There’s never been a more crucial time to tackle climate change. Today, April 22, countries across the globe will unite to celebrate World Earth Day 2020. To celebrate, we’ve rounded up our favourite eco-friendly beauty brands who are making a difference…
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First launched in 1970, World Earth Day focuses on a different theme each year. For 2020 (the 50th anniversary!) the theme is climate action. Wherever we turn, we are faced with the reality of how climate change is affecting our planet, for both us and future generations.
Whether it’s the amount of plastic we consume, the food we eat or the products we use, making small changes can make a big difference. As a result, brands are under increasing pressure to prove their dedication to protecting the planet.
Below we’ve rounded up 12 natural and eco-friendly brands that are making a difference to help the planet…
1. Green People
Green People has been an eco-friendly beauty brand since it was first founded in 1997. All of its products are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. The brand is also leading the way in the fight against deforestation and palm oil production.
Green People has recently launched its sustainably produced sugar cane packaging. They are now aiming to move all packaging to a more renewable option by 2022.
What’s more, they are proud to partner with a number of charitable initiatives, donating thousands of pounds from sales and working closely with teams to help protect the future of our planet.
Green People also makes a direct donation to The Marine Conservation Society with every sale of its marine-friendly Scent Free Sun Lotion and Organic Children Sun Lotion.
2. Skin Sapiens
Skin Sapiens has a clear goal: to make skincare products with as few ingredients as possible, without a negative effect on the environment. The eco-friendly beauty brand achieves this by using recycled packaging and transparent minimalist formulas, free from nasty chemicals.
Skin Sapiens is also part of 1% for the Planet – a global movement inspiring businesses and individuals to support environmental solutions.
3. Tropic
Tropic uses natural, sustainably sourced, marine-friendly ingredients in all of its products. They also stand with Cruelty Free International, The Vegan Society and PETA as a 100% cruelty-free brand.
Tropic is also a certified CarbonNeutral® company. All of its carbon emissions are accounted for, and double offset. Through this initiative, the brand has funded conservation work in the Amazonian rainforest. This has helped to protect 65,000 hectares of forest from unsustainable palm oil conversion in Indonesia.
Tropic also offers a buyback and refill scheme on some of their products, including their gorgeously customisable Colour Palette! (from £8)
4. Beauty Kitchen 
Beauty Kitchen is a Certified B-Corporation, meaning it’s leading with sustainability, equality and using business as a force for good. Its products are cruelty free, vegan (or vegetarian) and made in the UK with 100% natural and sustainable ingredients.
All products are wrapped in minimised packaging, with rock paper labels. The Return Refill Repeat scheme encourages customers to return their empty bottles so that they can be washed and refilled!
The brand also donates 2% of sales to charities, including Plastic Soup Foundation, The Seahorse Trust and other sustainable causes.
5. Neal’s Yard Remedies
Neal’s Yard Remedies creates handmade, natural and organic skincare from its eco-headquarters in the countryside of North Dorset. It became the first UK high street retailer to be certified CarbonNeutral, having offset greenhouse gas emissions every year since 2008.
Neal’s Yard uses glass jars and bottles to package their products where possible, but when they must use plastic, they have set targets in line with the UK Plastics Pact, including that all of their plastic bottles will be 100 per cent recyclable by 2025. The eco-friendly beauty brand has also launched a product refill scheme across their UK stores, helping you to cut down on your waste! [Please note, this service is currently unavailable as their stores are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.]
Neal’s Yard Remedies is also campaigning for plastic-free oceans. Partnered with Fauna & Flora International, they successfully got the UK government to ban microbeads. They are now looking to expand the ban worldwide and have already contributed to an EU consultation on banning microplastics.
Staff also do annual beach cleans with Dorset Wildlife Trust.
6. CLEAN RESERVE
CLEAN RESERVE creates fragrances using responsibly sourced ingredients from local farmers and communities and eco-conscious packaging to minimise its impact on the planet.
To celebrate World Earth Day 2020, CLEAN RESERVE has created a new fragrance called ‘Radiant Nectar,’ (£82) launching on April 22. To coincide with this new launch, CLEAN RESERVE is also sponsoring the Protect Our Species campaign, to help protect endangered bees. For a limited time only, the new fragrance will feature a cute bumblebee design, to help raise awareness for the campaign.
7. Faith in Nature
Faith in Nature believes in making natural skincare accessible and affordable for everyone. It always puts the environment first in its local manufacturing processes. All ingredients are naturally derived, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly.
Faith in Nature has created a range of 100 per cent natural soap bars which have no plastic packaging. The brand also offers a 5-litre refill service on their most popular products!
Furthermore, the brand is partnered with Forest Green Rovers, the world’s greenest football club. Together they’re on a mission to make football greener while raising awareness of the eco choices we can all make.
8. Tisserand Aromatherapy
Tisserand Aromatherapy uses 100% organic essential oils in their skincare and beauty products, which are approved by The Soil Association. The ingredients are ethically harvested and the products are certified cruelty-free by The Vegan Society. Plus, the products are made right here in the UK.
The eco-friendly beauty brand mainly uses glass bottles to package its products. Where plastic is necessary, a post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) is used, to avoid creating new plastic. Tisserand is also proudly partnered with National Geographic, to explore the power of the natural world and highlight why it’s even more important to protect our planet – you can read more about their partnership and joint mission here.
9. Stripped 
Stripped creates 100 per cent natural skincare products using organic essential oils and butters – you will never find any water-fillings or chemical nasties in them!
Sustainably and responsibly sourced, the cruelty-free range also comes in eco-friendly packaging using recyclable glass bottles and aluminium tins.
10. Mikel Kristi
This eco-luxe brand creates botanically-based, ethically sourced, and cruelty-free skincare products. Mikel Kristi was developed by a Board Certified Physician Assistant who owns a world-class medical aesthetics practice. The eco-friendly beauty products combine the purest plant-based ingredients with leading-edge scientific advances!
11. Lisa Franklin Skincare
Award-winning facialist Lisa Franklin believes in the beauty of kindness and this core value is reflected throughout her award-winning skincare brand. Having been awarded the Positive Luxury Mark for their sustainability efforts, Lisa Franklin has partnered with One Tree Planted to help support global reforestation: for every £1 donated on www.lisafranklin.london, a tree will be planted.
The brand’s commitment to ecological preservation is also evident in their responsible recycling initiative: for every empty packaging you return to Lisa Franklin, they will offer you a £5 discount on your next order!
Lisa Franklin is also proud of its responsible practices: the skincare range is cruelty-free, vegan, organic and non-GMO, with sustainable and biodegradable packaging.
“We believe in the beauty of kindness: to the people, to your skin and to the planet.” – Lisa Franklin
12. Susie Mermaid
Following a decade hosting holistic wellness retreats around coastal Italy and the Swiss lakes, Susie Mermaid was inspired by the nature surrounding these areas to create a skincare collection that would allow fellow “mermaids” to experience her healing and uplifting treatments at home.
With seaweed as the superpower ingredient behind the face & body capsule collection, the brand takes a responsible approach for the environment throughout its production process.
Susie Mermaid makes its products in the UK in small batches, using natural ingredients and compostable packaging. The collection is free from parabens, chemicals and SLES. It’s also 100 per cent vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
True to the brand’s whimsical nature, Susie suggests creative upcycling solutions to
reduce waste, such as evolving their Seaweed Silk Body Butter jar into a container for their responsibly farmed sea sponges.
“Nature is our therapy, we love animals, plants, the moon and the ocean. That’s why we stay true to our values and make conscious choices in our product development process” – Susie Mermaid
