The Beauty Industry Creates 120 Billion Units of Plastic Waste Every Year. Melodie Reynolds Shows Us a Better Way Forward.

"You don't need seven lipsticks, but the beauty industry will tell you that you should buy seven lipsticks," says Melodie Reynolds.

There's a charge behind Reynold's voice. Still, the founder of ELATE Beauty, a sustainable cosmetics company, admits she too was once duped by "the shame-based marketing" fueled by large beauty companies. She was even inadvertently part of it earlier in her career, as she worked in beauty marketing and sales for large companies. She began to see the unethical pressure behind these companies and a drive to push people to buy more. The businesses were creating more products housed in packages that ended up in landfills—an estimated 120 billion pieces worth each year.

The tipping point for Reynolds came during a meeting. When she and colleagues were discussing ways to create storytelling around potential green initiatives, a senior employee casually said, "just put it in a green bottle." It was a hard lesson on the realness of greenwashing, says Reynolds. "It was never more apparent to me than in that moment that I was in the wrong place."

Reynolds put herself in the right place. Fueled with a drive to create beauty products that were kind to people and the planet, she founded Elate Beauty, a B-Corp-certified ethical cosmetics line focused on refillable packaging. Since its conception in 2024, ELATE has diverted 1.3 million packages from going to landfills—a feat for a single company. As Reynolds says, the journey has been about "how we can take a product from idea, from conception all the way to end of life, and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, for the person buying it, and for the planet."

Reynolds walks us through more of her journey, starting a conscious brand. As she shares with us, our self-care rituals should never be harmful and filled with shame; they should be only practices that lift us. 

Melodie Reynolds on Creating a Better Beauty Future

#1: Environmental Citizenship at Its Core

"The thing that always attracted me the most to the beauty industry was the ability to help people feel good about themselves and use marketing as a tool for storytelling, to allow individuals to determine how the things they purchased made their lives better, and all without costing the planet. The very first salon I ever worked in was an environmentally friendly salon where we refilled all our shampoos. This was back in 1999! So being a good environmental citizen has always been important to me."

#2: The Shame-Based Marketing of Beauty

"As I worked in the beauty industry, I started to see that the values I held strongly were only very surface values [in the companies]. This all started to accumulate for me around 2008 when I was in a big marketing meeting at the company I worked for because a new demographic was identified: the LOHAS— a lifestyle of health and sustainability—demographic. It was a demographic that transcended socioeconomic status and included all genders and ages. These were individuals who wanted to choose products about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

#3: The Unsustainable Issue of Products

"The beauty industry gets people to buy tons of products, and all of that product ends up in the landfill. Then they feel bad about themselves, so then they buy more products. It's just a vicious cycle, contributing to the statistic of 120 billion plastic packages being made every year for the beauty industry. All of those end up in the landfill. We now have new recycling programs that are helping to try to curb some of that waste, but the biggest problem is that all of those packages still get made. That's enough for everyone on the planet to have a bag full of plastic stuff that they're going to dispose of every year. Those things inspired me to look at how we could do things differently."

#4: Bringing the Kindness and Joy Back to Beauty

"I started to feel like it was a burden putting on my makeup or trying to choose a new skin cream. It felt like it was something I was being forced to participate in. When all those things came together and converged for me, I thought beauty was supposed to be about joy. It's supposed to be about using the tools of adornment to perform your beauty ritual every morning and put your best face forward, whether it's makeup or brushing your teeth. The fact that we all have some type of beauty ritual in the morning means that we all have products that we are required to use, so all of those products should be better for the planet. And they should be reusable and refillable. They should be made with materials that are not polluting the environment. They should be made by individuals that aren't forced into slave labor. The beauty industry is fraught with just as many issues. So, for me, it was about how we can take a product from idea, from conception, all the way to end of life and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, better for the person buying it, and for the planet. It is about having more time and space for joy, and the big part of that joy is not having a bunch of stuff you are ultimately responsible for throwing away.”

#5: Looking Ahead, One Refill at a Time

“Part of the problem is that we get that little delicious dopamine hit when we buy something— that's why retail therapy is real. So what we're trying to do is shift that little dopamine hit to when you refill something. When speaking in public, I have stood up many times and said, 'Who can honestly say they've ever actually finished a full tube of lipstick?' We're trying to create those opportunities.

We're a B Corp-certified company that was important to me from the start. We have a global beauty coalition of all beauty companies that are B Corps, where I sit on that board. One of the things we talk about is how we can use business as a force for good and use the beauty industry as a force for good rather than a tool of oppression. This has all led me from loving lipstick and wanting to help people feel good about themselves to global legislation to ensure that corporations are held accountable for the waste they produce.”

