10 Beauty Brands Giving Back To Mother Nature

Retail executives thought that people would balk at higher prices for sustainable products. But in fact, the opposite was true. Consumers are ready and willing to pay more for sustainable products if they need to, as reported by Forbes. This helps highlight the growing trend among consumers — they want more sustainable options when they go shopping, per strategy + business. 

Many people want businesses to step up and work on being better to the planet, via The Wall Street Journal. The more people purchase environmentally friendly products, the more businesses will see the value of caring about the planet. But one issue with people wanting to buy sustainable products is that, according to the Business Sustainability Index study, fewer than 25% of people can tell if a product or a company is good for the planet. There's no one company that does everything absolutely perfectly, but here's a list of 10 beauty brands that give back to Mother Nature, from planting trees to helping promote coral reef safety.

The ingredients used by The Golden Secrets are natural, organic, and sustainably sourced, and the products — made in a 100% solar-powered factory — include a mineral facial mask, moisturizing face mist, and anti-aging and healing oils. They've partnered with Farmers Footprint, which promotes regenerative agriculture, and with Tree-Nation, which means a tree is planted with every order. Jesse Golden, founder and CEO of The Golden Secrets, told The List why those partnerships were important: "As a business owner and in a mass consumerism world, I feel a deep responsibility to not only honor and respect mother nature in my products with organic ingredients and sustainable packaging, but to take the opportunity to leave her even better than before."

The Outset was co-created by Scarlett Johansson, and its products are all vegan and fragrance free. Launched in 2022 after five years of work, Johansson wanted the line to be all about simplicity and function, as she explained on Today. It has everything you need for a healthy skincare routine, and their hyaluroset complex is a botanical replacement for hyaluronic acid. The Outset is carbon neutral, from their factory to their offices to their shipping, and they have donated money to One Tree Planted to help with reforestation in Northern California, among other initiatives.

Founder Karen Behnke was inspired to create a line of skincare and beauty products that used juices and other plant-based products as their foundation after examining the ingredients that were traditionally used, according to The Helm. In 2005, Juice Beauty was started, and they've continued with the founding ethos of creating products using organic fruits, vegetables, and other plants as the active ingredients. Juice Beauty sources many of its ingredients from organic farmers on the West Coast, where they are based, to cut down on transportation emissions. Juice Beauty also supports The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that works to educate and advocate for a healthier planet. As Behnke told The List: "A love for the environment, health of people and animals, and love of skincare are the values and reason that I founded Juice Beauty, which perfectly fits with EWG's mission."

REN appeared on the skincare scene in 2000. They make products suitable for sensitive skin, and one of their more popular items is the REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic. One fan is Lady Amelia Windsor, model and third cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry. She told Marie Claire UK she liked the product because "it has more natural ingredients." REN focuses on being zero waste. As of 2021, all their products are in sustainable packaging that can be recycled, or they are made from recycled, reusable plastic. Beyond their own products, REN works with the Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to safeguarding the world's oceans and waterways.

Celebrity makeup artists swear by Burt's Bees lip products. The celebrities themselves do too, including Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, per Daily Mail UK. Burt's Bees makes more than those yellow-tube lip balms, with a range of cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and makeup. And once you're finished with your Burt's Bees product, you can send it to TerraCycle for free to be recycled. Their rescue lip balm tube is made from a mix of recycled plastic and a bioresin made from potatoes.

For over a decade, according to their sustainability report, Burt's Bees has diverted all of its trash operations from landfills, and they've been carbon neutral since 2015. They gave away wildflower seeds to help support bee populations and bring attention to the declining bee populations, via Campaign. And they're supporting the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation in their research on bee populations around the world.

Tata Harper Skincare is another celeb-loved brand. Tracee Ellis Ross uses it in her skincare routine, along with Anne Hathaway and Julianne Moore, reports Us Weekly. Tata Harper Skincare has routine kits to help with various skin concerns, including anti-aging and clear skin. You can actually track their products from their Vermont farm and factory to your house to see exactly who made it and when, which helps highlight how fresh they are. Their ingredients are certified by Ecocert as renewable, created sustainably, and with packaging that's made from reusable and/or renewable material. Tata Harper Skincare has partnered with Trees for the Future, which helps teach farmers how to use their land sustainably. That provides benefits for those local communities, as well as the planet as a whole.

Raw Elements was developed by Brian Guadagno, an ocean lifeguard looking for an effective sunscreen that was also good for the planet. Chemical sunscreens can damage aquatic life, spurring coral bleaching, according to the National Ocean Service. Raw Elements uses non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient to block harmful sun rays, and the other ingredients, like cocoa and mango butters, are certified organic. Along with sunscreen, they make lip balms, body scrubs, and daily moisturizers, including some tinted ones so you can swap out your foundation for sun protection.

With support from Hawaiian Airlines and Aqua-Aston Hospitality, Raw Elements founded World Reef Day, now observed on June 1, via Surfer Today. "Raw Elements decided to create the day to bring a call to action that could bring education and awareness around unsustainable commercial fishing, plastic pollution, and the effects of chemicals in personal care products to our oceans," explains Chris Wagaman, COO of Raw Elements in an interview with The List. The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet.

At Symbiome, all the products are made with 10 ingredients or less, which makes them great for sensitive skin. Their focus is on taking a less-is-more approach and working to help restore the skin's natural and healthy microbiome, according to Allure. Many of their ingredients are sourced from the Amazon rainforest, and they support The Amazon Conservation Team that helps preserve and protect the Amazon rainforest by working with local indigenous communities to help support them in their traditional roles as guardians of the land. And as members of 1% for the Planet, Symbiome is helping environmental initiatives worldwide.

Innersense Organic Beauty is a certified B corp, which means that their business works to make a positive impact on the world both socially and environmentally. Since their founding, they have created haircare products with sustainably sourced, organic ingredients that are good for the planet and good for your hair. They've got everything from leave-in conditioner to styling gel to shampoo. They're carbon neutral and members of 1% for the Planet, where they support the California Coastkeeper Alliance and Women's Voices for the Earth. They've also partnered with Plastic Bank to help keep plastic out of the ocean and out of landfills.

OSEA Malibu is more than carbon neutral. They're Ocean Positive with a certification from Sea Trees. What that actually means is that they not only offset all of the carbon emissions that they produce, but with each ton of offset carbon, they help fund carbon sequestration work along the coast. Sea Trees helps restore mangrove, kelp, and coral ecosystems around the globe.

OSEA Malibu is working to help reduce waste in their packaging and their products, and they're yet another beloved celebrity brand, counting Victoria Beckham and Naomi Campbell amongst their fans, according to New Beauty. The brand originated with Jenefer Palmer in the early 1980s out of her "desire to create clean, vegan and seaweed-infused skin care," via New Beauty.