If you really think about it, sustainability has been at the heart of Indian household practices for the longest time. Ask your mum or your grandmum about their favourite beauty tip and chances are, they’ll share a DIY skincare recipe with you. Similarly, upcoming Indian beauty brands more often than not, follow the same game plan. They’re not all whipping up formulas in their kitchen but they sure are keeping the zero-waste, sustainability aspect in the frontline of their brand ethos. To get the tea on the most sustainable brands you can add to cart (note: shop responsibly) guilt-free, keep scrolling.
1. Purearth
Purearth’s formulas housed in the sleekest, chic black glass bottles and are handmade in the brand’s zero-waste kitchen in Gurgaon, Delhi. Not only is Pureath cruelty-free and the products are reef-safe, but the brand mindfully promotes ethical consumption by only producing small batches of its formulas.
What we love: Purearth Turmeric Sand Exfoliant Face Masque, ₹ 4,900
2. Pahadi Local
Pahadi Local products are created with the aim of leaving behind a minimum carbon footprint. Everything, right from sourcing to extracting, is carried out keeping this goal in mind while ensuring that the formulas make their way to you in their purest form, straight from the Himalayas.
What we love: Pahadi Local Gutti Ka Tel, ₹ 1,295
3. RAS Luxury Oils
Raipur-based Shubhika Jain launched RAS Luxury Oils in 2017 and since then, the brand has held its ground in the ever-growing, clean beauty space. It started out with its 24K Gold Radiance Beauty-Boosting Face Elixir–an instant bestseller, if we may add–and today, the brand has an extensive portfolio of products including lip oils that give cult-favourite options a run for their money!
What we love: RAS Luxury Oils Oh So Luxe Tinted Liquid Lip Balm - Mauve Pink, ₹ 1,090
4. Daughter Earth
A surprising 99 per cent of all ingredients used in this vegan brand’s products are all sourced from India. Another thing to love? Its lip and tint products are somewhat cult-favourites thanks to how pigmented they are so a little is going to last you for a long time! Plus, 10 per cent of Daughter Earth’s profits are given to social causes like afforestation and education of girl children.
What we love: Daughter Earth 100% Vegan, Vitamin - E Lip And Cheek Tint, ₹ 975
5. Ruby’s Organics
Founded in 2015 by make-up artist Rubeina Karachiwalla, Ruby’s Organics makes sure it is environmentally responsible by ensuring that every ingredient used in its formulas is 100 per cent biodegradable sourced ethically from licensed suppliers. The brand makes sure that all the suppliers it is sourcing from do not test on animals. It offers consumers minimal and multi-purpose make-up products that specifically work and suit Indian skin tones.
What we love: Ruby’s Organics Skin-tint Mattifying Foundation, ₹ 1,650
6. The Body Shop
If you want to support a brand that has been smashing beauty industry standards for a while (think over 45 years), try stuff from the The Body Shop. It has spent the last many decades campaigning and advocating for change and supporting the local communities from where they source their raw materials for their products. In India, it supports disadvantages children impacted by COVID-19 in partnership with the Miracle Foundation India. It aims to help provide education and healthcare support for these kids along with school supplies, coaching, tutoring and more.
What we love: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, ₹1,245
7. Alanna
Alanna is a green beauty company that sources all its ingredients from India and in the process provides employment to women in socially backward zones. It is an entirely made in India brand that works with UNICEF to raise funds for educating girl children in the country.
What we love: Alanna Night Lip ButterMask, ₹599