It’s a harsh reality that the beauty industry produces over 120 billion units of packaging every year. That’s a staggering amount of waste, most of which is non-recyclable. However, there’s a shift happening. More and more eco-conscious women are looking beyond trends and to adopt and use sustainable beauty brands.
From biodegradable packaging to cruelty-free formulas, sustainable beauty is no longer niche—it’s essential. In this article, you’ll learn the best sustainable beauty brands that are proving you can glow and be green. Whether you’re new to ethical beauty or a seasoned clean-beauty enthusiast, there’s something for everyone!
What Makes a Beauty Brand Truly Sustainable?
The change in climate all around the world has pushed companies to work on sustainable solutions. This is the reason that the word “sustainable” gets thrown around a lot in the beauty world. However, not all brands live up to it. Truly sustainable beauty brands share a few essential traits that go beyond trendy packaging or plant-based buzzwords.
1. Key Sustainability Pillars
Sustainable beauty branding begins, first and foremost with ethical sourcing. This means that ingredients are harvested in ways that don’t exploit workers or damage ecosystems. It includes fair wages, safe working conditions, and biodiversity protection, etc.
So if a brand claims they’re sustainable but their ingredients are harvested under exploitative conditions or from endangered ecosystems, that’s a huge red flag. In addition to that, low-waste packaging is another important factor. Companies should be working on refillable and recyclable containers along with compostable boxes and zero-waste bars.
2. Clean Beauty” and “Sustainable Beauty”
People often get confused with clean beauty and sustainable beauty, by assuming them to be the same. But the fact is they have different meanings. Clean Beauty usually refers to safe and non-toxic chemical free ingredients, such as, paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free, etc.
On the other hand, sustainable beauty focuses on the whole lifecycle of a product. Which involves the source of ingredients, their packaging, and their impact on the environment.
3. Certifications to Look For
Before buying a product you must look for the following certifications. So if a brand has Leaping Bunny or PETA-certified, it means that they don’t test their products on animals—ever. Similarly, Fair Trade certification means ethical sourcing with decent wages.
Moreover, B-Corp certification says that a company meets high standards for social and environmental performance. EWG Verified and USDA Organic are also certifications you should look for. These are like a gold star for doing the right thing. If you are unsure whether a company has these certifications or not then you should ask for it before buying their products.
4. Transparency and Brand Ethics
Look for brands that are transparent with their supply chain and marketing strategies. Never buy brands that don’t tell you how they make their stuff, or where the material comes from.
It is better to buy from companies that are open about their production process and admit that they are not perfect, but that they are trying to make things better.
Read more about 9 Examples of How Media and Marketing Shape Gender Diets
Top 10 Best Sustainable Beauty Brands in 2025
1. RMS Beauty
RMS Beauty is a U.S based makeup and skincare brand, founded by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. The ingredients used by this brand are not just clean—they’re living.
RMS uses raw, food-grade organic oils, butters, and plant extracts that actually nourish your skin. The products come in chic little glass pots that are fully recyclable, and they feel like skincare dressed as makeup.
Moreover, RMS products are free from chemical compounds such as it uses no preservatives, GMOs, and parabens, etc. They list their full sourcing and processing details for transparency. Lastly, their packaging strategy is low-waste and low-fuss, with a design that’s stylish but never wasteful. Even their shipping boxes are recyclable and free of excess fillers.
2. Tata Harper
Tata Harper is another Skincare brand from the U.S. with a tagline “farm-to-face”. Their entire production process happens on a 1,200-acre farm in Vermont, where ingredients are grown, harvested, formulated, and bottled on-site. This brand controls their entire supply chain which is unique and gold in the sustainable beauty world.
Their products are packed with botanical ingredients, without a single drop of synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, preservatives, or animal testing. Moreover, they meet strict environmental standards, from energy use to waste management, even their office runs on 100% renewable energy!
3. Lush Cosmetics
Lush Cosmetics is a UK based brand that focuses on bath and body products. They are famous for pushing “naked” products for years. Which means no plastic packaging at all. They don’t use plastic bottles or any kind of bottles for their shampoos or bath lotions.
Instead they use shampoo bars, bath bombs, and solid lotions. Their products are handmade in small batches using fresh fruits, vegetables, and essential oils. Their products are plant based with no animal testing. They even have a recycling program that involves people to adopt sustainable habits. Despite their products they fulfill sustainability pillars by ensuring ethical sourcing and zero-waste of their products.
4. Ethique
Ethique is a hair and skincare brand based in New Zealand. This brand has completely changed how we think about haircare. Instead of bottles, everything comes in solid bar form—shampoos, conditioners, cleansers, even deodorants. They’re 100% plastic-free because they use compostable cardboard sleeves.
