By: Hayley Hasessian & Nikita Shah
The pandemic has hit our economy hard and we’ve had to watch some beloved businesses close. It breaks our hearts. Those are our friends, our families, our neighbours, and important players in the local economy. When we find ourselves asking “what can I do?” the solution is simple: shop local. Our community is our strength which is why we’ve decided to compile 10 amazing Canadian eco-conscious natural beauty brands you can support this Holiday season!
Who: This Indigenous-owned brand is not only cruelty-free but also aspires to zero-waste sustainability by 2023. In addition to fighting for the planet this brand also fights for Indigenous youth by donating proceeds to education funds.
What: Cheekbone Beauty has a wide variety of lip products (lip gloss, lipstick, and liquid lipstick) including their recently launched line of sustainable lipsticks, SUSTAIN. Supplementing their lip products are small sets of face palettes and their best-selling brow gel.
Where: St. Catherines, ON
Who: The founders of Shadow Moon Corp wanted to find a way to make applying eye makeup quicker and easier, and waste-free.
What: The Shadow Moon Reusable Shield is essentially a food-grade silicone multi-tool for your eye makeup. You can place the silicone pad under your eyes for de-puffing (refrigerate the pad beforehand for this) and let the pad catch all of your eyeshadow fallout. The product can also be used as a guide for the perfect shadow lines and winged liner. The best part? Cleanup is so quick and easy! You can use an alcohol wipe, makeup remover, or good ol’ fashioned soap and water.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Founder Monika Deol delivers products without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, oils, or animal testing. (Also most of it is vegan!)
What: The brand aims for foundations for all skin tones and undertones to achieve a flawless, natural look. The brand offers a range of products for your whole face at a price that’s accessible to most.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Former product developer and marketing specialist for the beauty industry, founder Mary Futher uses her wealth of knowledge and experience to deliver clean, natural products.
What: Kaia Naturals offers products in the bath and hygiene realm – specifically, charcoal deodorant, dry shampoo, facial wipes, and bath salts. The brand is keen on making sure their products are respectful of the environment and our bodies. That means no aluminum, no baking soda, no sulfates, no SLS, no synthetic fragrances, and of course, no animal testing.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Prior to creating Céla Skin, Celine Tadrissi opened the award-winning Hammam Spa. Unwilling to compromise on clean ingredients, Celine developed luxury skincare products that were up to her own standards.
What: Coming from a spa background, the products are designed to make you feel pampered. Offering an array of scrubs, soaps, balms, cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, and more, that are all cruelty- and paraben-free.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Brandi Leifo first conceived of Evio Beauty while she was living in a women’s shelter. She built her brand around kindness, community, and well-being.
What: Evio provides a wide variety of makeup, skincare, and lifestyle products at prices accessible to most. While the brand has a brick-and-mortar store in Toronto, it’s currently closed due to COVID-19. However, the online store is stocked and ready for customers!
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: When Barb Stegemann’s best friend was wounded in Afghanistan she took up his mission to bring peace and freedom to nations affected by conflict. Barb pays overseas farmers a premium price for their homegrown blossom oils to support fair, legal employment of local farmers and sources these signature scents in her perfumes. By giving farmers a lucrative alternative to illegal poppy farming (and other illicit trades), this brand acts as a viable option to earn an honest living.
What: The perfumes are organic, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, and sustainable, sourcing its scents from regions around the world including Haiti, Rwanda, the Middle East, India, and Madagascar. The 7 Virtues offers their products in 50ml bottles, 11ml roll-ons, and 1.7ml samplers. Her original scents include: Noble Rose of Afghanistan, Vetiver of Haiti, Middle East Peace, and Jasmine of India.
Where: Halifax, NS
Who: Founders Laura Burget and Connie Lo set out to create beauty products that are 100% natural and 100% affordable, promising their products will never be priced above US$40. With one of the founders being a chemical engineer, the products and their ingredients are all backed by science. They list all of their ingredients on the products and provide a glossary on their website of what ingredients are, where they are sourced from, and what they do for our skin.
What: Three Ships is a natural cruelty-free skincare brand with products for all skin types. Whether you’re cleansing, toning, moisturizing, or generally pampering your skin, Three Ships will have a product for you. Their bestsellers include: Radiance Grape Stem Cell + Squalane Day Cream, Detox Green Tea Antioxidant Clay Mask, and Calm Lavender Hydrosol Toner.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Diana Vo, a Holistic Facialist from Toronto, created VO Beauty out of a need for skincare products that were gentle on sensitive skin (especially people who struggle with skin-based ailments).
What: Organized by skin type and ailment, VO Beauty provides solutions to people who struggle with skincare. Whether it’s eczema, rosacea, acne, or garden-variety dry and sensitive skin, VO Beauty has something for you. They even offer 100% mulberry silk face masks for all those who struggle with maskne. Products are all hand-made, non-toxic, and cruelty-free.
Where: Toronto, ON
Who: Founder of Wildcraft, Laura Whitaker, aims to bring the luxury of natural skincare to our everyday routines.
What: Wildcraft’s natural skincare products are thoughtfully hand-crafted in small batches using only organic, sustainable, cruelty-free ingredients. You can shop their lines of face and body products online for specific skin types or find them in stores across Canada using their Stockist list. Not sure if their products are for you? Wildcraft also offers sample packages!
Where: Toronto, ON
We hope we inspired you with this list of like-minded eco-conscious brands! They certainly inspire us.
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