January 28, 2022

Editor: Chava Makman
Artist: Molly Gold

I used to see beauty products labeled with “clean” or “sustainable” at farmers markets or boutiques I would browse in with no intention of stepping foot towards the cash register. Now, I see these words printed across moisturizers and mascaras in Sephoras, Ultas, Targets, and Rite-Aids. If they are accessible to you, using ethical beauty brands is a relatively simple way to lead a more sustainable and ethical life. But what do these promises of cleanliness and eco-friendly really even mean?

Do look for:

Cruelty-Free—

Look for the Leaping Bunny symbol that tells you that none of the ingredients in the product have come in contact with an animal.

Coral Reef Safe/Coral Reef Friendly—

This mostly applies to sunscreens, to avoid products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate as these ingredients are toxic to coral reefs. Try to use sun products that have simple ingredients and stick to creams rather than sprays which leave behind chemicals that wash into the ocean.

Clean—

Look for products made without harmful ingredients including parabens, phthalates, PEGs, ethanolamines, BHT, and BHA. These ingredients have health effects ranging from hormone disruption to general skin irritation.

Recyclable Packaging—

Forest Friendly—

Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labels.

Inclusivity—

Shop brands that make their products accessible for a diverse range of skin colors.

Examining each and every beauty product you purchase for each of these markers would be a time consuming process, but putting in any amount of effort counts, even if it is small. A good place to start is by prioritizing cruelty-free products or by eliminating harmful sunscreens from your carts. Here are a few of my favorite brands that display an effort at being ethical:

1. Ilia

2. Saie

3. Tata Harper

4. Necessaire

5. REN Clean Skincare

6. RMS Beauty

7. Cocokind

8. Loli

With a movement towards sustainability in the beauty industry, some brands have begun greenwashing their products to appeal to consumers. Being literate in ethical beauty is important in order to combat this greenwashing and in order to lead a more sustainable life.