Pioneers are those who make history. They are the ones who make real positive change in society. Whether it is more considered gifting, beauty and cosmetics, bedlinen, or even a candle for your home – these brands represent a new consciousness in what we value.
Sometimes these pioneers are working hard without being noticed. Sublime shines the light on ten sustainable brands that are leading the way to make sustainability a reality.
BARENATURALS
BARENATURALS Barenaturals is empowering their customers to change the planet while they shop. Every sale of their world-friendly candles funds the planting of ten trees, protects wildlife and supports training in some of the world’s poorest countries. About 10,000 trees were planted last month alone; and 10 million is the goal they are on target to achieve.
The candles – their best-selling line – feature plant-based waxes with sensory fragrances – and are less polluting than the petrochemical waxes used by the majority of popular brands.
By creating sensory spaces for reflection, romance or birthday gifts, candles are a comforting ever-present witness in life, just like nature. And now they’re saving forests as well as brightening lives and homes.
Summer Meadow, Hot Chocolate, Paradise Island and Booty Bay are among the best-selling candles at barenaturals.com, a registered Amazon brand.
More and more people are swapping the Yankee candle for a Barenaturals ‘ten trees’ candle. With a world-friendly business ideology, driving conscious consumerism. Barenaturals is more than a fast-growing, plucky start-up; it’s a flagship brand for an international consumer movement that’s making a world-changing positive impact with every sale and purchase.
AMI IYÖK ECOSMETICS
AMI IYÖK ECOSMETICSWomen have focused on cosmetics for as long as we can remember – the ancient Egyptians applied metals such as copper and lead to alter their complexions. Of course, what we know about ingredients today is far more scientific and methodical.
Even though we are more conscious of what we put on our skin, the most steadfast sustainably minded individual may find it hard not to consider aesthetics and apply a little make up.
Luckily for us there is Ami Iyök Ecosmetics, from Barcelona, who have used today’s modern, intelligent technology for good. Developing luxurious natural cosmetics, the range uses smart formulas out of Mother Nature’s treasure trove to create potent anti-ageing elements that show visible results on your skin.
Using green chemistry laboratories and research to find the most effective and safest formulas, this brand is both certified by Natrue GMBH and EcoControl, to ensure the highest natural standards are met.
Unlike same-box thinking, you can recognize Ami Iyök Ecosmetics from its patented model of foldable wooden boxes, which are crafted from controlled plantations and biophotonic technology. This high quality brand respects both nature and people, and has an honest, sustainable soul.
BLOOMTOWN
BLOOMTOWNBloomtown is inspired by the forests, gardens and meadows of Cornwall, England.
During a two year stint in Indonesia, Preyanka Clark Prakash and partner Medwin Culmer were determined to create a more thoughtful and truly cruelty-free body and skincare company.
The couple discovered firsthand the issues of palm oil, which is frequently found in store-bought beauty products, in the form of cetearyl alcohols, polysorbates, and other guises.
Palm oil cultivation has been devastating to the environment and has caused an integral loss of our virgin forests that are often home to endangered orangutans, tigers and much of the world’s biodiversity.
Lurking beyond the label, Preyanka and Medwin discovered other dubious ingredients.
The collection at Bloomtown, founded in 2016, is 100% free from palm oil, sulphates, SLSs, parabens, phthalates, synthetic colours, detergents and animal products (except organic, ethically harvested beeswax).
With its innovative approach of finding the perfect balance of plant oils and botanicals that are handcrafted in small batches in idyllic Cornwall, it is no surprise that Bloomtown has won multiple awards.
A percentage of every Bloomtown purchase goes towards supporting environmental and animal rescue charities
Enter the code SUBLIME20 to receive 20% off your first order at bloomtown.co.uk
BEYOND ORGANIC SKINCARE
BEYOND ORGANIC SKINCAREBeyond Organic Skincare was one of the pioneering organic skincare products that ticked all the sustainability boxes: their lovely products are ethical, vegetarian (mostly vegan), not tested on animals and 100% natural – there are no nasty chemicals to harm you or the planet. Even the packaging is recyclable!
Best of all, the products work wonders for the skin, giving you a healthy glowing complexion!
Doctors and dermatologists have seen an alarming recent increase in topical dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis due in part to the harsh preservatives and unnecessary chemicals used in many cosmetics. Products free from synthetic chemicals are less likely to cause such problem skin!
Beyond Organic Skincare ethically sources plant-derived ingredients grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMO, that are blended with other natural ingredients and minimally processed. Organic ingredients promote a healthier planet with more environmentally sustainable land management, and better animal welfare.
From a small rural workshop in Cornwall, England, Beyond Organic Skincare sends its safe, pure and effective skin care products around the world, and the brand has been the winner of 30 awards for best organic skincare!
Choose a better world and a healthier body when you go Beyond Organic.
YOURS SUSTAINABLY
YOURS SUSTAINABLYWhere do you venture when you want to purchase ethical gifts for all the family? Meet online retail boutique, Yours Sustainably.
Founded in 2011 by mother and daughter Lynn and Jessica, the duo firmly believe that choosing to shop ethically should not involve compromising on style and good design, and that positive consumerism should never be a guilt purchase!
Since then, Yours Sustainably has grown into a delightful collection of Gifts That Matter. The online boutique has a strict criterion when seeking out new products: sustainable, socially responsible, innovative and environmentally considerate.
Yours Sustainably showcase handpicked products from all around the world – from carefully crafted individual makers, to fair trade companies and charitable ventures.
You can purchase a wide range of home and fashion accessories – including beautiful handmade jewellery, bags, books and scarves, as well as stylish yet functional homewares, and each product comes with its own unique story.
