Skincare + Social Justice

Hi! Welcome back to my blog! Or welcome welcome to any newcomers! If you are new, feel free to check out my About page or any of my other blog posts for more information about me.

In this post I want to provide a few resources that I think are important when it comes to supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) businesses that also align with my sustainability journey. Two of my favorite sustainability brands that I have been happy to support for quite a while now are owned by members of the AAPI community. These two brands are Cocokind and Blueland. Both were founded by Asian American women and both have made a huge impact on my zero waste journey.

I’ll start with Cocokind. Cokokind is a skincare brand, founded by Priscilla Tsai. The products are all formulated with sustainability in mind and the packaging is the same way. The first product from this brand that I tried out was their Rosewater Toner. It is a super gentle face mist that I absolutely love and it is the perfect refresh after a long day. This product comes in a glass jar that is easily recyclable or reusable. I have gone through two bottles to date and one is now a vase for dried flowers and the other is packed up in a box for future use. Another product I have tried and loved is their Resurfacing Sleep Mask. I have really struggled with acne over the last year and this product is a nice alternative to more harsh chemical exfoliants. It is a super smooth mask that you layer on before bed, and the natural retinol alternative helps clear everything out. This product is also sold in a glass container which is easily recyclable. A few products I tested out that I didn’t love were the Oil to Milk Cleanser, the Pore Refining Concentrate, and the Texture Smoothing Cream. That isn’t to say that these still aren’t great products, they just didn’t work for my skin. I did however just make a big purchase of a few more products from Cocokind that I am super excited to spend time testing out, so more information coming later probably.

Now let’s chat about why I am so happy to support this brand. Not only does Cocokind think about their impact when formulating and packaging their products, but they also support socio-economic sustainability through their Impact Foundation. The company created a grant system to support other female-identifying entrepreneurs in getting their start in a similar industry. This brand is paving the way for small business owners and womxn in general that are looking for a way into the sustainability market.

The next brand I want to discuss is Blueland. Blueland is a brand that provides low waste cleaning product options. About two years ago now I purchased their Clean Up Kit which includes 3 super durable plastic spray bottles and tablets that become a natural cleaning solution. The three cleaners that are included in this set are a multi-surface, bathroom, and mirror spray. The great thing about these products is that all you need is a bottle and the dissolvable tablet. Once you have the tablet you fill up the bottle with water and after everything dissolves, you have a safe and effective cleaning product. These products eliminate the need to ship spray bottles of water across the country, as is done with typical cleaning products. Blueland has now expanded their product range to include foaming hand soap, dish washing powder, and laundry soap tablets as well. Their hand soap kit comes with a reusable glass bottle and the dish and laundry soaps include a storage tin for the tablets.

In the spirit of transparency, I will admit that one of my spray bottles is out of commission. The sprayer stopped working so I had to toss it BUT it did last almost two years and I have turned the bottle into a vase for decor purposes. I was lucky to have been gifted a glass spray bottle recently and have now turned that into my third Blueland bottle.

Blueland was founded by a woman named Sarah. She is a mother and is dedicated to cleaning up the planet and her home. The overall mission of this brand was to cut out single-use plastics that are coming into the home. Although the spray bottles are plastic, they are made to be durable and will not break, therefore can be used forever. Blueland is an affordable cleaning solution and is stopping huge amounts of trash from entering the various ecosystems that are already so negatively affected by our wasteful lifestyles.

I also want to point out the brand Youth To The People. From YTTP I use the Superfood Cleanser. It is the most gentle cleanser I have ever used and it leaves my skin feeling super refreshed. This product is packaged in a glass jar and there is even an option to purchase a bigger, bulk, size to refill the original 8 ounce bottle. Youth To The People has a ton of other skin care products including serums, masks, toners, eye creams, etc. All of their products are packaged with recyclability in mind and all made with clean, natural ingredients.

Youth To The People was founded by two brothers, Greg and Joe. In curating the brand, they took inspiration from the women in their family. YTTP is not only focused on sustainability, but also on social justice. A portion of their mission statement states that “Youth To The People aims to create a Future where our one planet and all our communities coexist, in a just world.” The company has three main social justice funds that target climate, youth, and poverty. This brand recognizes the communities that are adversely affected by environmental crises, including women and BIPOC communities. They recognize that to make the impact that is needed, future generations require as much support as they can get, specifically pointing out girls and the LGBTQIA+ community. Our future has been and will continue to be shaped by a diverse group of people and that is something that needs to be realized and supported. Another aspect is obviously the planet and the science that drives innovation in support of climate solutions. I believe that YTTP is making the right moves at the right time and I am happy to continue to support this brand.

I don't like to make these posts too lengthy because I am not sure how dedicated y'all are to spending 10 minutes on a busy day reading my thoughts, so this is where I will stop for now on this one. I hope I have inspired a few people to check out these great brands and all they have to offer from a consumer standpoint, but also from a social justice and diversity standpoint.

Stay tuned for what's to come next :)