Happy Earth Day! In honour of our beautiful planet, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite eco-friendly products from sustainable brands.
Let’s call it “Gaia-approved glam.” 
{Eco-Friendly Beauty for Earth Day}
Disclaimer: These products were sent to us for editorial consideration by the brands listed below. All opinions are my own.
Yoga Culture
Why they’re great: While the production of most fabrics requires tons of water and energy, eco-friendly Yoga Culture uses Ecopoly fibre, which uses 70% less of these valuable resources than traditional polyester. Designed and made in Canada, they ship using recyclable packaging, and a portion of profits goes to the Because I Am a Girl charity. Some yoga-wear lines seem to be more focused on creating items that look cute than ones that you can actually wear during a class, but Yoga Culture items check both boxes.
Maddie’s fave: Yoga Culture’s high-waisted leggings ($89) don’t roll or slip down when you’re bending over, and they’re comfortable without being see-through. The “Fragmented” style is my personal favourite, as the graphic pattern looks just as great in the yoga studio as it does out on the town. I love how durable and size-inclusive these leggings are, too! A perfect marriage of high ethical standards and high quality.
Thursday Plantation
Why they’re great: Australian export Thursday Plantation offers a range of tea tree oil-infused products that don’t contain any synthetic parabens, detergents, sodium lauryl sulphates or sodium lauryl ether sulphates (SLS or SLES). Their skincare products and essential oils are also vegan, not tested on animals, and contain many certified organic ingredients.
Maddie’s pick: The Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Face Wash Foam ($14.99) has been a great addition to my beauty routine. It takes off all my makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean without drying it out. This eco-friendly face wash also contains chamomile, which I especially enjoy, as it helps calm down any skin irritation.
Zorah Biorganic
Why they’re great: Every Zorah product is cruelty-free, gluten-free, and contains organic ingredients. Additionally, all their packaging is completely recyclable, and most of the raw materials used in the products are sourced from women’s cooperatives worldwide, purchased at fair-trade prices. Zorah is truly committed to being sustainable and eco-friendly.
Maddie’s fave: Lately, I’ve been loving Zorah’s Eos Neck & Décolleté Concentrate ($64.99). As any busty lady knows, the sleep lines on your face aren’t the only ones you need to worry about in the morning! This light lotion has really reduced the appearance of fine lines on my chest, and its fresh, citrusy scent makes application a very pleasant experience. It’s not inexpensive, but if you’re looking for firmer skin on your chin, neck, and upper chest, this might be worth the splurge.
Alitura Naturals
Why they’re great: California-based Alitura Naturals is a company focused on providing natural skincare options using organic and pure ingredients. Alitura products have tons of 5-star rave reviews on Amazon – particularly the underground phenom clay mask. A portion of all sales from the Alitura website goes to Smile Train, a charity that provides free cleft repair surgery to children in developing countries around the world.
Maddie’s pick: Unsurprisingly, my pick is The Alitura Clay Mask ($59). This high-impact mask mix is packed with natural ingredients like ginseng, kelp, pearl powder, and four different types of clay. I combined the powder with water, but you can use apple cider vinegar instead for a more intense treatment. This mask does not smell great, but I could definitely feel it working as it dried, and the natural post-mask redness quickly gave way to soft and glowing skin.
Blitz Facial Bar
Why they’re great: Toronto and New York hotspot Blitz Facial Bar is committed to reducing their water use within their spas and offering products that are packaged in recyclable materials. The products themselves contain essential oils and natural ingredients, and are free from parabens, SLS, and artificial colours.
Maddie’s fave: If you’re looking for an eco-friendly clay mask at a lower price point, you can’t beat Blitz’s option ($36). This mask – infused with kelp, green tea, rosemary, and green clay – smells gorgeous, is easy to apply, and feels light on the skin. Talk about green!
L’OCCITANE
Why they’re great: You’re probably already familiar with L’OCCITANE’s luxuriously scented skincare and candles. But L’OCCITANE has taken a huge step towards being eco-friendly with their flagship boutique at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Here, L’OCCITANE has partnered with Terracycle to offer an in-store bottling recycling program, allowing you to bring in a full size product of any brand to recycle, and receive 10% off any purchase.
Maddie’s fave: While baths aren’t the most sustainable of beauty practices due to the high quantity of water used, the occasional tub time is certainly acceptable. For a truly relaxing experience I can feel good about, I use L’OCCITANE’s Lavender Foaming Bath ($29). This formula leaves my skin feeling super soft, and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin at all. Plus, the Eco-Refill option means I can pick up this bestseller in packaging that uses 80% less plastic than a traditional bottle. Sign me up! (And then don’t disturb me for an hour as I soak in lavender heaven.)
WORLD
Why they’re great: Formerly sold exclusively at salons, WORLD products are now available online. Their biodegradable, Canadian-made products are completely free of phthalates, sulphates, fragrance, colour, gluten, palm oil, and gender bias. Most of their products are even vegan, with the exception of a few that contain beeswax. Additionally, WORLD designs products with multiple uses in mind, so you’re getting tons of bang for your buck.
Maddie’s fave: I bite my lips when I’m nervous or stressed, so I’m always on the hunt for a great lip balm to soothe and soften my skin. My go-to is now WORLD’s Velvet ($7.99). This miracle stick is packed with essential oils, as well as vitamin E and coconut oil. It tastes and smells lovely, and – most importantly – it works! My lips feel moisturized immediately, and are visibly less chapped after a few days.
Rawceuticals
Why they’re great: This line by EmerginC, distributed in Canada by Caryl Baker Visage, is one of the first skincare lines to use cold-pressed technology. Rawceuticals products contain plant extracts and organic materials that have been processed as little as possible in order to limit oxidation and maximize their impact. What’s more, for every Rawceuticals product sold by Caryl Baker Visage, EmerginC plants a tree!
Maddie’s fave: The Red Berry Dual Mask & Gommage ($75) Most exfoliants contain plastic microbeads which can wreak havoc on ecosystems. Instead, this eco-friendly product uses pumice, a naturally occurring volcanic rock. I love the scent and feel of this mask. The pumice fragments are gentle but effective, and my skin absolutely drinks this in.
*Psst! Many of these companies are having special Earth Day sales; check them out ASAP to get in on the savings!
Other Eco-Friendly Beauty Brands We Love
Recycling or Upcycling
Of course, buying new products from the brands we’ve talked about isn’t the only way to make your regimen more eco-conscious. One of the best things you can do is recycle or upcycle your existing product containers properly. Aveeno (one of our favourite lotions here at TBR) has therefore shared with us a few tips for disposing of or re-using the products already in your shelf.
- Did you know that most lotion pumps are made of too many different types of plastic to be recyclable? To ensure that your bottle is being recycled properly, remove the pump, rinse the container, and recycle the base.
- Larger containers, once rinsed, work wonderfully as planters, candle holders, or desk organizers. Simply rinse, cut to the desired size, and decorate!
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