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About Our Brands

Our brands have the highest standards for quality, ethically sourced ingredients that provide real benefits for your skin.

 

They work. They do no harm. They’re a joy to use

 

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

 Beau Brummell

BEAUTY IN THE Raw

Carter + Jane

Ducalm

Ellis Faas Cosmetics

Herbal Dynamics Beauty

Loba Mane

Mikel Kristi Skincare

O'o Hawaii

Skinbuzz

Social Paint

The Sunscreen Company

Taramar

Wildcrafted

 

There is passion in beauty, but none more so than in indie beauty. These small, green, of-the-earth companies pour their hearts, souls and passion into their products. Along with their desire to do some good in the world.


As recently as a decade ago, we had a saying in the industry - a product was either all natural, or it worked. That’s no longer a true statement. These companies have all the efficacy of any major brand, done in a good-for-you way. In short, these products work. They use high quality ingredients, responsibly sourced.  And they do no harm - the first tenet of any health philosophy.


Indie Beauty is still a small, but growing, part of the beauty industry. So it is with great pleasure that we bring these innovative, daring brands to you. Here you will find brands that make your personal care rituals that much more enjoyable, and safe. Eco-luxury is the term floating around. It encapsulates the experience you will have from these beautiful brands.


Health concerns abound in today’s world. There’s a concern about auto-immune and inflammatory responses (I know, I live them). Getting the harm out of your personal care products is another step on the road to blossoming health. And a healthy body is a beautiful body.


Our brands need to be safe and in compliance with the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011. So they have eliminated the toxins from the list below.


Efficacy is so important. If it doesn’t work, why use it?


Natural, in the cosmetic world, means 95% or more of the ingredients are obtained from natural sources, excluding water. This includes their packaging, which has to include biodegradable or recycled material, a complete ingredient list, and no synthetic fragrance or artificial colorants.


Sustainable - these brands manage their resources to ensure a long-term ecological balance.


Ethical sourcing and social responsibility is also key. This includes being cruelty-free and not tested on animals.


So with “no harm, no foul” in mind, here’s the list of what you won’t find in our brands - ever.



  • Banned ingredients - we don’t accept products with ingredients that have been banned in the US, Canada, European Union or Japan
  • GMO’s - our brands use ingredients that are sustainably sourced and free from genetically modified ingredients.
  • Toxins - these ingredients are known to pose a health hazard in skin care:
    • Aluminum - poses serious health risks like Alzheimer’s Disease and breast cancer. The link between aluminum and breast cancer is still controversial. But most breast cancers develop first in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, closest to the armpit and near the lymph nodes. So there is research that suggests that long term use of aluminum is a factor in the formation of certain breast cancers.
    • Butylated Hydroxyanisole - BHA is a preservative and stabilizer, shown to be an endocrine disruptor, and “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” according to the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org)
    • Ceteareth Glycol - is a penetration enhancer that often contains ethlyene oxide and 1,4 dioxane. Ethylene oxide is a known human carcinogen, as well as an eye, lung, skin and kidney irritant. 1,4 dioxane is classified as a possible human carcinogen with a high human health priority, with toxic effects at low levels. It has been linked to tumors of the liver, gallbladder, nasal cavity, lung, skin and breast.
    • Cocamide DEA - is a modified form of coconut oil, used as a foaming agent. It is also a possible human carcinogen, and a strong skin toxicant or allergen.
    • Diazolidinyl Urea - is an antimicrobial preservative that works by forming formaldehyde in cosmetic products.  In the U.S. approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser and the frequency of contact allergy to these ingredients is much higher among Americans compared to studies in Europe.
    • DMDM Hydantoin - an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative, and a known human toxicant and allergen.
    • Hydroquinone - considered a high overall hazard and banned or found unsafe for use in cosmetics, hydroquinone is used as an antioxidant and skin bleaching agent.
    • Imidazolidinyl Urea - considered a moderate overall hazard, and used as another antimicrobial preservative that works by releasing formaldehyde.
    • Methylisothiazolinone - banned in Europe and Germany, restricted in Canada and Japan, this is a widely used preservative that is associated with allergic reactions, and possible neurotoxicity.
    • Mineral Oil - is a petroleum based product. It’s used as an emollient for hair and skin, and it’s occlusive so it is sometimes used as a skin protectant. It’s considered to be an immune and respiratory system toxicant and allergen. It’s not the worst ingredient on this list, but we try to avoid it.
    • Oxybenzone - is a sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    • Parabens - still commonly used as an inexpensive preservative. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors. Preservatives are important for some products, but there are safer, better researched preservatives available.
    • PEG/Polyethylene Glycol - while PEG’s are a medium risk for human toxicity, they often are contaminated with other ingredients that are known human carcinogens, like Ethylene Oxide and 1,4-Dioxane.
    • Propylene Glycol - is a petroleum based ingredient that gives us the soft and sleek feel in our products. It’s inexpensive, versatile, and also enhances the absorption of other ingredients (including the harmful ones) it is paired with. It can lead to problems like reproductive issues, developmental abnormalities, neurotoxicity and endocrine complications.
    • Pthalates - are known as a possible human carcinogen. They help dissolve other ingredients in a product. They are often hiding under the term “fragrance” and may not be listed in the ingredient list themselves. They have been linked to several health problems. Once they’re in your body, they act as an endocrine disruptor by mimicking estrogen. They then create a variety of problems, like infertility, decreased sperm count, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, liver, kidney and lung damage, endometriosis, allergies and asthma.
    • Quaternium-15 - a preservative and formaldehyde releaser, banned in the EU.
    • Resorcinol - This common ingredient in hair color and bleaching product is a skin irritant that is toxic to the immune system and a frequent cause of hair dye allergy. In animal studies, resorcinol can disrupt thyroid hormone synthesis and can produce goitrogenic effects. The federal government regulates exposures to resorcinol in the workplace, but there are no regulations limiting amounts of resorcinol in personal care products.
    • Sodium Laureth Sulfate - is a cleansing and emulsifying agent, and gives your soaps and bubble bath lots of bubbles. But it’s also a human irritant, and may be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.
    • Synthetic Fragrance - one of the first things that will cause a reaction and the ingredient most people will react to. Technically, synthetic fragrance can have many ingredients that are not listed individually, like pthalates. And we want to know what’s in our product.
    • Talc - is classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). While it is not clear yet if talc increases cancer risk, although there is some suggestion of an increase in risk for ovarian cancer. If you’re concerned about cancer,  you may want to avoid use of talc. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html
    • Toluene A volatile petrochemical solvent and paint thinner, toluene is a potent neurotoxicant that acts as an irritant, impairs breathing, and causes nausea. Mother’s exposure to toluene vapors during pregnancy may cause developmental damage in the fetus. In human epidemiological studies and in animal studies toluene has been also associated with toxicity to the immune system and a possible link to blood cancer such as malignant lymphoma.
    • Triclosan - is classified as a pesticide by the FDA.  It kills bacteria in the manufacturing process, and when it comes in contact with your skin. When it’s combined with water, it forms a carcinogenic gas called chloroform. And it’s still found in a majority of deodorants today.
    • Triethanolamine (TEA) & Diethanolamine (DEA) are known carcinogens and banned in Europe. They seep into your skin and affect your liver and kidneys. And not in a good way.

So take a look at the labels of the products you're using today. If you find these ingredients, start shopping!