses sustainable practices, natural ingredients, and is cruelty-free. This brand is rooted in activism, priding themselves on building a business that is a force for good, especially focusing on empowering women and girls. The company also created the Community Fair Trade Program, which orients towards working with local and ethically sourced suppliers. The Body Shop is “the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics”.
- Rare Beauty
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Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez is cruelty-free and vegan. The company focuses on its social impact claiming to “reduce the stigma associated with mental health, address the epidemic of chronic loneliness, and help give people access to the resources they need to support their mental well-being”. The company created the Rare Impact Fund, which is aimed toward supporting underserved communities.
- Lush
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Lush focuses its efforts on fighting against animal testing, ethical buying from suppliers, producing vegetarian products, and are handmade. Lush uses Naked packaging, thus constructing a sustainable culture within its community.
- bareMinerals
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bareMinerals emphasizes on producing clean beauty, meaning it is paraben-free, phthalate-free, formaldehyde-free, chemical sunscreen-free, triclosan-free, triclocarban-free, propylene glycol-free, mineral oil-free, coal tar-free, microbead-free. The company is cruelty-free and the majority of its products are vegan, including all skincare. bareMinerals has founded the Power of Good Fund which is a women’s empowerment project, and the Give Back Get Back Recycling Program which focuses on sustainability.
- Hourglass Cosmetics
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Hourglass is a cruelty-free brand, with a goal to become completely vegan in 2020. This company has partnered with the Nonhuman Rights Project working towards securing the fundamental rights for animals.
- NYX Cosmetics
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NYX Cosmetics is affordable, cruelty-free, and is has vegan goals. This company advocates for equality for all, working with the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
- Milk Makeup
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Milk Makeup is cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, and is environmentally conscious. This company is working towards sustainably sourceed ingredients as well.
- Tata Harper
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Tata Harper is cruelty-free, vegan, organic, implements recyclable packaging, and uses sustainable ingredients. This company is free of GMO’s, manufactured by environmentally friendly resources, and utilizes ingredients derived from renewable resources.
- Love Beauty and Planet
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Love Beauty and Planet is an affordable hair care brand. This company focuses on reducing its environmental impact, and is implements sustainable practices. Love Beauty and Planet is especially carbon conscious, with the goal to have an invisible carbon footprint through their Carbon Tax Program, “Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change, and to us, a more beautiful planet starts with one that is both clean and just.“
- E.L.F. Cosmetics
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E.L.F. Cosmetics is vegan, cruelty-free, and affordable. This company is partnered with the It Gets Better Project, aiming towards empowering LGBTQ+ youth.
All of these companies are socially responsible, aim towards sustainable and cruelty-free practices, and support our planet overall. Not only have they escaped from using harmful business practices, these companies have made the active decision to find ways to give back to the environment and our communities. Let’s make the switch to being more ethically conscious of our beauty products.
Because doesn’t the world deserve to be as beautiful as you?