Author Archives: W3LL PEOPLE

As creators and advocates of Clean Beauty, we’ve always appreciated how clean makeup aims to honor so much more than the health of our bodies alone. Using products that are made of non-toxic ingredients that are safe and healthy is clearly a HUGE step in the right direction. But choosing sustainability as a criteria for your beauty choices is really just as important. Who cares if our skin is glowing, if the world around us is dying? 

Though the terms “clean” and “sustainable” are often associated together, they’re not exactly the same thing. Here’s why, a “clean” product may exclude harsh, or even toxic, chemicals, (which is awesome) but that doesn’t necessarily mean the same product has excluded non-renewable materials like propylene glycol, dimethicone and good ol’ fashioned petrolatum. Put another way, a cosmetic ingredient may actually be non-toxic, like dimethicone, but that doesn’t mean it’s renewable. In fact, most forms of dimethicone include petrochemical derivatives. Petrochemicals are processed from petroleum and as we all know by now, petroleum is clearly not renewable. In all fairness, using “clean” non-toxic products can represent other environmental benefits because many of the toxic ingredients that aren’t good for you aren’t good for the planet (plants and animals). But, again, that doesn’t mean they’re sustainable. You with us?

So when a product touts sustainability, but includes any of the aforementioned petrochemicals, the brand is essentially green-washing. This misleading representation is not OK because it makes a company appear more earth friendly than it really is. Not to mention, this kind of marketing essentially steals from the good work of brands like W3LL PEOPLE who are avoiding both petrochemicals and toxic ingredients for the sake of you and our planet.

So, say it with us, clean does not automatically mean green. Petrochemical ingredients like propylene glycol, petrolatum, and dimethicone found in both conventional and clean cosmetics are not sustainable–they’re made from non-renewable fossil fuels. 

The good news is there are plenty of legit brands, like W3LL PEOPLE, who strive to keep you clean, green and glowing! We’ve teamed up with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) who advocate for our health and the environment, i.e. taking on big corporations and Capitol Hill to affect positive change. In fact, we share about 1.5% of all our sales to support their efforts. And we are a founding member of their EWG Verified program. The EWG Verified badge is the gold standard in non-toxic certification which makes it clear, simple and easy for you to know whether a product contains potentially hazardous ingredients. Look for it! And also look for some of those petros we described as those savvy eyes of yours sweep across a product ingredient deck you’re considering. 

Meet the EWG

The EWG, or The Environmental Working Group as it’s formally known, is a third party, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. Basically, all of those questions you might have when you’re buying a new product––  “Are there chemicals in this?” “How was this manufactured?” “Are these ingredients safe for our planet?”–– the EWG vets the products first and has those answers for you. 

Years ago we began the process of getting EWG-verified, and we’re so excited that as of 2016 we officially have our certificate! When you see the EWG-verified mark on any of our products, that means it’s passed the EWG’s strict health & safety standards, and that the product is free of any concerning chemicals. We’ve chosen to partner with the EWG because we don’t believe in creating products that promote a sense of confidence and beauty if the ingredients in them are harmful. We want you to know that what you choose to put in and on your body is healthy and safe, and the EWG makes this easy for us to do. 

If you’re interested in doing a deeper dive on the amazing work the EWG is doing to regulate the cosmetics industry and to keep our products safe, head to their Skin Deep Database. Here you can look up virtually every brand, product, or ingredient and find out how safe it actually is. While you’re at it, head to our page to learn more about how the EWG rates our products!  

Cleaner Packaging = Cleaner Planet 

Here’s the bad news: there’s a lot of waste created in makeup manufacturing. From ingredient sourcing to packaging and shipping and to long supply chains, the cosmetics industry’s carbon footprint is sadly a large one. 

But here’s the good news: we’re on a mission to majorly minimize that carbon footprint, starting with the way we source our formulas and the way we package our products. If you shop a plastic W3LL PEOPLE product, you can be sure it was made from recycled plastics and is recyclable, and for paper-based items, we choose to use sustainable FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper. FSC-Certified means the paper material is harvested and produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner from start to finish. Our Nudist Eyeshadow Palettes, for example, are all made using FSC-certified paper. 

Completely eliminating waste from a cosmetics production standpoint isn’t possible just yet, but where there’s a sustainable option available, we choose it every time. We’re excited to continue implementing sustainable, earth-friendly production  methods into our makeup and hope to say bye to plastics altogether in the coming years. 

