Selection of Excellent Products Meeting Environmental Self-Standards
15 Brands Selected Including Farmacy, Seikise, The Body Shop, and Rubas Bio
[Asia Economy reporters Jeonghwa Choi, Heeyoung Kim, Eunji Kim] Even at the end of the year, the beauty and lifestyle issue is undoubtedly ‘clean.’ Due to the persistent COVID-19 situation, people are spending the year at home and welcoming the new year in the same way. How about spending meaningful moments with a clean life that considers the environment during special occasions?
Asia Economy’s beauty life magazine 'Likit' created its own standards focusing on people, nature, and animals, selecting a total of 15 excellent products that meet these criteria.
Farmacy ‘Honey Halo’ is a triple moisturizing ceramide cream containing fig and honey. It replenishes moisture to the skin with shea butter and vitamin E. The fig and buckwheat honey in Honey Halo add elasticity to the skin, while plant-based ceramides strengthen the skin barrier. This mildly acidic moisturizer provides hydration, elasticity, and nutrition all at once. It features a silky application, and its dense, creamy butter texture absorbs softly into the skin without sitting on the surface. Olive featured it as a ‘wise consumption lifestyle’ item for cold weather preparation, gaining great popularity. Farmacy, a clean skincare brand from New York, pursues sustainable design while advocating a life shared with nature and animals. They also source reliable ingredients through their directly managed farms and strive for a better environment.
SEKKISEI ‘Clear Wellness Natural Drip’ is an essence lotion with concentrated ingredients that help improve the moisture barrier, enhancing skin transparency and creating a healthy skin foundation. SEKKISEI’s ‘Clear Wellness’ line aids in restoring the moisture barrier weakened by harmful environments and irritants. Through the ‘SAVE the BLUE’ campaign ongoing for over 12 years, SEKKISEI leads environmental ethical management. The Clear Wellness line packaging uses recycled paper, easily decomposable ink, and refill containers (*limited to some products) to realize a sustainable clean life. Additionally, to reduce environmental issues during label production, disposal, and printing, the bottles feature embossed logos and use digital leaflets. In October, to celebrate the brand’s 35th anniversary, it rebranded from the Chinese character notation ‘雪肌精’ to the English notation ‘SEKKISEI’ for a fresh new start.
The Body Shop ‘Hemp Hydrating & Protecting Shower Oil’ is a silky shower oil with an oil-to-foam formula that gently cleanses the skin without irritation. It helps maintain nutrition and moisture on the body for a long time. The key ingredient, hemp, is a clean beauty material that regenerates the soil and purifies the earth. The Body Shop, with all products cruelty-free, is a proactive British beauty brand that campaigns continuously against animal testing and for protecting the global environment, exerting positive influence through its actions.
Lubas Bio ‘Atok G32’ is an all-in-one product containing plant-based moisturizing ingredients and skin-friendly oils that maintain moist skin. Germanium water and natural herbal fermented extracts provide immediate moisturizing and soothing effects to weakened skin layers, helping strengthen the skin barrier. It is made with skin-friendly ingredients rated grade 2 or below by the US environmental organization EWG Skin Deep, allowing sensitive skin to effectively balance oil and moisture without irritation. It absorbs well without stickiness, offering a refreshing feel, and is especially excellent for whitening and moisturizing winter skin. Lubas Bio, born from 20 years of herbal fermentation science, continues developing cosmetics using environmentally friendly ingredients. Based on natural ingredients, it is suitable for sensitive skin and perfect as a family cosmetic product.
Allbirds ‘Wool Runner’ is an icon of innovation leading sustainable fashion. Allbirds’ signature and first model, the Wool Runner, uses ZQ Merino wool for excellent comfort. The midsole made from SweetFoam™, extracted from sugarcane, is lightweight yet offers excellent resilience and slip resistance. All Allbirds shoelaces are made from 100% recycled polyester from waste plastic, actively supporting decarbonization. Moreover, Allbirds is the first fashion brand to display carbon footprints on all products, self-impose a carbon tax, and invest part of its profits in environmental protection projects such as regenerative agriculture, wind power, and greenhouse gas reduction. The brand gains additional attention as actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio serves as both investor and global model. Founded in 2016 by former national soccer player Tim Brown and renewable energy expert Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds launched in Korea in August this year.
Pleatsmama ‘Jeju Edition Tote Bag’ is a zero-waste bag produced through a circular resource project (‘Rebirth for Return’) involving the Ministry of Environment and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province to solve Jeju Island’s waste problem. The Jeju Edition Tote Bag is Pleatsmama’s signature knit pleats bag style, made with Korea’s first 100% recycled yarn from Jeju Island’s waste PET bottles. The patented original knit pleats design features natural pleats created without high heat or chemicals by structurally knitting the fabric, maintaining excellent resilience even after washing or long use. Besides knit tote bags, Pleatsmama offers various recycled products such as fleece jackets and laptop pouches, genderless fashion items suitable for everyone. The miscycle brand Pleatsmama is expanding the ‘Rebirth for Return’ project from Jeju Island’s main island and Chuja Island to Udo Island, leading efforts to promote resource and ecosystem circular values.
