Kate O’Brien didn’t come from beauty. She wasn’t an industry insider or a professional makeup artist. When she founded Alima Pure, she was a busy mother and kindergarten teacher with a desire to bring more love and connection into the world. From her attic in Portland, Oregon in 2004, when the landscape of better beauty looked vastly different, she launched a line of healthy, completely non-toxic color cosmetics made to be a tool of self-expression, enhancing everything you love about yourself without ever hiding who you are.
With love comes purpose, and it didn’t take Alima Pure long to find theirs. Grounded in the desire to empower and connect others, Kate knew it wouldn’t be possible without committing to bettering the common ground we all share: our planet. To make a lasting impact on our connection to each other, we had to deepen our connection to the earth.
With that realization, love became action.
The First to ‘B’
In only the second year that the now globally-recognized B Corp Certification was available, Alima Pure was at the head of the line. They were the first color cosmetics brand to become a B Corp company, undergoing an extensive third party audit that ensured they met the certification’s rigorous standards.
- Over an 80% score on the B Impact Assessment, a 300-point assessment that determines the social and environmental impact and efforts of a company
- Adhering to a corporate governance structure accountable to all stakeholders, not just financial stakeholders
- Exhibit total transparency by allowing their sourcing, supply chain, packaging and performance materials to be made fully available to the public
They remain a B Corp company today, and continue to uphold its declaration of independence to conduct business as if people and place mattered, and to be the change they seek to see in the world.
1% From The Start
Within their first year of business, Alima Pure had already made the 1% For The Planet pledge, committing 1% of their annual revenue (sales, not profit) to grassroots environmental organizations doing the work to preserve and restore our planet. In 2020 alone, 1% For The Planet was responsible for $32 million in funding for over 2000 nonprofits and initiatives.
100% Committed to Carbon Offset
Since 2008, Alima Pure has been Certified Carbon Neutral, offsetting 100% of their corporate carbon emissions through the Carbonfree® Partner Program created by Carbonfund. The program helps companies offset all their carbon emissions by connecting them with environmental nonprofits and initiatives working towards energy efficiency, reforestation, and renewable energy.
A Pledge to Plant
By 2025, Alima Pure has pledged to contribute 1 million trees to our planet through their Let’s Plant Trees initiative. Each tree planted produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means just two mature trees can provide enough oxygen yearly for a family of four. That means that Alima Pure’s 1 million tree pledge will generate enough oxygen for 500,000 families of four by 2025.
Running on Renewable
Alima Pure runs their entire operation entirely on renewable energy, made possible through their participation in the Green Source Renewable Power Program. 100% of the power used in Alima Pure operations is derived from solar, wind, biomass, hydro and geothermal energy – all renewal and all planet-positive.
Refill and Restore
With a revolutionary take on refills, Alima Pure offers refillable magnetic pans for their foundation compacts. They are simple to swap out, and the interchangeable pans are fully recyclable so they don’t contribute to landfill waste or wind up in our oceans. On average, reusable packaging contributes to a 95% reduction in waste, and has up to 75% less environment impact than single use packaging.
More of their luxurious foundations that we love, and less impact on the planet. That’s an idea we can get on board with.
As the necessity for brands who put people and planet first grows, Alima Pure will continue to be a leader in the movement.
Blue is their color.