Ethique is also unique because they’re carbon-positive. Which means they offset more carbon than they emit. They use renewable energy, plant trees, and even track water usage and freight emissions. Their ingredients are traceable and ethically sourced.
Despite their sustainability practices they donate 2% of revenue (not profit) to charities and environmental causes. They support organizations that align with their values—think climate action, animal welfare, and women’s rights.
5. Ilia Beauty
Ilia, another U.S. based makeup brand, that offers clean, non-toxic, and skin-focused products. I said skin focused because of their motto that says“Skin that looks like skin”.
Their products are made with formulas that use squalane, niacinamide, and aloe leaf extract, etc. Which means that you’re not just putting makeup on your face, but they’re treating your skin with their top-tier products.
Additionally, this brand comes with refillable packaging. This makes a huge difference in long-term waste reduction, especially in an industry that generates billions of single-use plastic components every year.
6. Beautycounter
Beautycounter is a U.S. based skincare and makeup brand that has a list, named as “Never List™”. Which includes more than 2,800 ingredients they vow never to use in any of their products. It is worth mentioning that they are miles ahead of the U.S. FDA, which bans only 30.
So, they don’t just sell clean products—they fight for them. They’ve taken their advocacy to Washington, pushing for stricter laws around cosmetic safety. With such efforts, it’s no surprise that they are B Corp and they meet strict social, environmental, and transparency standards.
Moreover, they’ve been rolling out refillable compacts, reusable bottles, and even biodegradable cartons. You can spend less by using their refillable deodorant and lip balm systems. Plus, the brand is constantly testing new sustainable packaging solutions, including bio-resin and PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics.
7. The Body Shop
UK based skin and haircare, The Body Shop, has been waving the ethical beauty flag since the ’70s—long before it was trendy. The brand has always been a champion for fair trade and animal welfare. In fact, they were one of the first global brands to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics. Their commitment helped push through the EU-wide ban, and they’re still at the forefront of cruelty-free advocacy today.
They publicly committed to going 100% vegan across all products and by the end of 2023 they became “the first global beauty brand with 100% vegan product formulations certified by The Vegan Society”. That’s a major shift for a legacy brand, and it shows their commitment about meeting modern sustainability standards.
Moreover, their material comes from small-scale farmers and cooperatives in developing countries. Which says a lot not just about quality, but also about empowerment. Last but not the least, they’ve also relaunched their Return, Recycle, Repeat program for hard-to-recycle packaging, making it super easy for customers to send back empties and reduce waste.
8. UpCircle Beauty
Upcircle Beauty, is the next innovative skincare brand from the UK. Their entire concept revolves around upcycling food waste, such as coffee grounds, fruit stones, and tea spices, etc, into powerful skincare ingredients. The items are transformed into exfoliators, oils, and serums that actually work.
Along with that, their products are cruelty-free, and made under strict ethical standards with a carbon neutral supply chain. When it comes to packaging, 99% of their products come in plastic-free packaging, mostly glass and aluminum, with some refill options for their moisturizers and face masks.
9. True Botanicals
True Botanicals, another USA based skincare brand, is unique because of its use of biocompatible ingredients. Their ingredients set them apart. They don’t use chemicals such as synthetic fragrances, endocrine disruptors, or questionable preservatives. Their ingredients are sustainably harvested to use in their products.
This brand also uses FSC-certified paper and eco-friendly ink for outer packaging, which reduces the environmental footprint even further. Like other brands, they also offer recyclable bottles. It’s clear they’ve thought through every packaging detail. It is a women led company, with focus on providing safe and healthy skincare products.
10. Plaine Products
Lastly, Plaine Products is a mid-range hair and body care brand from the U.S. Their products come in sleek aluminum containers that are endlessly refillable. Moreover, they offer a subscription model that makes it super easy to live low-impact with automatic refills. Their products are vegan, non-GMO, and fully biodegradable. Their ingredient lists are refreshingly short and simple—packed with aloe vera, essential oils, and plant-based cleansers. Lastly, they offer carbon-neutral shipping on every order, offsetting the environmental cost of deliveries. The brand is woman-owned, mission-driven, and honestly one of the most practical sustainable brands you can come across.
Final Thoughts
Sustainable beauty brands is about green, ethical, and inclusive. This is also the future of beauty. Choosing the best sustainable beauty brands isn’t just a personal style decision, but it’s a global and a statement. By supporting brands that value the planet and its people, you’re voting with your wallet for a more beautiful world.
Start small, stay informed, and shine sustainably!
Mention your eco-friendly skincare or the products you love to use to support the environment.
