Expert's Opinion

Sustainability in Beauty: 11 Brands that Walk Their Talk

Creating a more sustainable experience through packaging, ingredients and distribution.

Elle Morris, Chief Marketing Officer, Olberding Brand Family01.23.23

As we enter 2023, it is imperative that we identify sustainable solutions for the products we use on a daily basis. The beauty industry has always been over-represented in packaging waste from various non-recyclable plastics in haircare, hair color, personal care to oral care and cosmetics, however there are a number of notable brands (from indie to multi-nationals) which have sustainability as an integral part of their core values that we can learn from.

Here are 11 beauty brands that exemplify sustainability in practice:

1. REN

This brand made a huge, public commitment to zero waste by the end of 2022 through the elimination of superfluous packaging and sample sachets.

2. Lush

One of the first in beauty to lead the way, about 65% of Lush’s products are unpackaged – with the remainder of its products packaged in recycled and recyclable materials. Also, Lush is the proud founder of Naked, the UK’s first packaging-free cosmetics store.

3. Aveda

An OG in sustainable beauty, Aveda produces vegan beauty products and was the first beauty company to use post-consumer recycled materials. The brand walks their talk by having raised over $60 million for environmental endeavors since 1999. Aveda is also a certified B Corporation.

4. L’Occitane

Greener than most from the jump, this brand has never used plastic bags in their retail shops and has been recycling since the 1990’s. L’Occitane’s goal is to use 100% recycled plastic for its bottles and every retail location to offer recycling.

5. Giorgio Armani

In 2010, this luxury brand created the Acqua for Life initiative, which subsidizes UNICEF’s efforts to ensure children have access to safe and clean water around the world.

6. Herbivore

This brand not only uses glass for its packaging, but its products are also made without fossil fuel industry derivatives and by-products.

7. Tata Harper

This brand, which was acquired by Amorepacific in 2022, considers sustainability in every detail of its products – including raw materials (many ingredients are grown on the owner’s farm). Also, all of its products are GMO free. They use small batch production (usually handmade) and environmentally friendly processes. Their bottles are made of corn-derived resin plastic. All printed materials are made from recycled paper and printed with soy ink.

8. UpCircle

This brand leverages caffeine from coffee grounds making an efficacious serum as one of their leading products. They partner with grocery stores and coffee shops – and are 100% vegan, natural and cruelty-free. They are also a certified B Corporation.

9. LeLabo

In the perfume category, this brand has always offered refillable bottles. Their clients just return the bottles for cleaning and refilling – for 20% off the original purchase price.

10. La Bouche Rouge

There’s no denying that this is a beauty investment – a custom designed vegan lipstick by you for you. Choose a refillable, hand stitched leather case (vegan or genuine), any color from their line or the Pantone color library, a finish (satin, matte or gloss), name it and it is created for you. It arrives at your door in a recycled cardboard presentation box with a vegan lipstick refill.

11. Weleda

Over 75% of Weleda’s plant-based ingredients come from biodynamic or organic farming or controlled wild plants. Absolutely none of its packaging contains plastic.

There are so many more beauty brands that I could point to, which is greatly encouraging – this is a big upswing over the past five years. Hopefully within the next five years, it will be the standard for the beauty industry to offer sustainable products and packaging. There are plenty of options, and more on the horizon every day for anyone who wants to use efficacious products that don’t harm the planet.