Incoming! The World's First Ever Zero-Waste Beauty Brand Has Landed
The Ingredients List - Breaking down the what, where and why of natural and eco-friendly beauty.
If you haven't heard of Brianna West yet, then where have you been? The genius founder of Ethique, the world’s first ever zero-waste (yes, zero!) beauty line, West is singlehandedly changing the game for sustainable beauty.
West’s background in biochemistry has afforded her an intimate knowledge of the science behind great beauty products, and her childhood spent around nature in New Zealand has instilled in her a love and respect for the environment.
The result is award-winning beauty brand Ethique: a considered range of skincare and haircare beauty bars with great results and an eco-friendly factor to match.
Ethique arrives in the UK at a time where the demand for environmentally friendly products has never been greater. The UN has described ongoing environmental damage as a ‘planetary crisis,’ and if we continue consuming the way that we are, we're set to have more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.
A post shared by Ethique (@ethiqueworld) on Mar 3, 2019 at 7:36pm PST
These - and a multitude of other horrifying statistics - have resulted in a shift in attitudes, giving rise to a whole new army of eco-woke consumers that want their products to reflect their values.
Enter, Ethique. The brand that has gone above and beyond to cater to every ethical consumer concern, from veganism to plastic pollution.
On top of using only 100% sustainably sourced ingredients that are vegan, cruelty free, paraben and sulphate free, Ethique is also living-wage certified with an impressive 20% of the company’s profits donated to environmental charities. Now that's what we call 360 sustainability.
A post shared by Ethique (@ethiqueworld) on Apr 16, 2019 at 4:12pm PDT
Oh, and did we mention that the zero-plastic packaged beauty bars last up to five times longer than their traditional counterparts? This is a win, win sustainable beauty situation, people.
We caught up with West to talk all things Ethique, business ethics and her hero beauty product…
What was your driving force to create a zero waste, zero plastic beauty brand?
‘Most of all, it came from my desire to live as sustainably as possible and to positively contribute to the environment. Plastic packaging is one of the most significant problems facing our planet.
'Despite our best intentions as consumers, just 9% of plastic worldwide is actually recycled, which is why such an extortionate amount of plastic waste that continues to end up in landfills and our oceans! So the products came from wanting to change that.’
A post shared by Ethique (@ethiqueworld) on Apr 4, 2019 at 6:52pm PDT
How has your background in biochemistry and cosmetic chemistry informed your perspective of the beauty industry?
‘It has certainly opened my eyes to the huge amounts of waste that the beauty industry creates. The beauty industry is responsible for a vast proportion of the plastic which ends up in landfills and the ocean and my background in biochemistry led me to realise that this does not have to be the case.
'Whilst studying biochemistry, I learned that liquid-based beauty products, such as shampoo and conditioner, are composed of up to 95% water – which is why they were packaged in plastic materials. I quickly realised that if you took the water out, then the products could then be formulated into solid bars of all the best bits of beauty products.’
A post shared by Ethique (@ethiqueworld) on Apr 11, 2019 at 12:02am PDT
You donate 20% of profits to charity - where did your ‘purpose over profit’ business ethos come from?
‘To my mind, it’s important to give back to the environment because humans are largely responsible for so much of the damage that has already been done.
'Businesses like Ethique can encourage people to make sustainable choices by making every part of our day to day life as environmentally friendly as possible. So we not only manufactures product which help the environment, but also donate 20% of profits go towards causes which strive to protect the environment. This is something at the very core of Ethique’s values.’
What's your Ethique ‘hero product’?
‘I personally think that there are a few, including The Guardian and our hair masks. However, I think that the Heali Kiwi shampoo bar is perhaps our most loved and highly reviewed product.
'Each bar of Heali Kiwi is full of nourishing ingredients which boost hair health and are specifically targeted at reducing dandruff and scalp problems. It’s great to hear that so many people love the products and have converted to zero-waste beauty regimes.’
A post shared by Ethique (@ethiqueworld) on Mar 21, 2019 at 1:55pm PDT
What do you see as the future of ethical beauty?
‘The future looks very exciting so that’s a big question! I want Ethique to inspire other brands to think about how they sell and package their products, and encourage consumers to think if they really need liquid body wash or shampoo if there’s a more sustainable alternative. You have water in your bathroom, so why would you need it in your products too?'
Ethique is available now and between 23-26 April use code BEAUTYBAR at the checkout to give you a 15% discount
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