What Sustainable Skincare Actually Looks Like

Dear Skin,

Every brand claims to be sustainable these days. "Eco-friendly." "Green beauty." "Clean ingredients." The words are everywhere, plastered across packaging and websites.

But what does sustainable actually mean?

Most of the time, it's hard to tell. Real certifications exist, but they're not required. So while some brands invest heavily in genuine sustainability, others just use appealing language without much to back it up.

But some brands (particularly in Europe) have taken sustainability so seriously that it stops being a marketing claim and starts being infrastructure.

When Sustainability Stays Surface-Level

Here's how many brands approach sustainability:

They might use recycled packaging. They might avoid certain controversial ingredients. They might make claims about being "eco-conscious" or "earth-friendly." They might partner with an environmental nonprofit and donate a percentage of sales.

These aren't bad things. But they're often surface-level gestures. They don't necessarily address the fundamental environmental impact of how products are made, where ingredients come from, or what happens to waste and byproducts.

When Sustainability Becomes Infrastructure

Now compare that to brands that own the farms where their ingredients are grown.

When you control the land, sustainability becomes concrete. You can't just claim to be eco-friendly - you have to actually implement practices that protect the environment, use resources responsibly, and minimize harm.

Some European skincare brands have done this to a degree that seems almost excessive:

Centifolia, a French botanical brand, runs research centers and production facilities powered entirely by renewable energy, with over half of that energy generated on-site through solar panels and other renewable sources. Their 125-hectare site is a biodiversity sanctuary officially classified as a protected bird refuge by the League for the Protection of Birds. We're talking about 177 documented animal species and 148 plant species being actively protected.

Tens of thousands of trees planted specifically to capture CO2. Not as a one-time PR stunt, but as an ongoing commitment over decades. These aren't decorative trees - they're chosen specifically for their ability to sequester carbon as they mature.

Water treatment systems that use natural biological processes (phyto-purification) instead of chemicals. All wastewater is treated on-site before being released.

Regular carbon footprint assessments conducted every three years, with documented reductions year over year.

This is the kind of thing that takes decades and large investments to build. You don't do this for a press release.

The Difference Between Claiming and Doing

Here's what separates substantial sustainability efforts from liter approaches:

Can they show you the infrastructure? Can you visit the facility and see the solar panels, the water treatment systems, the biodiversity programs?

Do they have third-party certifications from legitimate organizations? Not just self-proclaimed badges, but actual organic certifications like Ecocert or COSMOS that require rigorous compliance and regular audits.

Have they been doing this for years, or did they just start talking about it recently?

Can they provide specific, measurable data about their environmental impact? Not vague statements, but actual numbers: how much energy they use, how much they've reduced their carbon footprint, how much water they treat.

Some brands can answer all of these questions in detail. Others can't, because their sustainability efforts are more limited in scope.

Why Owning the Farm Matters

When a brand owns the land where their ingredients are grown, environmental responsibility becomes unavoidable. They're directly responsible for soil health, water usage, pesticide policies, energy consumption, waste management, and biodiversity. They can't outsource all of these concerns to a supplier.

Organic farming practices aren't just a marketing point - they're important if you want to control healthy soil that produces quality ingredients year after year. Protecting biodiversity isn't optional - if you destroy the ecosystem, you destroy your ability to grow anything.

Water conservation and treatment become priorities because you're using significant amounts of water and you're responsible for what happens to it afterward. This creates accountability that simply doesn't exist when you're just buying ingredients from suppliers.

The Cost of Real Sustainability

All of this costs money. A lot of money.

Building renewable energy infrastructure isn't cheap. Maintaining biodiversity programs requires ongoing investment. Conducting regular environmental assessments and implementing improvements based on findings takes resources.

This is why products from these brands typically cost more than drugstore skincare. You're not just paying for ingredients - you're paying for decades of environmental investment. Some people will look at the price tag and think it's not worth it. That's fine. Not everyone can afford or wants to prioritize sustainability to this degree. But if you care about supporting brands that are genuinely committed to environmental responsibility, the premium makes sense.

Why European Brands Often Lead Here

Many European countries have stricter environmental regulations than other parts of the world. European consumers, particularly in countries like France, Germany, and the Nordic regions, tend to value sustainability and are willing to pay for it. There's often a cultural expectation that brands will demonstrate environmental responsibility, not just make claims about it.

This has pushed many European skincare brands to invest in real sustainability infrastructure. Mediterranean brands from Greece, Italy, and Southern France often have the additional advantage of local botanical traditions and ingredient sourcing that reduces transportation impacts.

European botanical skincare often takes a different approach than what's common elsewhere. Rather than focusing primarily on what's not in the product (no parabens, no sulfates, no this, no that), many European brands emphasize what is in the product and how it was produced - the full lifecycle from farm to formulation.

What This Means for You

You don't need to only buy from brands with their own farms and renewable energy facilities. That's not realistic for most people's budgets or priorities. But it's worth understanding what comprehensive sustainability looks like versus more limited efforts.

When a brand uses the word "sustainable," ask questions:

• What specifically are you doing?

• Can you provide evidence?

• Do you have third-party certifications?

• How long have you been doing this?

More robust sustainability efforts tend to be concrete, measurable, and verifiable. Lighter approaches tend to be more general and aspirational.

And if you're going to pay a premium for "sustainable" skincare, make sure you understand what you're paying for - whether that's comprehensive infrastructure and decades of investment, or a brand that's taking smaller steps in the right direction.

Actions matter more than words. Some brands have decided that what they actually do matters more than what they say they do. That's the kind of sustainability worth supporting.

Cheers,
The Relterra Team