Whether you choose a gorgeous scarf that has been upcycled from silk saris that provide much needed financial security for rural communities in India, or a fun crocheted raffia summer bag made by artisans in Madagascar that ensures you are keeping traditional skills alive, there is much to discover at the boutique!
GREENFIBRES
GREENFIBRESOne of the earliest pioneers who looked at cotton with a fresh and healthier perspective for both the planet and people, Greenfibres is now a well-established brand. The company has been producing and selling organic bedlinen and clothing since 1996, and today you can discover a delightful collection!
Whether you are looking for a new fluffy Soil Association certified towel, cosy organic cotton pillowcase, organic and natural skincare that really works, or a firm but bouncy natural and organic mattress, Greenfibres is for you!
From the very beginning, the team at Greenfibres was passionate that green solutions would build a brighter and more socially just future. This belief is as strong as ever today.
The company has always taken a thoughtful approach to its product manufacturing and trading, and was one of the first to help grow the organic textile market over the past twenty years.
Seasoned and experienced, Greenfibres weaved the way for organic fibres to become mainstream and a viable option for conscious consumers.
Take it from us – when you buy from Greenfibres, it is more than just a product you receive; it is also wonderful personalized service, and the knowledge that you are part of the history of organic textiles.
CHRISTINA KRÄMER
CHRISTINA KRÄMERSwiss designer Christina Krämer has revolutionized the luxury cashmere industry with her own label of exclusive high fashion collection.
An ethical designer since 2007, Christina ventured to Mongolia, where she found there was a need to support the isolated communities of Mongolian goat herders. From 2015 onwards, the label has been creating high quality cashmere in its leisurewear for both men and women.
The label’s symbol has been inspired by ancient origins, highlighting the free and wild world of the nomads who live in the endless steppes and deserts of Mongolia. It emphatically brings us back to the marking of horses and the spiritual symbolism of the shamans. It recalls the natural transition between old and new nomadism, allowing us to redefine our own journey through thoughtful fashion.
While most brands source cashmere from cheaper merino and sheep’s wool that is then dyed, Christina’s label promotes 100% cashmere wool that has been combed from the fine undercoat of Mongolian Hircus goats.
The fur naturally comes in different soft colours can only ever be found in nature – including snowy white, grey, ochre and taupe. This ensures a toxic free and tranquil garment that also supports the environmental and social welfare of a well-preserved and deserving culture.
VINTAGE FOR A CAUSE
VINTAGE FOR A CAUSECan we look to the future while embracing the old? Vintage for a Cause was established to do just that!
Founded in 2013 by a seamstress’s daughter that grew up using transformed clothes and is passionate about people, this Portuguese non-profit brand caters to those who can quickly become vulnerable once they reach a certain age and lose an active role in society.
Led by fashion designers, including renowned names such as Katty Xiomara, Vintage for a Cause offers free upcycling and tailoring workshops and tutorials to a cooperative of women over fifty, with the goal of promoting active aging and social inclusion at its studio.
With so many beautiful textiles long forgotten and being regarded as waste, Vintage for a Cause has carefully selected high quality vintage clothes and unused textiles to creatively tailor delightful clothing for the urban elite. The result is sustainable, design-led fashion with unique pieces and limited editions.
The collection offers both casual and chic style, with every garment being handmade and original.
All the funds are reinvested back into the brand so that the studio can continue to be a pillar of the community, providing self-esteem, well-being and a sense of purposes to all the participants.
REET AUS & THE UPSHIRT
REET AUS & THE UPSHIRTDoes mass production always have a negative impact on the environment? That was the question designer Reet Aus posed. The answer can be no, given that there is already more than enough fabric in the world!
Dedicated to slow fashion, Reet Aus has always crafted her collections entirely from post-production leftovers, using clever design techniques that have allowed her to salvage the montains of unused textiles, as well as the natural resources that are taken to produce them.
Through outside-the-box and years of research, Reet Aus has pioneered an industrial upcycling method that is able to assess the complete lifecycle analysis of every garment.
What’s more, Reet discovered that with the amount of leftover materials in the garment industry’s mass production techniques, that it is entirely possible to redistribute the waste back into new production of completely new mass-produced garments.
What better way to use this method than on the iconic, essential clothing item, the t-shirt?
Meet the Upshirt! Each one of these UPMADE® certified t-shirts is able to save on average 75% water, 88% energy and creates 80% less CO2, ensuring an 80% smaller environmental footprint compared with the millions of other t-shirts produced each year.
Now that is revolutionary!
TOSé APOTHECARY
TOSé APOTHECARYTOSé Apothecary is an artisan brand dedicated to creating skincare with natural, botanically active and delightfully aromatic ingredients.
Founded by Abha Sharma, a natural cosmetic formulator and holistic living enthusiast, all of the TOSé Apothecary formulations are made with 100% purity.
These high quality products focus on simplicity and sustainability. They imbibe the holiness & power of nature, transforming the raw plant ingredients into passionate love potion for your skin . The products are backed by the knowledge and science of high performance botanical ingredients, bringing alive the essence of aromatherapy with the blending of essential oils for therapeutic and aromatic experience all at once.
From Argan oil with its protective and antioxidant functions and Rosehip oil with its rejuvenating qualities, to Dead Sea salts and French Green Clay, packed with beneficial minerals with wonderful detoxifying effects, these products gain a lot from the power of nature. These active plant ingredients provide the essential food needed by the skin for optimal healtht and functioning.
TOSé Apothecary also uses an enzyme known as Ubiquinone in their range, which is a vitamin-like, fat-soluble molecule that is easily absorbed into the skin and provides UV protection, repairs collagen, and helps defy the signs of ageing.
Crafted by hand in small batches to ensure the products retain the freshness and vitality of their active ingredients guarantees you receive your daily dose of skin nutrients!
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