Five ethical brands you should shop for first
Aisling Fitzgerald
It can be incredibly hard to shop anywhere and really be sure that what you’re doing is right. “Does this make-up brand test their products on animals?” “Does this retailer make their clothes in sweatshops?” “Does this company use recycled, sustainable materials, both in the goods and in their production?” “Do they make use of child labour?” These are questions you have to ask yourself before doing any kind of shopping these days, and it can be stressful. It’s so easy to buy unethically — it’s usually cheaper, and it’s definitely easier. But is it right?
I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite ethical brands to hopefully take some of the stress away (and the cost, where I could!).
LUSH
I think we all know at least a little something about Lush, whether it’s their amazing bath bombs or their (sometimes overly) incredibly enthusiastic staff. But what you mightn’t know unless you’re already a die-hard Lush fan is all of their products are free from testing on animals! More than that, their products are hand-made and use little-to-no preservatives or packaging. All of their products are vegetarian-friendly, and a lot of them are okay for vegans to use! They have pretty much any kind of toiletry you could want, from shower jellies, to the aforementioned bath bombs, to lip balms to facial masks, and everything in between! They do have some makeup products, though you may have to look on their website for a lot of them. They also support local, national and international charities with their charity pots, and regularly run information campaigns on important causes. Products are reasonably priced depending on how much you want, and can be bought in store and online (lush.com).
KAT VON D BEAUTY
Kat Von D Beauty is a line of makeup products produced by famous tattoo artist Kat Von D. They regularly appear in lists like these because they’re a rarity among high-street makeup brands: they’re cruelty-free, have a lot of vegan-friendly products in the line and don’t have astronomical costs. A properly versatile range, Kat Von D should be high on your list if you’re looking for a new eyeshadow palette, or some liquid lipstick. You can buy Kat Von D Beauty products on their website, katvondbeauty.com, or in shops like Debenhams. Prices range from the very reasonable to the reasonablyexpensive, so you should be able to find something for you.
PEOPLE TREE
People Tree is a fair trade clothing brand founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1991. People Tree began as a clothing catalogue produced by Safia Minney’s NGO Global Village. Minney said she found it hard to get off the ground as it was essentially the first of its kind. People Tree sell anything from dresses to knitwear to baby wear and jewellery, and have several different styles of activewear and day-to-day clothes. The problem with People Tree is that their products can be quite expensive, especially on a student budget. The upside is massive, though, in that they know exactly where their materials come from, and who makes their clothes, so you can rest easy knowing that all your purchases are fully ethical. You can buy their products directly from them on their website, PeopleTree.co.uk, or you can buy a limited selection of their products from retailers like ASOS.
PATAGONIA
Moving away from high-street fashion & makeup brands to something a little more outdoors-y. Patagonia is an American retailer who specialises in sustainable outdoor clothing. Founded in 1973, Patagonia devotes 1% of its total sales, or 10% of its profits, to environmental charities & groups. Like People Tree, Patagonia’s goods skew more to the expensive side, and like Patagonia they have a lot of fair trade goods. You likely won’t be wearing Patagonia-brand clothes on a casual day, but if you’re into hiking, orienteering, surfing, swimming or fishing, then it’s really the only way to go. They also listen to their customers, as they’ve changed their sources for certain materials several times across their history in response to valid complaints. Patagonia product lines can be found in outdoor pursuits shops, and on their website, patagonia.com.
BLUESTOCKINGS
I’m going to finish off on a slightly cheekier note, and talk about a lingerie brand you need to know about. Bluestockings are an underwear & lingerie boutique that are committed to ethical manufacturing processes and sustainability. This means they guarantee that their workers have been paid a fair wage, and are not subject to inhumane working conditions. All of the brands they carry are independently owned & self-ran. They aim a lot of their products at LGBTQI people, carrying things like binders for trans people in addition to the odd lacy item. They also have a great range of plus size products and products aimed at people of colour. Prices aren’t unreasonable, when you consider what the same items might cost in a high-street store, and as the goods are sustainable you’re getting what you pay for. You can buy direct from them by going to their website, bluestockingsboutique.com.
So there’s just five excellent ethical brands you can try out right now! Even if nothing above sounds good for you, hopefully it gets you thinking about where you shop, and calms any stress you have about buying from ethical & sustainable sources!