Progress, Not Perfection 

As a company, we get that it’s a big job to say bye to unnecessary waste entirely, but the earth is worth it to us. While we can’t promise perfection, we can always promise you progress, and our partnership with EWG, as well as our sustainable packaging choices, are really just the beginnings of what we think we can accomplish for mother earth! We’re a pleasantly diverse mix of nature lovers, beauty junkies, crunchy granola hippies, wellness enthusiasts, and believers of choosing better, which is why we’ll take the earth-friendly option always, even if it means a little more work. 

We’re raising a plastic-free glass to our earth this month and every month, and hope we can all work together to make our planet a healthier place to live! 

We’ve spent over 11 (!) years challenging conventional beauty norms by creating non-toxic, plant-based cosmetics made from clean, good-for-you ingredients that deliver. While we like to consider ourselves the OG’s of the clean beauty world, it’s been amazing to see so many new clean beauty brands emerging with a similar mission to create products that are clean and free of harmful ingredients.

The one thing that hasn’t been so amazing is the price tags on clean beauty products. We often hear the argument that the steep prices of clean beauty are a result of the very high-quality, organic ingredients brands will use in their products, but we think that’s mostly BS.

We don’t believe that clean beauty should be an exclusive club or that you should have to spend crazy amounts of money to make good choices for yourself. Non-toxic cosmetics should be accessible for everybody, and we’ve been on a mission to make it happen. 

Our Pricing 

A lot of people ask us, “How are you able to list your products at such an affordable price point without sacrificing quality?” The answer is that it was an active choice. Originally our pricing did hover in higher-end clean beauty territory, but we began to realize how many people weren’t able to purchase and enjoy our products because it wasn’t in their budget. We’re W3LL PEOPLE, not “ W3LL 1% PEOPLE”, so we leveraged where we were within our growth as a brand and searched high and low for better cost efficiencies to cut prices. We are so proud to say that this choice was one of purpose and that we were able to elect price reductions without changing a single formula or sacrificing quality in any way in order to make it happen. 

Our Partners 

One of the other major, must-mention reasons why we’ve been able to make clean beauty accessible for all is because of our amazing partnerships with brands like Target, Ulta, and Whole Foods. As clean beauty begins to become the norm, large brands like these have reach and credibility that help us put clean beauty in places beyond coastal cities alone, and to do it a more accessible price point.   

As clean beauty expands, so does the ingenuity, the ingredients, and the means to make products available at an affordable price (which we’re super excited about). Because clean beauty is growing so quickly and is in much higher demand, than say, 11 years ago, more clean ingredients are available for use now that weren’t necessarily tapped in the past. On that same note, formulators are learning more and inventing new techniques and formulations for the clean beauty world because it’s slowly becoming the standard. All of these together mean we get the awesome job of bringing you high quality products that won’t make your bank account run for cover. 

Our People (That’s You!) 

At the core of all of our decisions, however, is you guys; the people that make W3LL PEOPLE what it is! One of our founding pillars at W3LL PEOPLE was that if you’re going to wear makeup, then it should be good for you. We looked around and saw so many conventional brands–– both the luxurious and affordable–– packed with ingredients that posed genuine harm on peoples’ health, and as our brand took shape we felt compelled to make sure that the cosmetics we were creating were not only clean, but accessible enough to make starting a clean beauty journey an easy, enjoyable choice. When we made the decision to revisit our pricing and partner with larger brands, it was because all of you, our customers, made it clear that clean beauty was important, but it was hard to get. 

Our promise is that we’ll always keep working to bring you innovative plant-based beauty that performs, and to do it at a price that isn’t out of reach. 🙂 We hope you’re along for the vibe. 

If you’ve ever felt like the ingredients in conventional beauty and personal care products you use might be a *little* suspicious, if you’ve ever had any interest in transitioning into clean beauty, or if you have no idea what’s in your products but you’ve never really cared, stop whatever you’re doing and go watch the new documentary Toxic Beauty ASAP. At W3LL PEOPLE, we know a whole lot about the importance of clean beauty and the damage that conventional products can cause, but this documentary was a sobering reminder of how corrupt the conventional cosmetics industry is and the hurt they’ve caused so many. 

