In the last couple of years, you may have come across the terms, ‘clean beauty’ or ‘green beauty’, gaining prominence. In fact, clean and green are touted as the biggest USPs when selling a product. Homegrown beauty brands, as much as they have gained popularity over the years due to the origin of their products; they’ve also been in the limelight for their sustainable practices, especially when it comes to their packaging. Here are five homegrown beauty brands which utilise eco-friendly packaging.
1. SoulTree
Founded by ex-Merchant Navy, Vishal Bhandari, the idea behind the brand was to incorporate sustainable living in personal care. SoulTree products contain all natural ingredients based on their Ayurvedic properties. The personal care range includes everything from shampoos, soaps, body oils, to make-up. Their packaging is recyclable, and they also encourage their customers to re-use the empty containers in various ways in their homes, instead of disposing them. Examples include storing other leftover skincare products whose packaging may take up more space, or using the spray bottles to store water which you can use to water the smaller plants.
2. Bare Necessities
Sahar Mansoor was disturbed by the litter-filled streets and waste pickers sorting it with their bare hands. Every minute, she was bothered by the environmental, health, and social problems posed by littering. This is when she decided to make a switch in her lifestyle to a more sustainable one. She also realised that there was a need to have personal care products which also generate little to no waste. Thus came about Bare Necessities, which also stores living and décor products and services, in addition to personal care. The products are not only made from ethically sourced indigenous natural ingredients, but they're also packaged in zero-waste packaging. It's all re-usable, compostable, or recyclable.
3. Forest Essentials
Forest Essentials is a one-of-a-kind sustainable Indian beauty brand that combines the ancient science of Ayurveda in its classical form with luxury. They have, over the years, expanded their range to include personal care and grooming range, both for women and men. They not only build formulas using ancient Ayurvedic methods and avoid toxins, but they also practise sustainability by using ethically sourced raw materials and recyclable PET, glass packaging, and canvas cloth bags. They also partake in projects that empower women in rural areas (such as making the canvas bags), and supplying safe drinking water to nearby villages.
4. Pahadi Local
Jessica Jayne felt the need to tap into the potential of the herbs and flowers in the Himalayan region, after experiencing their benefits first hand. Pahadi Local was launched in 2015, with an aim to provide the best quality products, thus redefining luxury. Pahadi Local offers a wide range of products, including oils, clays, salts, and scrubs, as well as honey and teas. Not only are the raw materials sourced ethically, but the solutions are created using age-old techniques that are environmentally friendly. The sustainability aspect is enhanced by a conscientious supply chain, recyclable packaging, and animal welfare.
5. Ras Luxury Oils
The brainchild of a mother-daughter duo, Sangeeta and Shubhika Jain, Ras came about when they realised the lack of options in vegan skincare in India. Ras Luxury Oils consists of a skincare range of organic and natural oils, all of which is handcrafted and manufactured in-house. This also gives the duo full power over the quality of their product. Every product is packaged keeping in mind minimal wastage and is biodegradable, and the glass bottles for the oils can be re-used. A portion of their profits goes into empowering women and animal welfare.