Not all natural, organic, or green beauty items are also sustainable. (Confusing, right?) While even some experts disagree on what clean beauty really means, sustainability is a bit more specific.
Sustainable practices include putting the environment first and working with natural products and resources (and renewable energy) whenever possible. That means beauty (and any other) products that are sustainable were made under conditions that consider and meet the needs of the present environment without compromising future generations.
So, while clean products aim to be free of harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients, companies making sustainable products are concerned with those things . . . but they're also considering the environment and process in which their products are made. To break it down a bit further, companies can create huge amounts of waste and deplete natural resources, so sustainable production includes sourcing ingredients in ways that won't destroy ecosystems and don't use too much of one resource without replenishing it. For example, when Korres uses flowers as an ingredient in a serum, its sustainable operation means the unused parts go back in the soil as organic fertilizer for the next harvest.
From Guerlain partnering with a bee conservatory to sustainably source honey and royal jelly, to L'Occitane and its long-standing, fair-trade partnership with women in Burkina Faso to ethnically process shea butter, all these products have a sustainable story to tell. And you're not the only one showing you care by checking them out - these goodies are already best-sellers at Sephora. Check them out ahead.