The lack of regulation (and integrity) within the personal care and cosmetics industry is exactly why we started W3ll PEOPLE 11 years ago. We believed– and still believe– that no cosmetic product, no matter how desirable it’s made to seem, is worth damaging your biology in ways that can be irreparable. While Toxic Beauty explores the stories of women battling ovarian cancer due to regular use of Johnson & Johnsons Baby Powder (which is made of the toxic ingredient talc), it also takes a deep dive into the toxicity of conventional products as a whole, and the measures that the cosmetics industry (and the F.D.A.) will take to keep consumers in the dark about what they’re actually using on their bodies. 

We’re here to make a promise that transparency will always come first, and that we will never use ingredients that could pose even a potential threat to our health and wellbeing. Here are some of the toxic ingredients we refuse to use in our products: 

Dimethicone

Dimethicone is one of the most common ingredients found in makeup products and is known for its ability to create a smooth, finished sheen on the skin (which is why it’s often found in primers and moisturizers) and its ability to help makeup wear longer. Dimethicone also acts as an emulsifier to keep products from separating and going bad too quickly. It’s considered an inert, benign ingredient meaning that it’s not toxic for your body, but it’s potential to irritate skin can still be a bit questionable. 

Though Dimethicone can exacerbate existing skin issues by creating a sort of dirt & bacteria-trapping barrier over the skin, the main reason we’ve chosen not to use Dimethicone in our products is because of its known harmful effects on the environment. Dimethicone takes a long time to break down, and any product you use containing the ingredient usually finds its way into our water systems, hurting aquatic life once its dumped into our oceans. Furthermore, Dimethicone is made from a base of silica which is made using hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are a petrochemical within the fossil fuel family, which as a whole is definitely not sustainable or renewable.  

Dimethicone’s one real quality is that it makes skin look smooth and filled in, but there are other clean alternatives that have the same aesthetic effect and aren’t harmful to the environment. 

We use Broccoli Seed Oil in our products for the same filtered-looking effect, and you’ll also get to reap BSO’s nourishing properties, too! 

Parabens

Parabens are a big focus in Toxic Beauty, mostly because they are hiding in just about everything from hand soaps to shampoo to lotions to foundations and lipsticks. At their most fundamental level, parabens are preservatives that are used to keep formulas fresh and to extend the shelf life of products. Not all preservatives are bad, though. Natural preservatives like Caprylyl Glycol do the same job as parabens but without the toxic stuff, and you’ll want these in your products if you want them to last more than a few weeks! The most common conventional preservatives used in beauty products are methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben. While they prevent the growth of bad bacteria and mold inside products, they mimic estrogen in the human body and have been linked to reproductive issues, hormone-related cancers, thyroid issues, and obesity. Traditional parabens also negatively affect the environment and have been detected in surface waters, fish, sediments, and have the ability to kill coral.

Sulfates 

Another very common ingredient you’ll see on product labels is sulfates. Like parabens, sulfates are hiding in just about everything–– even in toothpaste! Sulfates are surfactants, or, molecules that can attract both oil and water. Sodium lauryl, ammonium lauryl, and sodium laureth are all ingredients from the sulfate family that are commonly found in beauty products.  

The main function of sulfates is to help products create lather, effectively lifting oil, dirt, and product build-up off of our skin and hair and rinsing it down the drain. Though it’s accepted as a safe cosmetics ingredient by both the FDA and the much stricter E.U. standard, they’ve garnered a bad reputation because they strip skin and hair of oils that balance and maintain our bodies’ natural processes. Sulfates are often too aggressive and can leave skin dry and parched, and leave hair straw-like and thirsty. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate can also contain a contaminant called 1,4 Dioxane, which can cause kidney and liver damage if you’re exposed to it in large amounts.

In Toxic Beauty, a young female med student who has spent the majority of her life using conventional personal care and beauty products decides to test her body’s toxicity levels using conventional products vs. clean products. The differences in her results were staggering and, once you watch the doc.,you’ll probably be ready to toss all of your toxic products and make the swap to clean for good. 

We are so grateful this documentary has arrived and is shedding light on an issue that can no longer be ignored. We encourage all of you to watch it and to encourage your loved ones to do the same! If you want an even deeper dive on harmful ingredients and their clean alternatives, head over to our Conventional to Clean Ingredients blog post to read more.