There’s no denying that it’s cool to be kind, and it’s important to know which brands are doing just that. Many beauty companies make conscious efforts to give back - whether that be sourcing sustainable ingredients or putting money towards community development. Here, BD rounds up some of the brands that are changing lives and doing social good.
Cruelty Free
According to a recent survey by Roy Morgan, the statement “not tested on animals” has become Australia’s third highest priority when it comes to choosing which beauty products to buy. Aveda’s products are not tested on animals, but on real people; and the brand has now taken its commitment to animals one step further by re-introducing the PETA Cruelty Free “bunny” logo and messaging to guests and artists via retail touchpoints, online imaging, and social media.
Aveda has been a model of environmental responsibility and its founder, Horst Rechelbacher, has guided sustainability for nearly forty years. With the recent appointment of new global general manager, Barbara De Laere, the brand will continue to champion Horst’s holistic approach to beauty and to create a culture of caring and stewardship.
“We will be celebrating 40 years, next year, and Horst’s fingerprint on the business will be that much more evident. We are really going back to our roots and strengthening that legacy. All of it - Horst’s passion for Mother Earth and the kingdom of plants and herbs, his vision of holistic beauty and the power of nature to heal, the balance of ancient wisdom and advanced science—guides us. We will also further our commitment to environmental sustainability and honour Horst’s leadership in these efforts. There is no better way to do business than by caring for the world in which we live,” says De Laere.
In terms of social activism, English beauty giant LUSH is at the forefront of doing social good. While Lush has many charitable incentives — more recently a campaign in Australia to support marriage equality — Lush’s Charity Pot Program provides financial grants to small grassroots organisations working within the areas of animal welfare, human rights and environmental protection. All proceeds from the sales of its Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion goes towards this fund, and through the program they have raised $627,611 and donated to 51 local Australian charities in the last financial year.
Giving back to impoverished communities in Africa
Another company that aims to provide a separate kind of social good is Australian natural skincare company, Kosmea. Especially known for its rosehip products, Kosmea rosehips are handpicked by the local people of Lesotho, in Southern Africa. Lesotho is a country with extreme and widespread poverty so by employing locals, Kosmea is able to provide the community with a sustainable income.
Giving back to impoverished communities in need is similarly part of Trilogy’s company ethos. The brand, famous for it’s rosehip oil, works with the likes of So They Can and UN Women New Zealand. So They Can's mission is to work together with communities in Africa to educate and empower, so they can break the poverty cycle. For four years now Trilogy has worked with So They Can to invest in severe need areas in Kenya and Tanzania; focusing on educating children and supporting women towards self-sufficiency.
The world’s first truly sustainable global business
Inevitably, many people will have heard about The Body Shop’s efforts towards sustainability. The brand hopes to be one of the first truly sustainable global businesses, and last year set an ambitious 14 targets as its first steps towards achieving this. Speaking on the business’ goals, The Body Shop chairman and CEO Jeremy Schwartz explained: “We’re launching our commitment, called ‘Enrich Not Exploit’ – and that word, ‘exploit,’ is not one that I think other companies would state; it obviously puts us under a challenge and a microscope. But we’re very confident that the approach we’re taking enables us to live up to that claim.
“We’re setting ourselves a goal to be the world’s most ethical and sustainable global company. And we’re going to get there, where others aren’t, because … we are looking at what does the planet need to flourish, and looking to complement that - where others are looking to reduce the amount of damage they’re doing. It’s a very different approach, and a brand-new approach that nobody else is taking.”
Now releasing reports on the “Enrich not Exploit” schemes, the first report notes that through its supply chain it has helped over 20,000 vulnerable people access work.
You might not know, but...
L’Occitane supports many charitable organisations but has one specific cause close to its heart which it is committed to improving globally, and that’s fighting avoidable blindness worldwide.
After founder Olivier Baussan helped a blind woman in one of his shops, he was moved to put Braille on all the products' packages and was the first company to do so. Now, Foundation L'Occitane supports Orbis, an international nonprofit that helps developing nations fight blindness. In the past 16 years, it has donated over $US1.8 million, with much of that money going to the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, an airplane that boasts a mobile teaching hospital.
During the long partnership, L'Occitane’s funding has supported Orbis programs in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, India and China. As an example, in China over 1.5 million people received eye care thanks to L'Occitane’s support for a program to deliver village and school screenings, significantly contributing to the reduction of childhood blindness in Gansu province.
Home grown heroes
There are many Aussie brands dedicating a portion of their sales to charitable causes. For instance, Joico is currently supporting the Pink Hope charity by donating $1 from every Christmas set sale to the cause.
Further, a big cause supported by Aussie beauty brands is Look Good Feel Better. Look Good Feel Better is a charity dedicated to teaching cancer patients how to manage the appearance-related side effects caused by cancer treatment. Women, men and teens participate in a practical workshop that covers skincare, makeup and headwear demonstrations, leaving them empowered and ready to face their cancer diagnosis with confidence.
For over 26 years Nutrimetics has donated skincare and makeup products to be used at Look Good Feel Better workshops at over 180 venues around the country. In addition, Nutrimetics is committed to ongoing fundraising to provide financial support, and Nutrimetics Consultants also volunteer their time to facilitate and demonstrate at workshop.
Another Aussie brand dedicated to supporting Look Good Feel Better is Nude by Nature — the natural cosmetics company partners with the charity to provide makeup that is fundamentally formulated without synthetic ingredients or preservatives like Talc, Silicon and Parabens – and packed with powerful natural extracts and oils to benefit sensitive skin.