Skinfood 'Carrot Carotene Relief Cream', Lush 'Herbalism', Aromatica 'Gum Care Toothpaste - Sea Salt', Round Around 'Dried Flower Diffuser', Amuse 'Skin Tune Vegan Cover Cushion', La Bourget 'Birch Shampoo 230', The Saem 'Urban Eco Harakeke Essence', Budiaani 'Pure Foaming Facial Cleanser', Kora Organics 'Noni Glow Body Oil'
Skin Food ‘Carrot Carotene Relief Cream’ is a beta-carotene vegan cream made from healthy organic carrot extract grown in Jeju. It is a pure formula made by steaming pesticide-free carrots and collecting the extract drop by drop without chemical solvents. Ideal for immediate soothing and moisturizing when dry skin conditions persist, it is a non-sticky, refreshing hydration item. Skin Food’s Carrot Carotene line consists of cruelty-free products that have obtained EWG green grade and vegan marks from both the UK Vegan Society and the Korea Vegan Certification Institute.
Lush ‘Herbalism’ is a cleanser that helps clean the skin without foam. It is rich in rice bran and almonds that soften the skin. It gently exfoliates without irritation or tightness. The calming effect of chamomile and the nourishing feel left by vinegar make it suitable for dry skin as a morning cleanser. Lush makes honest products from fresh natural ingredients, opposes animal testing, and minimizes packaging, adhering to an ethical philosophy.
Aromatica ‘Gum Care Toothpaste - Sea Salt’ is a vegan toothpaste with mineral-rich sea salt that moisturizes the mouth and prevents periodontal and gum diseases. It can be used safely on sensitive gums as well as on teeth with braces or implants. Citrus oils maintain long-lasting freshness, and the clean finish without residue is impressive. Aromatica, a clean & vegan brand, does not use animal-derived ingredients to uphold the value of respecting life and makes products using plant-based natural organic ingredients. They also lead environmental protection by using collected post-consumer plastics for containers and discontinuing shrink film packaging to create a sustainable environment.
Round Around ‘Dried Flower Diffuser’ is a dried flower diffuser that refreshes emotions with an everlasting fragrance, featuring a rich floral bouquet scent. Besides its interior effect, it allows special messages on flower language tags. Round Around is a life cosmetic brand offering pleasant daily relaxation and pursues clean life beauty beneficial to skin and nature as a clean beauty brand.
Amuse ‘Skin Tune Vegan Cover Cushion’ completes a transparently radiant complexion and cares for skin to breathe comfortably. It is Amuse’s first vegan cover cushion certified by France’s EVE VEGAN. The texture is moist and light like an essence, helping create a hydrated skin texture. Its strong double coverage and long-lasting effect are unique strengths of the Skin Tune Vegan Cover Cushion. Amuse pursues clean & minimal beauty, founded on the belief that products born happily can make our lives enjoyable.
La Bruket ‘Birch Shampoo 230’ gently cleanses hair, improves scalp itching, and adds moisture and shine. This natural shampoo helps soothe and reduce redness and provides antioxidant benefits. La Bruket is a Swedish clean beauty brand whose domestic distribution rights were secured by Shinsegae International. All La Bruket products, first introduced to Korea in August this year, are 100% produced in Sweden and numbered sequentially regardless of category. Natural ingredients carefully selected to prevent deterioration are contained in brown bottles.
The Saem ‘Urban Eco Harakeke Essence’ is a moisturizing essence that boosts skin hydration. Containing over 70% New Zealand’s ‘moisture king’ Harakeke extract, it fills dry skin with moisture. Upon application, eight types of hyaluronic acid and melting moisturizing essence deliver close hydration to the skin. It has obtained vegan certification from Italy’s V-Lavel and completed skin irritation tests, making it a gentle and kind product. The Saem is a global eco beauty brand pursuing healthy beauty through various ecological studies.
Beaudiani ‘Pure Foaming Facial Cleanser’ is a gentle cleansing product that removes impurities while preserving moisture after washing. It is a natural-origin cosmetic with trustworthy ingredients certified vegan by the UK Vegan Society. Oat kernel extract and seaweed extract help maintain skin without tightness after washing, and natural orange oil adds a subtle fragrance. Its rich and soft foam base is mildly acidic to minimize skin irritation, suitable for everyone aged five and above. Beaudiani is a naturalistic vegan beauty brand making skin-friendly products based on natural ingredients.
Kora Organics ‘Noni Glow Body Oil’ is a multi-purpose body oil blended with certified organic ingredients such as noni extract, rosehip oil, and sunflower seed oil. The noni body oil, certified by PETA and EWG, instantly supplies rich nutrition and moisture to dry skin, helping improve elasticity, texture, and skin tone. Kora Organics, well known as Miranda Kerr’s organic cosmetics brand, offers cruelty-free products with no animal testing across its entire line.
Photo by Taeyoon Kim
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
