Guess what? October is Fair Trade Month! It tends to get a little overshadowed by Breast Cancer Awareness month, but is an equally critical issue to be educated about and support.
You may be familiar with Fair Trade coffee and tea, but did you know you can support Fair Trade through the beauty products you purchase? There are a growing number of companies that work to source Fair Trade Certified, and if not certified, ethically sourced ingredients. We’ve put together a cheat sheet of companies from A to Z that make up our favorite ethically made beauty products that support Fair Trade.
Since 1998, the work of Fair Trade USA and its partners has resulted in Fair Trade farmers earning more than $114 million in community development premiums. These funds have been use to support community projects in education, health care, environmental preservation, business management, quality improvement and productivity, allowing these communities to move further down the path toward economic stability.
Acure Organics (acureorganics.com) – Acure Organic’s wide range of technologically advanced, organic skin, hair and body care making use of growth factors and stem cell science in conjunction with active oils, and botanical and herbal extracts & vitamins, uses Fair Trade Certified ingredients in each of their products in support of the Fair Trade movement’s positive impact upon people and the planet.
Image courtesy Alaffia
Alaffia (alaffia.com) – The ultimate in Fair Trade founded beauty, this rich collection, ideal for the driest skin and hair, was founded to empower individuals and communities through the fair trade of indigenous, sustainable resources, far surpassing Fair Trade minimum commitments to provide far reaching support of Togolese communities.
Image courtesy Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s (drbronner.com) – Organic liquid soaps, hair rinse and more use Fair Trade coconut oil from Sri Lanka, olive oil from the Holy Land, and palm oil from Ghana to further their vision of a more sustainable, economically just planet.
Dr. Hauschka (drhauschka.com) – Dr. Hauschka’s goal “to support the healing of humanity and the earth” is alive and creating self-reliant and economically sustainable communities from a shea butter cooperative in Burkino Faso, Africa producing butters used in their lipsticks to a rose cultivation project in Ethiopia that contributes to over 50 Dr. Hauschka products including Rose Day Cream, Rose Body Oil and many of their lip and eye cosmetics.
Image courtesy Emtage
Emtage – (emtagebeauty.com/pure-
Kahina Giving Beauty (kahina-givingbeauty.com) – A high performance, luxury skin care line based on the traditional wisdom and beauty rituals of Moroccan women. Kahina Giving Beauty is dedicated to supporting the social and economic freedoms of the women producing their ethically sourced Argan oil and other key ingredients.
Marula The Leakey Collection (marula.com) – The Leakey Collection’s highly prized Marula Oil enhances skin health and radiance along with people’s lives by creating work opportunities for the Maasai in an environmentally- friendly, sustainable way while supporting cultural and traditional lifestyles.
Primavera (primaveralife.com) – A full range of natural, effective, sustainable skin and bodycare, PRIMAVERA has maintained fair trade relations with its world-wide agricultural partners for over 25 years, supporting famers who cultivate in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly cultivation.
Salve Sister (www.salvesister.com) – A lovely collection of luxury Fair Trade skin care products, they use only raw, unprocessed, and naturally powerful botanicals sourced from small farmers in the U.S. and abroad. Investing in small farmers – especially women – has a major impact on poverty reduction and economic justice.
Savvy Boheme (savvyboheme.com/) – Certified Fair Trade ingredients make up the foundation of nearly all Savvy Bohème’s face & body moisturizers, treatments and scrubs. For every product purchased, a portion of the profit goes back into the Fair Trade system, benefiting the hard-working people making their ingredients.
Shea Radiance (shearadiance.com) – A spa quality range of body butters and creams, Shea Radiance works with over 500 shea producers in Northern Nigeria to support economic opportunity of native women, allowing them to generate income to clothe and educate their children.
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Image courtesy Shea Terra
Shea Terra (sheaterraorganics.com) – Indigenous, organic African ingredient based facial, body and hair care grounded in traditional skin care practices, Shea Terra uses a wide range of exotic ingredniets, all ethically sourced with the goal of aiding the preservation of wildlife habitat and supporting local communities.
S.W. Basics (swbasicsofbk.com) – A range of simply formulated, clean and effective facials care, all of S.W. Basics’ ingredients are either certified organic, Fair Trade, or sourced from small, family farms. They are committed to creating the most effective products in the most responsible way.
Tay (tayskincare.com) – Tay is about bringing simplicity to skincare products that address signs of dryness and everyday pollution that can lead to aging. They work to include as many fair trade ingredients as possible.
Weleda (usa.weleda.com) – Passionately committed to fair trade even before there was a popular buzzword for it, Weleda has forged partnerships around the world to spread the word to other farmers about the benefits of organic and biodynamic principles. Today, local Turkish farmers harvest wild rose for their Wild Rose Day Cream and their Sea Buckthorn oil is created on a biodynamic farm in Tuscany, Italy.
Image courtesy Zhena’s Gypsy Tea
Zhena’s Gypsy Tea – (www.gypsytea.com) It may not be a topical skin care line, but this rich range of aromatherapy & wellness based tea boosts antioxidant activity for skin and overall health and can be used in a variety of DIY beauty treatments. The first woman owned and operated Certified Fair Trade tea company in the United States, Zhena’s Gyps Tea is dedicated to improving the lives the of the people growing their tea.
Vote for economic justice with your dollars in the beauty aisle, this month and every month, by purchasing ethically made beauty products using Fair Trade ingredients. You’ll be looking good while doing good – a win-win.
Main image courtesy Malala
Related on Ecosalon:
New York Fashion Week’s Fair Trade Runway Show
Fair Trade USA Launches New Garment and Textile Certification