Data for this article is from a Future Perfect Newsletter by Marina Bolotnikova, deputy editor, Vox.   Usually we stick to talking about cosmetics, but we have to jump in on the conversation happening in fashion right now about natural fibers.  We are DOWN with staying away from plastic fibers like acrylic, or more “natural” fibers that are actually super toxic to produce like viscose. But we can’t ignore the elephant in the room, which is that animal-derived “natural” fibers are just as bad for the environment as industrial meat production, as well as being super cruel to the a ..read more

Happy Veganuary! I’m stoked. It can’t be a coincidence that Veganuary is also my birthday month. I practically came out of the womb obsessed with animals and their welfare. I was that kid in elementary school with PETA stickers on my binder. What I love about Veganuary is it’s a month to try something new in your life with the specific intention of being kinder to animals. Maybe that’s trying to eat vegan one day a week, maybe it’s volunteering at an animal shelter. But anything feels doable for just one month. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that you want to do it for longer than that. I p ..read more

Are you ready for some good news? There is hope for recycling! That’s a little bit of a backhanded compliment—sorry, recycling—but it’s super important.  For background, only about 10 percent of plastics in the US are recycled, and our national recycling rate for all materials is only 32 percent. Womp womp.  BUT, even though that’s fairly bleak, especially when paired with facts like there are microplastics everywhere, literally raining from the sky—I told you, this is a backhanded compliment—there is so much that can be done to improve our crippling waste problem, and that includes ..read more

It's that time of year again! I smile imagining your Earth-loving, makeup-loving friends and family unwrapping our plastic-free goodies! I know they will love them! And so will our Earth!!!  Besides delighting in the joy of giving the holiday season brings, this post is a huge plea to pleaaaaase, please prioritize small businesses over Amazon and big box stores this season (and all the time, tbh). There are so many wonderful reasons to shop with small businesses, but here are a few: They're just cooler, okay?? Hand-knit socks? Homemade jewelry? A coffee company some human has been drea ..read more

By now, we’re all doing our best to carry our own water bottles, mugs, and utensils, and to remember our reusable bags when we go to the grocery store. But there’s still so, so, so much waste to cut down on, especially when it comes to single use plastic. So, in the spirit of Zero Waste Week, here are some oft-overlooked sources of plastic waste, and companies who are innovating ways to make that a thing of the past. Problem: Plastic Razors and Cartridges Solution: Leaf The EPA estimates that 2 billion plastic razors are thrown away every year. Why? Because “disposable” razors have been so muc ..read more

It’s the 4th of July! Watermelon! Pool/Beach/River/Lake/Sprinkler parties! Flag themed everything! The (un)official start of summer for those of us up here in the PNW where June gloom is usually very, very real!  But also, FIREWORKS. So many fireworks.  Okay, unpopular opinion, but I’m going to say it anyway: Can we please tone it down with the fireworks? They’re beautiful and magical to watch, but—kind of like glitter—the source and (literal) fallout of all that pizazz is way less glamorous. The reality is that fireworks are pretty bad for The Land of The Brave and all its inhabitan ..read more

Okay, okay, everyone may still be recovering from "Springing Forward" (except our friends in Hawaii and Arizona), but, y'all, it's time to party! SPRING HAS SPRUNG.  The daffodils are blooming, the frogs are croaking, the birds are everywhere and going bananas, and our days are finally longer than our nights, thanks to the joyful Spring Equinox on March 20th. So let's hop to it and welcome spring—the vegan way! What do we mean "the vegan way?" Well, egg-coloring… not vegan… Peeps… also not vegan (so sorry if we're the bearer of bad news—they use pig-derived gelatin). Never fear! Here ..read more

I probably spend about $400 on beauty products a year. This includes stuff like shampoo and moisturizers. Some would call me a beauty minimalist. I call myself a very lazy person who hates clutter. Tomato tomaato. As a “beauty minimalist,” I have come to rely on a few great products that do lots of things (e.g. Balmies) and was curious as to which multi-tasking products my friends and co-workers live by, so I asked around. Below are the top five minimalist beauty go-tos. These faves cut down on clutter, time, fussing, and—best of all—waste.   1. All skincare needs in one: Dew Mighty’s Bl ..read more

It’s no secret that we’re all about the animals over here—Axiology has been vegan and cruelty-free from day one. It’s the reason the brand was started in the first place! BTW, to be super clear because we love transparency... By "vegan" we mean no animal products or by-products. By "cruelty-free" we mean no testing on animals—by us or anyone in our supply chain—ever. Here's the thing: Our roots in veganism run deep. You can read all about our founder Ericka and her journey from being a kid with an "I'm not a nugget" chick sticker on her school binder to building a pioneering makeup ..read more

Navigating makeup buzzwords of any kind is difficult because the FDA does not define or regulate these terms like "natural," "clean," or even "organic." But "organic" is a little more complicated because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does regulate this term, at least as it pertains to agricultural products. Confused yet? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sole discretion over the official use of the term organic (think the little green and white "USDA Organic" stamp). However, the associated standards were developed for agricultural products—not cosmetics—and the appl ..read more