You could definitely say that sustainability is trending in the beauty world right now. Go into any beauty store or website and I’m sure it won’t take you long to find a product labeled ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘recyclable packaging’. Don’t get me wrong, using better packaging is a great step forward when it comes to sustainability in beauty but where do most brands stand when it comes to sustainability? True sustainability goes beyond just packaging and looks at what is inside the product. What kind of ingredients are we using? How are they sourced? How is the end product manufactured? All of these are important questions to ask when it comes to sustainability in any product, especially beauty.

Beauty is a big business with the potential for big impact but it is also a very personal experience. We put these products on our bodies every day and the impacts of them go beyond just what we’re absorbing into our skin. The contents of these products also inevitably wind up down the drain when we shower and into oceans and rivers. A 2015 study even found parabens (chemical preservatives toxic to people & planet that you won’t find at Juice Beauty) in the tissues of dolphins, otters, and even polar bears.

This is why I was so excited to chat with Karen Behnke, the founder of Juice Beauty on a recent episode of the Glo Eco podcast to talk about true sustainability in beauty and what clean beauty really means. Karen is a true advocate for products that are not only clean and safe for people, but also for the planet and the animals we share it with. As you’ll hear in the podcast episode, Karen’s journey to start Juice Beauty was inspired by her own individual journey in discovering the harmful effects conventional beauty products can have on our health and the environment. Her personal experience with a rare blood disorder as a child and the contamination of her hometown with flame retardants fueled her passion for wellness, environmentalism, and high-performance skincare which all came together to become Juice Beauty. Long before ‘clean’ and ‘sustainable’ beauty was a buzzword, Juice Beauty has been creating pure and sustainable beauty products for 19 years in Northern California.

“Our goal from day one was to match the conventional brands efficacy or results, but to do it in the healthiest way possible for people, animals, and the planet”
-Karen Behnke

The Juice Beauty approach is so unique because they have created their own standard for ‘beyond clean’ beauty that goes farther than industry standards to use certified organic ingredients and create products that are safe for people, planet, and animals. Juice beauty has a long list of unacceptable ingredients that they avoid in their formulas.

By using organic ingredients, we’re not only treating the planet better we’re also getting better skincare results! As Karen said in the podcast, research has found that organic ingredients have been found to have up to 30% higher antioxidant levels than non-organic. What does that mean for us beauty lovers? Well it means better skincare results because antioxidants fight the free radicals that cause dark spots, wrinkles, and lackluster skin.

Certified organic ingredients aren’t just great for your complexion though. Using certified organic ingredients in beauty products also plays a big part in protecting the environment and animal health by supporting organic farming. Organic farming practices do not rely on toxic pesticides and chemicals, which can harm the soil, water, and wildlife. By choosing products with certified organic ingredients, we are supporting sustainable farming practices that are better for the planet and future generations.

Central to Juice Beauty’s commitment to sustainability is their Farm to Beauty approach at their unique solar-powered farm in Sonoma County, California. Spanning over 20 acres, this eco-friendly facility epitomizes their dedication to true sustainability. At the farm, they’re working with scientists to grow and produce some seriously impressive organic ingredients grown exclusively for skincare. Notably, they’ve grown & harvested one of the highest antioxidant grapes in the world, the Sagrantino grape, which you can find today in their impressive SuperGrape Youth Renew Serum with Hyaluronic Acid.

By creating products like this, with highly effective organic ingredients, we’re not only supporting the organic movement but we’re also getting some seriously incredible skincare results. I mean…have you tried the Stem Cellular line? This is the kind of innovation we need to see in beauty and why as an environmental and climate activist, I’m so proud to support Juice Beauty and the innovative work they are doing. These things don’t happen overnight and Karen has been paving the way for truly organic and sustainable beauty that’s safe for people & planet for decades. I can tell you from personal experience that it’s stories like this and products like this that can make real change by making sustainability fun, joyful, and beautiful!

To learn more, check out Karen’s full interview on the Glo Eco podcast linked here.