Beauty Brands with a Sustainable Commitment in Canada
I used to LOVE makeup. I would go out and buy a new lipstick or a new foundation every month. Nowadays, I spend more time at home and I prefer using minimal make-up. However, I like dressing up and putting on some makeup when I am going for a date with my husband or when we go to an event.
I now try to choose the makeup that has minimal plastic packaging and the brand is sustainable.
I put together a list of 24 beauty brands from right here in Canada that I like and I think you will enjoy as well.
Birch Babe
Shampoo & Body Bar - Spearmint & Rosemary
Bird Babe's premium skincare line is made with all-natural, plant-based and plastic-free ingredients. All of their products, including soaps, hair and shave bars, come in minimal to no packaging. Their goal of one day becoming 100% plastic-free in business and daily life resonates with many of us who care about our environment. The Birch Babe community regularly celebrates every small step of their humble journey.
Family owned and operated, this company strives to ensure every step of the product-making process takes the environment into account, all the way down to the packaging.
Powermove Hydrating Soft Matte Lipstick
The cult favourite Bite Beauty was established in 2011 by Susanne Langmuir and acquired by the luxury beauty powerhouse Kendo last year. The brand went 100% vegan in 2020, offering followers cruelty-free beauty products. Featuring superfoods and good-for-you ingredients, they are packed with skin-loving benefits.
Its extensive shade range and long-lasting formula will impress as it continues to help age the appearance of your lips and hydrate them even after prolonged wearing.
Sustain Lipstick - Aina
Cheekbone Beauty combines premium, cruelty-free liquid lipsticks, contour, and highlight palettes with advocacy and funding for Indigenous youth across the country.
Canadian creator Jennifer Harper aims to educate Canadians about the Residential School System, including the impacts it has on Indigenous families through social entrepreneurship at universities, colleges, and high schools. In addition to their charitable activities, the Cheekbone team donates 10% of profits to the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society.
Unpaper Towels
Founder Leah Black began Cheeks Ahoy after having her first child. As a new mother, she was eager to practice sustainability with cloth diapers. Even though she was eliminating waste on one end, she was still exposing herself to a large amount of single-use wipes after each diaper change - including the plastic packaging that wipes came in.
She found success making wipes on her own out of old flannel bed sheets and before long, other moms started to order from her. With the help of a team of local moms (and a dad) they now fulfill orders using sustainable fabrics from their hometown and have expanded their products beyond baby wipes.
Ultra Moisturizing Face Cream
A new generation of skin care is being brought to market by an independent brand with award-winning, clinically proven products combined with mindfulness and nutrition practices. With regular practice, this approach to skin care and self-care leads to younger-looking skin.
The brand has redesigned its packaging and launched a new website in partnership with Zulu Alpha Kilo, which introduces consumers to its holistic philosophy. The first campaign for the brand highlights the importance of self-pleasure for skin care, a topic seldom discussed by Canadian women due to its secluded nature
100% Plant-Derived Squalane
Deciem is a Toronto based company founded by Brandon Truaxe in 2013 with the tagline “The Abnormal Beauty Company.” There are a total of ten brands within the parent company; one of the most commonly known and accessible ones being The Ordinary. They carry a range of affordable treatments centered around tried and true ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, and vitamin C.
They are leading the way towards greater transparency about pricing and ingredients, as well as advocating for cruelty-free beauty
Bamboo Capsule Palette
Founded in British Columbia, Elate Cosmetics is dedicated to transforming the face of sustainable makeup with innovative products. Their focus is on helping you create a customized capsule makeup collection that will minimize your beauty regimen.
Their packaging is biodegradable, inserts are refillable, and their ingredients are 90% organic (if necessary, fair trade is selected over organic). Through their entire supply chain, the brand prioritizes ethical and fair practices.
Everist is a zero waste salon grade hair care brand. With more than three times the potency of traditional formulas, it has the same amount of cleansing and conditioning power as a traditional 300 mil shampoo or conditioner, which requires about 30 washes depending on your hair style. With its concentrated formula and smaller size, this product is more eco-friendly to ship, while its waterless formula eliminates all preservatives.
Read my review here.
Velvet Colour Stick
Evio Beauty provides affordable, ethically produced makeup and self-care products. In 2014, Brandi Leifso created her business after leaving a women's shelter, backed by people who hoped cosmetic companies would do good. Her inspiring story redefined inclusivity in the makeup industry. They have a line of makeup and skincare products that are both judgement-free and good for you.
Additionally, they minimize the use of water in their formulas, create multi-use products that can be packaged in the same mould to use renewable resources, and use sustainable natural ingredients.
Normal / Balanced Hair Shampoo Bar
Lisa Karandat and Alexa Monahan teamed up to launch a plastic-free, zero-waste alternative to regular products in the home and body care space. The zero-waste body and home-care brand combines beauty, function, and activism in all that it does.
The company's mission is to prevent consumers from using single-use plastic in everyday life by creating zero-waste products without jeopardizing the quality, beauty, or performance.
Fullmoon Serum
Graydon Skincare is a Toronto-based company that develops products based on plant-based superfoods. The company engages local manufacturers and distributors whenever possible, in an effort to support the local economy.
This vegan and cruelty-free skincare line focuses on results-driven products that cater to an array of skin tones. With the exception of pumps and droppers, all packaging is recyclable.
acne + oil balancing hydrating facial mask
With a healthy relationship with her own skin, founder Jamie wants to share what she has learned about skincare with products that are both healthy for you and the environment.