#6: Changing Our Language and Actions

“At ELATE, we've shied away as an organization from using the word ‘consumer’ because when you're trying to create a movement that is completely different from what everyone is used to, you need to change your language. We say 'environmental citizen,' because that is someone thoughtful about resources that they consume. And our beauty consumers are not beauty consumers; they're beauty citizens. That is where ELATE shines. Elate means joyful or prideful, and that's really what it is about. It's also an anagram for ‘everyone who loves a thoughtful experience’ because we felt that so many products are made without the thought and the intention behind them. So it was important to us to make sure that we always hold that in our hearts that everything we make is thoughtful.”

To learn more about ELATE Beauty, visit elatebeauty.com

Interview and words by Stacey Lindsay for PrimaFoodie.

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The PrimaFoodie Guide to the Best Clean Sunscreens

For the past several years, the team at PrimaFoodie has been vetting clean sunscreens to deliver you the best options for optimal protection. By "clean," we mean the solution contains minerals to block UVA and UVB rays and includes zero artificial fragrance, parabens, emulsifiers, or additional ingredients linked to health concerns. 

We vet these yearly for several reasons: solutions change, which means efficacy and purity may also change, and researchers consistently reveal new data on ingredient safety. This year proved to be a big one in terms of news. The Environmental Working Group showed that approximately 75 percent of the 1,700 sun protection products its team evaluated “did not provide adequate sun protection” and contained "ingredients that could pose health risks."

Sunscreen and 'sunblock, ' terms used interchangeably, generally work one of two ways: Blocking the sun's rays with minerals, such as zinc oxide, or filtering and absorbing the rays with chemicals. Research has linked some of the most common chemical sunscreen ingredients, including oxybenzone and octinoxate, to pose health risks to marine and surrounding environmental life, thus presenting the possibility that these chemicals could impact human health. What's alarming about these two ingredients, along with other common sunscreen ingredients, octocrylene, homosalate, and avobenzone, is that they are absorbed through human skin and, subsequently, other organs.

In a news alert about its findings, the EWG stated the need for consumers to consider their sun protection wisely. "And some ingredients commonly found in sunscreens have been linked to both human and environmental concerns. But they're still widely used in hundreds of products, even though they have not been tested adequately for safety," said Emily Spilman, an EWG program manager for Healthy Living Science, in the news release. "It's outrageous that shoppers may be slathering these potentially harmful chemicals on their skin every day without the reassurance of those safety tests," 

The EWG has warned the public about sunscreen ingredients since it launched its first Guide to Sunscreens in 2007 and has been urging the FDA to review chemical sunscreen ingredients ever since. 

This year, we found that most of our favorites from our 2023 PrimaFoodie Sunscreen Guide still met our strict standards—and we added a few new ones to the mix. Here, you'll find mineral solutions that we believe to be clean and efficacious. But we urge you to always do your due diligence when choosing a sunscreen (or any personal care product): check your labels, know your ingredients, and listen to your gut. 

PrimaFoodie-Approved Clean Sunscreens for 2024

ALL GOOD: SPF 50+ SUNSCREEN BUTTER

All Good is committed to creating products that are  good for our skin and for the environment. This butter is thick, hydrating, fragrance-free, and excellent for the face and body. The compact tin makes it easy to toss into your backpack or purse. The company claims it is "very water resistant,"  but we still suggest ample applications if you're swimming.

KARI GRAN ESSENTIAL SPF 30 

As equally hydrating and protective as it gets, this super hydrating oil serum-type sunscreen feels like a supple serum. A raspberry seed and plum oils base gives the skin a hydrating quench with zero residue.

SOLARA SUNSCARE GO! DAILY DEFENSE MINERAL FACE SUNSCREEN

This lightweight SPF 30 recently came onto our radars. EWG-certified, it is blendable and silky. Founded by a mother who started vetting her personal care products after battling Lyme Disease and also seeing her children react to various sunscreen, the company promotes clean, minimal-ingredients responsible skincare

BADGER ACTIVE MINERAL SUNSCREEN CREAM

A simple, clean, universal SPF 30 cream made by a small, family-run New England company. Containing only five ingredients, one of which being super nourishing sea buckthorn oil, this is a great option for long days outside. It's a bit sticky and needs extra elbow grease to rub in. 

RAW ELEMENTS SUNSCREEN SPF 30+ FACE & BODY

This super thick mineral sunscreen paste goes a long way when you're outside for hours. Considering its thick consistency, it rubs in surprisingly well and leaves only a slight light white cast. This is a great pick for hiking and all-day summer outdoor exploring.

URSA MAJOR FORCE FIELD DAILY DEFENSE LOTION 

Ursa Major continues to be a pioneer in clean, effective skincare. Their unscented, lightweight moisturizer is great for the face, neck, chest, and arms. It absorbs almost immediately without leaving any residue. The aloe vera, jojoba, and shea butter are super moisturizing. 

