It's no longer a secret that "clean beauty" is all the rage, and just about everyone who is remotely interested in the skin care and cosmetics universe is familiar with this term! However, many other terms defining clean, natural and eco-friendly cosmetics are appearing in the blogosphere and in the media, such as "blue beauty". However, these names, like the words "natural" or "green", for example, are not regulated. How can we understand and distinguish between companies whose actions are truly aligned with the values they promote, and companies that use greenwashing techniques in a purely marketing manner?
Consumer interest in the provenance and ethics of what they buy is not limited to cosmetics. Many are increasingly questioning many consumer goods, from clothing to food. We are beginning to see that people are more and more aware of the conditions of the employees who make what they wear and informed about the ingredients in what they eat. This widespread phenomenon of responsible consumption is directly linked to a more global and easy access to information, and therefore has a direct impact on the cosmetics business, until now dominated by large multinationals: we see consumers turning to healthy ingredients, local products or even zero plastic alternatives.
How can we be sure that what we buy really corresponds to our values when many marketing terms are not controlled? We are here to guide you through it all and demystify the terminology added to the beauty lexicon, so that you can choose the best products for you with ease.
What are the differences between clean beauty, green beauty and natural beauty products?
Clean beauty contains non-toxic ingredients from both natural and synthetic sources. Natural beauty products, on the other hand, contain, well, natural ingredients.
As for "green beauty", we are talking about products with minimal environmental impact from companies with eco-responsible values, with cruelty-free and vegan formulas made with mostly natural ingredients.
It's enough to make you dizzy, isn't it? As a consumer, it makes us feel like we have to choose between our values: do we want to focus on natural ingredients or the impact of a product on the environment? Makes us wish we didn't have to choose, don't it?
What makes blue beauty different?
As the logical evolution of "green beauty", "blue beauty" goes even further in terms of eco-responsibility: brands claiming to be part of this movement must not only offer formulas with healthy ingredients from plants and minerals, but also show transparency regarding their production methods. No more non-recyclable disposable packaging, the packaging of "blue" products is either recyclable or biodegradable. Even better: products offered in bulk format! Just as important as the packaging, the carbon impact of a "blue" company is put under the microscope. The ultimate goal? To pollute as little as possible, to protect the oceans and the Earth while being conscious of our impact and that of the products we use every day.
ATTITUDE, a company that strives for blue beauty
At ATTITUDE, respect for the environment has always been our priority, and although we are not perfect, we want to have an increasingly eco-responsible approach: as a company, we are never done learning and evolving! Let's look at our efforts in three areas: how we produce our products, the ingredients in our products and our packaging.
Production method
The ATTITUDE factory was designed according to three pillars: sustainable development, 4.0 technology and employee well-being:
- At the Sherbrooke facility, where the vast majority of our products are manufactured, an efficient energy management system has been put in place using resources over 24hrs instead of having very high consumption peaks;
- When the factory was built, skylights and high windows were designed to limit the energy requirements for lighting;
- The bright and airy factory space also has a cafeteria and open-plan common areas that help create a welcoming and dynamic work environment for employees;
- A 24-hour latent cooling system allows for energy-efficient cooling of the tanks;
- The heat generated by the process is reused to heat the plant, and the heat produced by the mechanical room is recycled to heat the purified water;
- The brand's products are ECOLOGO® certified. This seal demonstrates that our household and personal care products have undergone rigorous scientific testing or comprehensive verification to ensure we meet strict environmental performance standards.
Products
ATTITUDE products contain biodegradable ingredients and have several environmental certifications:
- Our products are EWG VERIFIED™, which means that they do not contain any ingredients of concern according to the strict criteria of the Environmental Working Group;
- The product formulas contain a majority of naturally sourced ingredients from plants and minerals;
- Our products carry the PETA "Beauty without bunnies" seal, which proves that our products have not been tested on animals and that no animal derivatives have been used as ingredients.
- In collaboration with two non-profit organizations, we plant one tree per product sold to offset our carbon emissions.
Packaging
Big plans lie ahead for ATTITUDE, which a few years ago already made a shift to biodegradable and zero waste packaging for some of its products:- ATTITUDE made a shift to zero plastic in 2019 and now offers cardboard stick products and bulk-type refills;
- The factory's cardboard boxes are recycled and reused, including for web order shipping boxes, and the box stuffing is made of biodegradable, water-soluble corn starch peanuts.
At ATTITUDE, we believe that change begins with our daily choices and that together we have the power to create a better future - one product at a time. In the (very) near future, we plan to design even more products with innovative packaging that reduces single-use plastic waste in our daily lives. We will launch a collection of zero waste, waterless, high-performance products made from clean ingredients and raise the bar in the beauty and personal care industry. Stay tuned to be a part of this extraordinary adventure with us!