Ground Sage believes that skin care should be a clean, effective, and personalized experience. They offer natural, organic, holistic skincare products, soaps and cosmetics, as well as skincare counseling and problem skin solutions. Their products are ethically handcrafted in small batches, and are certified cruelty-free by both Leaping Bunny and PETA.
Skin Snack
Throughout their conservative design and packaging, the brand clearly dedicates itself to a commitment of clean and sustainable cosmetics. There are 12 or less whole ingredients in each of their products that are made by hand right in Vancouver. Through education in skin health and general wellness, Harlow empowers its users to learn more about their bodies and needs.
Vegocentric Organic Vegan Lipsticks
Lippy Girl Makeup founder Darcy Diehl launched her cosmetics line after discovering that there were few organic and cruelty-free products on the market. This makeup brand’s award-winning, organic and vegan lipsticks are made with natural mineral pigments that are incredibly bold and vibrant. The products are also packaged in 100% recyclable aluminum.
Cream Clay Blush
The four founders, Alisha Gallagher, Steve Blanchet, Béatrice Seguin, and Victor Casale combined bring decades of experience from brands such as Laura Mercier, Cover FX, and M.A.C. The brand offers animal-friendly, refillable packaging containing high-performing products especially formulated to soothe sensitive skin.
Cosmetics from the brand, including eye makeup, bronzers, blushers, highlighters, and lipsticks, each come in recyclable and reusable packaging made from at least 50% recycled materials.
Gel Lip + Cheek Colour
This multifunctional cosmetic brand offers all the essentials for makeup application in one eyeshadow stick, eyelid primer, eyeliner, and cream highlighter stick. In fact, the concept of multifunctionality spreads across Nudestix cosmetic line, including products that can be used on lips, cheeks, and eyes.
Natural and fresh-faced, they are free from parabens, preservatives, and gluten, and they have never been tested on animals.
Pure Skin Face Wash
The brand specializes in skincare, haircare, bodycare, and makeup, all with simple, safe, natural ingredients - with no harmful additives - geared towards people who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The skincare philosophy of this brand is based on Ayurvedic philosophy, connecting mind, body, and spirit.
Sustainability is emphasized through their return program and by supporting local environmental organizations. Their partnership with Terracycle recycles non-recyclables. Each used but cleaned bottle can be returned to Pure + Simple Zero Waste Recycling Boxes for a $1 credit.
Harvest Moon Pressed Eye
Pure Anada's organic products are made in the beautiful Canadian prairies with natural ingredients. They aim to create great quality, ethical cosmetic and body care products at affordable prices. With their own facility for certified organic research and manufacturing, they're able to control the entire process. The ingredients are sourced all over the world, being child labour-free, fairly traded, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Cream Concealer
JoAnn Fowler, a Canadian makeup artist and founder of Etude House Cosmetics, has over 20 years of experience in the makeup industry and has used these skills to create a makeup brand that is not only effective, but also sustainable.
A carbon footprint free manufacturing facility creates all the products which are formulated in Canada and manufactured locally. The packaging for these products is made up of a number of recyclable materials, including metal, biodegradable plastic, and recyclable glass.
Suncoat Water-based Nail Polish
Suncoat's founder Yingchun Liu, was inspired by her daughter's fascination with nail polish. Yingchun knew of the harmful chemicals found in conventional polish like formaldehyde, toluene, and acetate from her educational and working background in chemistry. So she set out to create a solution. The water-based, non-toxic polish formulations and manufacturing are located here in Ontario, Canada.
Skin Softening Mineral Mask
This small batch natural skincare brand started out creating formulas by testing ingredients on thousands of different skins — delicately balancing them to provide the most impactful results.
The brand's Toronto facility is fully equipped with energy-efficient technology to ensure the least amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Tinted glass packaging is used for the products, which is recyclable and environmentally friendly. In addition, it protects the product from UV rays and is non-toxic in nature. They utilize paper sourced from sustainable forests for packaging which is both recyclable and biodegradable.
Everyday Facial Moisturizer
This all natural herbal apothecary brand is located right here in Prince Edward Island. Founder Story is a chartered Herbalist and Certified Natural Products Advisor by trade and has spent time within the natural skincare industry. Each product is handcrafted with 100% natural and food grade ingredients. The brand carries beautiful skin and body products, as well as medicinal salves, tinctures, and teas.
Hair Oil
Sister duo Krystal and Gillian started out by first creating a handmade natural deodorant that worked well for them. Their product line has grown from a few artisan products to over 30 bath and skin care items.
Their products are made with 100% plant-based ingredients and packaged sustainably. Their mission is to make bath and beauty products that are good for your body and feel good on it. Their value system is deeply rooted in all their processes, and as a result in the products.
London Flog - Body Whip
This Ontario based small batch skin and body care brand is committed to donating back to a wolves non-profit sanctuary and reforestation by planting a tree with every purchase. Their handcrafted formulations that are natural, vegan and made with a combination of highly effective organic and wildcraft botanicals.
Hey, Claudia here
I am a senior graphic designer, a dog mom, an advocate for a zero-waste lifestyle, climate change, and sustainability. My articles are based on personal experience and well researched to give you the best source of information for all things zero-waste.
