55 Brands That Are Defining a New Era in Sustainable Beauty

Sustainability has

become a massive point of discussion within the beauty industry over the past few years—do you think this is a trend? Or the future of the industry? 

MD: I am so glad that sustainability has become a significant focus for consumer products as of late. Sustainability is not a trend; it is the future, no doubt about it. The more that consumers and other stakeholders learn about sustainability and the critical juncture we're at on this beautiful planet, the more they will bring others to the table. And once you know, you don't go back (you simply can’t).

There is so much confusion around what sustainable beauty is—in layman's terms, how would you describe it? 

MD: "Sustainable beauty," like so many other terms in our industry, can mean something or not too much depending on who is saying it.  To Credo, sustainability is a fundamental part of the Credo Clean Standard. It means that we, and our brand partners, think about the likely effect on the planet when we make decisions. For example: how are ingredients grown, harvested, mined, or manufactured; are the practices sustainable, meaning they do not harm (or as little harm) to the ecosystem and the climate as possible? Or are they unsustainable, which means that there is a negative impact that cannot continue without causing a lot of damage? A big one for beauty is the packaging: is it designed to use as little material as possible (an example of a sustainable step), or is it made with virgin plastic that is unlikely to be recycled (unsustainable)?