VIVE SANA DAILY PROTEZIONE SPF 30

This is an easily spreadable, hydrating, tinted sunscreen for the face, neck, and décolletage we've loved for years. Vive Sana's products are mostly made of organic ingredients and are free of chemicals and artificial additives. The Daily Protezione SPF 30 offers the physical protection of zinc oxide with no stickiness or pastiness. 

KINFIELD DAILY DEW SPF 35 

We've long loved Kinfield's products, and this all-day SPF is a winner. It has a silkier texture, which results in a dewy, glowy finish. We love how the aloe and sea kelp add a dose of hydration and antioxidants. 

KIDS

ALL GOOD: SPF 30 KIDS SUNSCREEN LOTION

This fragrance-free lotion is rather light, which makes applying it to little ones' skin quick and easy. We found that a little goes a long way, and it leaves minimal to no residue. It also claims to be water—and sweat-resistant for up to eighty minutes.

BABO: CLEAR ZINC SUNSCREEN SPF 30

Babo is a thick, mineral all-over sunscreen lotion for babies, children, and adults. It's EWG-certified, free of any concerning chemicals, fragrances, or nanoparticles, and deemed hypoallergenic. We especially like how it doesn't run in the eyes. It's supposed to be waterproof for up to eighty minutes, making it great for long days on the beach.

TINTED

IRIS & ROMEO BEST SKIN DAYS

This serum-moisturizer-SPF, which doubles as a light daily foundation with SPF 25 protection, is buttery, silky, and moisturizing. It goes on smoothly and quickly settles into the complexion. We love that it also protects from blue light and contains hydrating rose and moringa oils.

ILIA C Beyond Triple Serum SPF 40

Touted for its "encapsulation technology," this foundation-like sunscreen delivers phytonutrients and vitamin C. It's a clean, light, dewy face product that covers many skin tones daily.

SUNTEGRITY 5-IN-1 TINTED SUNSCREEN MOISTURIZER

This light, tinted SPF 30 comes in four shades. It's sheer, goes on smoothly, and blends in rather quickly, but it does require reapplications throughout the day. We wish the company offered a wider range of shades to include dark complexions.

SAINT JANE LUXURY SUN RITUAL PORE SMOOTHING SPF 30

This natural mineral sunscreen has been a PrimaFoodie favorite for the second year in a row. Rich in botanical antioxidants, including green tea, and hydrating ingredients, it doubles as a protective face moisturizer. We love how sheer it is, with the perfect amount of tint that results in no white cast from the zinc oxide, only a dewy finish. It is quite thin, so reapplication throughout the day is necessary.

SAIE SUNVISOR

We keep returning to Saie products, some of today's most hydrating and gorgeously textured clean makeup items. The 'Sunvisor' is super light and hydrating, with a tinted blend of aloe, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and zinc oxide, offering great light coverage all day. It sinks it and leaves no white cast. 

TRUE BOTANICALS SKIN BARRIER SUN SHIELD SPF 30

Part sun filter, part tinted moisturizer, this mineral-based lightweight face lotion sinks in quickly. Given its thin texture, we find it best used as a daily moisturizer, but it doesn't fit the bill for a day at the beach. 

What Is “Inclusive Beauty”? Meet the Iconoclastic Beauty Founder Fighting for Greater Ethics and Kindness in the World of Self Care

A new wave of beauty pioneers are fighting back. They’re challenging the toxic and exclusive pillars that have forever pervaded the beauty industry and, instead, creating products that encourage a more mindful, clean, inclusive approach to self-care.

One such pioneer is Jennifer Norman. Founder of Humanist Beauty, a B Corporation Certified skincare collection focused on breaking the conventional beauty standards, and The Human Beauty Movement, a positivity-focused social impact effort, Norman wants to encourage a new wellness and self-care industry—one that invites every individual to define beauty for themselves. Norman and her team call this “inclusive beauty.”

Before we investigate what inclusive beauty is, we’ll first take a look at what it is not. Household makeup and skincare brands have long used tactics that reinform ageism, binary gender expectations, racism, sexism, and ableism. Expectations around what someone should look like have sold billions upon billions worth of products. Yet, these arbitrary beauty standards have led to wide swaths of consumers falling victim to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other mental and emotional health issues. 

In tandem with these issues is the continued widespread inclusion of harmful chemicals in makeup and personal care items. A 2021 study found high levels of hazardous industrial compounds—all of which linked to grave health conditions—present in more than half of the cosmetics sold in the US.  

In short, the things created to make us feel beautiful have excluded, marginalized, and sickened consumers. Norman, along with her team behind Humanist Beauty, is flipping this script. Her focus is on ingredient purity, supply chain ethics, and care for every stakeholder involved, from her employees to consumers to the planet. “I wanted to develop a brand that went above and beyond to appreciate kindness, diversity, and well-being,” the founder says. 

