10 Sustainable Beauty Brands to Watch in 2023
Updated: Feb 2
New Year, new brands entering the sustainability arena! While rehoming beauty products is definitely the most sustainable way to shop, we completely understand that sometimes a trip to Sephora is necessary. Fortunately for you, our favorite sustainable beauty brands are available on shop.glou.co! We want to help you navigate the aisles and give you a list of our favorite sustainable brands to watch and shop in 2023.
A brief note: all the beauty brands in this list market themselves as “clean.” We think that’s awesome, but we understand that “clean” is an unregulated term whose meaning varies from brand to brand. If the “clean beauty” lifestyle is your thing, we love that for you! We’re not saying “clean” is better for everyone, just that many sustainable brands also market themselves as “clean.” Both “clean” and “sustainable” are really trendy marketing terms right now, so a growing number of companies are adopting both. We want to be upfront about our intentions whenever we highlight brands. Our commitment is to sustainability first, not necessarily the “clean” lifestyle–but sometimes those two terms overlap.
1) Biossance
Biossance’s commitment to sustainability is the foundation of their brand. Their sugar-cane-derived squalene (pronounced sk-WAY-leen) provides an alternative to traditional shark-derived squalene and helps re-balance oceanic ecosystems by minimizing the shark trade. Additionally, the brand seeks to use 100% of the sugar cane they harvest by coming up with creative ways to use sugarcane byproducts. For instance, the left-over fibers and husks from the cane are used to create unit cartons and packaging for the Biossance line. Biossance seeks to eliminate waste from the production process and provide consumers with an uncompromisingly sustainable option.
2) Rose Inc.
Refillable? Check! Recyclable? Double check! Rose Inc. has flown under the radar compared to some other brands on this list, but we feel they deserve love in 2023. With a focus on Post Consumer Resin plastics and cardboard made from hemp, minimalism is Rose Inc’s motto. Their bottles even have wash-off labels to make recycling your empties at home way easier.
3) Glow Recipe
We love Glow Recipe for so many reasons, but their commitment to sustainability won our hearts. Not only are they certified Carbon Neutral, but Glow Recipe also has 100% recyclable packaging and partners with TerraCycle to ensure their packaging actually gets recycled. In 2022, the brand donated over $1,000,000 to organizations supporting sustainability research, diversity and inclusion, and women’s empowerment and education. We can’t wait for all the good stuff to come from Glow Recipe in 2023!
4) Kosas
Kosas had a great 2022, and we’re so excited to see what they do in 2023! The Kosas Air Brow tint contains biodegradable fibers that, unlike traditional cosmetic fibers, are derived from plants. Kosas also sources their mica from ethical foundries and recognizes that terms like “cruelty-free” and “sustainable” apply to sourcing ingredients from suppliers with humane working practices. The brand is both TreeFree and Forest Stewardship Council certified and they prioritize Post Consumer Resin plastics in their packaging.
Check Kosas out on Glou here!
5) Briogeo
Briogeo is like the Glow Recipe of the haircare world. Fun, fruit-forward, and ethically minded, Briogeo is on a mission to bring sustainability to the forefront of the beauty industry. Their cardboard unit cartons are 99% Forest Stewardship Council certified, and their dry shampoo is free from aerosols (that’s really hard to do). Additionally, their castor oil is Fair Life certified, meaning that the local communities and workers Briogeo gets their castor beans from are protected and enjoy safe working conditions and fair wages.
6) Cheekbone Beauty
Indigenous-owned Cheekbone Beauty’s commitment to sustainability is staggering. They’re a certified B-Corp, a member of the PACT Collective, and pledged to 1% for the Planet. On top of all of that, the brand’s emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients and compostable packaging means that their impact on the community of St. Catherine’s, Ontario is a positive one. They’ve been available in Sephora Canada for a while now, but we hope that their products become more accessible to US consumers in 2023!