Tides have certainly turned in the beauty industry at large. No longer are we talking about “going green” as the latest trend, but a sea of change that has set a new course for indie brands and large conglomerates alike. Ingredient transparency, sustainable packaging, and recycling programs are common table stakes, practically a minimum requirement to play in the beauty space today.
But is it enough? Do these measures really make an impact and if so, how much? Because if there’s one thing that unites the clean beauty industry more than anything, it’s integrity. And the efforts made by beauty brands to be as clean and green as possible are not merely to make marketing claims. The efforts are made in earnest to leave the planet better than they found it.
In a talk I gave earlier this year, I championed that the beauty industry can, and must, appeal to the conscious consumer in an authentic way, and dare to defy our consumption behaviors. First, I declared we need to embrace the topic of using less. And by less, I mean fewer (or no) ingredients that are harmful to our environment, less packaging and fewer products, that we love more. It has become my battle cry. If you’ve ever spoken to me about the subject of green beauty, you know that I believe that we can’t have a holistic conversation about green beauty without talking about how much we consume.
To my delight, this room full of mainstream industry professionals (not green beauty peers), were engaged and nodding their heads in agreement. I knew in that instant that this is the topic of our time. That insight was confirmed when the keynote speaker, a famous trend analyst, revealed a leading trend: Business going blue. He explained it’s no longer enough for companies to “be green”. Recycling and making sustainable choices are the baseline for businesses today. Going blue is the active contribution to a better, bluer planet.
I thought of our community, our brands and all the contributions they make to going blue. I thought of the many founders I meet who are continually pushing the envelope to minimize packaging, source ingredients sustainably (for real), and give back to the earth and to others. I also thought about our own efforts to contribute to a better planet, including our new partnership with 5 Gyres, our efforts to educate on single-use plastics and our ongoing conversation about using less and loving more. Our collective efforts are powerful, and together, I believe we really can make a difference.
We needed to be a platform to have this deeper conversation and to encourage one another with actionable ways to go blue. So, we’re creating it. I asked each and every one of our brands to tell us how they are going blue so we can share it all with you, in one place. Welcome to Project Blue Beauty.
On our Project Blue Beauty page, you will find a list of each of our brands and a short summary of how they work to contribute to a better planet, in ways big and small. We will be featuring their blue efforts on their brand pages and our monthly discovery brochures, because you deserve to know what the brands you support are doing to make a better planet for all of us.
Allow us to kick it off. Here’s how Beauty Heroes has gone blue:
- We are very mindful of our packaging, first and foremost, making sure we pack each box we ship in the smallest possible box, requiring minimal extra packaging.
- All of our printed materials are produced locally, in the Bay Area, on FSC certified paper using soy ink.
- We don’t use any plastic in our packing materials, only paper, including paper tape, all of which is recyclable.
- Our monthly subscription brochures include a plastic-free tip, encouraging our customers to reduce plastic consumption in our day-to-day lives, and we give a portion of our sales each month to 5 Gyres, an organization working to solve the global ocean plastic crisis.
- We delivered glass straws to all of our subscribers to introduce the need for us all to stop using straws and other single-use plastics.
- Earlier this year, we organized a Beach Cleanup with our partner, Honua Skincare on the island of O’ahu and removed over 700 pounds of plastic from a nature conservancy and contributed funds to the amazing work done on the coasts of Hawaii by Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.
- We encourage our customers to use less, yet better beauty, every day.
- And, we’re only getting started. As we evolve, we look forward to going blue with you.
Ethically Sourced
Cruelty-Free
Non-Toxic
Consciously
Silicone +
100% Synthetic