When we asked how she is doing this, and what exactly she means by “inclusive beauty,” Norman is incredibly forthright. “Inclusive beauty is so much more than showing tokenistic images of women with different skin tones and hair types,” she tells us. “It extends to understanding the thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and opportunities of those who have previously been marginalized and under-represented in society. It is letting people know that we see them, hear them, and care about them deeply.”

A Conversation with Jennifer Norman

Let’s start off with the genesis of your company, Humanist Beauty. 

When I started developing the Humanist Beauty brand, I reflected on my own life experiences of being an adopted Asian American girl, and also on being the single mom of a mixed-race child living with chronic illness and disability. I wanted to develop a brand that went above and beyond to appreciate kindness, diversity, and well-being. 

How do you honor “inclusive beauty” via your brand?

Humanist Beauty stands for all races, backgrounds, skin tones, ages, abilities, gender identities, and beliefs. It lets all people know that they have value, and they matter. Some of the ways Humanist Beauty honors that is by working with diverse talent like trans model Gracie Cartier, prosthetic queer dancer Kima Dima, and unconventional curvy beauty Leah Abramson. We also support those with visual impairment or blindness by offering braille ID bands for our skincare products, Herban Wisdom Facial Oil and Herban Wisdom Eye Cream. We will continue innovating for ways to serve the abilities community even more going forward. 

What changes in the skincare and beauty industry are you most dedicated to seeing and being part of? 

More and more, beauty is being defined as wellness. It’s so much more than skin-deep. It’s about living truthfully, healthfully, and connected to everyone else in a positive way. The organization that I founded, The Human Beauty Movement, is all about embracing an ethos of beauty positivity. It’s about every human being coming to know their own true self and embracing the beauty that lives within. That way, they can then manifest that beauty out into the world as they desire rather than worrying about anyone else’s definition of beauty. 

I [recently] attended Natural Products Expo West, and I was blown away by the spirit of community and togetherness that was pervasive throughout the show. There is an enhanced focus on well-being across all categories, which is a likely response to living through an isolating pandemic such as we all did. 

Humanist has obtained B Corp status, which means you must prioritize the wellbeing of your employees, customers, and of the Planet. It’s worth noting that this is not an easy certification to obtain and maintain. Will you walk us through how Humanist makes this a priority?

I absolutely founded my business knowing that B Corp Certification was a priority, and I’m proud to say that The Human Beauty Movement was certified after 1 year of being in business. 

Being a B Corp is the gold standard of proving social and environmental impact. Given that ‘clean beauty’ means a lot of things to a lot of different people (and to some, it means nothing at all), having third-party validation such as B Corp Certification elevates brands in the marketplace as representing the best for people and the planet. Rather than putting all focus on shareholder value, which prioritizes profits, we put all our focus on stakeholder value, which is the positive benefit we’re creating for the entire ecosystem which encompasses our employees, suppliers, customers, communities, governance, and the environment. We put programs, policies, and procedures in place to ask questions like, “Do our suppliers exemplify diversity and fair wages? Are we supporting a regenerative economy? Do our products deliver holistic wellness through organic content, safety, and quality testing? How are we prioritizing community engagement and transparency?” And so on. 

B Corp Certification goes far beyond the realm of just being “clean.” It helps us assess and track our progress as a benefit company and hold ourselves accountable for living out our purpose-driven values. 

Ingredients are a critical part of your brand. How do you ensure the ingredients you use and the sources you tap into are ethical, pure, and conscious? Are there practices that a consumer can follow for vetting their own products? 

The truth of the matter is that consumers love to research ingredients yet doing so can be time-consuming. And there is a whole lot of contradictory information out there. That’s why it’s good to know there are brands, retailers, and organizations that help do the vetting for them. Clean retailer Credo Beauty allows you to click on any product’s ingredients to learn about their definitions. The EWG Skin Deep database is a good source for ingredient information. While not perfect, it’s perhaps the most comprehensive source for product safety data, and the EWG Verified seal is the strongest third-party indicator of best-in-class safety. 

I have extremely high standards when it comes to the ingredients that go into Humanist Beauty formulas. Not only do I screen for cleanliness, but I also do background checks on suppliers to vet their harvesting, processing, and manufacturing processes. I also require test results to ensure all raw bulk is clean and safe. 

[We] maintain an Ingredient Glossary where anyone can research any ingredient in our formulas to learn more about its function and safety. Transparency is an important aspect of our core values. 

To learn more about Norman and her inclusive beauty approach, visit humanistbeauty.com and the-hbm.com. 

—By Stacey Lindsay