As regulations become tighter and more brands want to reassure consumers of their sustainability credentials, the number of certifications has increased - making it tricky to understand what to look for. Different labels and logos mean different things, and it’s worth doing a bit of investigation to see which ones insist on the standards you want to see from your products.

As an example, B Corp certification standards have recently been updated and are now based on seven key Impact Topics. This includes Environmental Stewardship & Circularity, Climate Action, and Human Rights. Brands have to meet minimum criteria across all seven to qualify, and must commit to improving their score over time.

Other certifications and standards you can look out for include:

We’ve already touched on the fact that haircare product packaging can play a big part in how sustainable it is, so the less packaging your chosen brands have, the better. Whatever you decide, make sure that as much packaging as possible is recyclable and do dispose of it responsibly.

Look out for recycling symbols which should indicate the type of material that the packaging is made of, and follow the rules for recycling these materials in your area. Make sure packaging is rinsed well and separate out components where appropriate so as to avoid contaminating a recycling stream.

Even better, consider whether a product can be refilled - as with our Essential Haircare shampoo refills, available for the MOMO/, LOVE SMOOTHING/, LOVE CURL/, MINU/ and NOUNOU/ families - or even reused. The Essential Haircare tubs follow eco design principles, and can be repurposed as storage holders or plant pots, promoting a mindset of creative reuse, even before recycling. 

Supporting brands that invest in sustainable ingredients and practices is not only a great way to positively impact your own ecological footprint. It also sends out an important message about the environmental standards consumers expect, encouraging all brands to work together to push the industry forward towards ever greater sustainability.

Remember, it’s important not to be too swayed by marketing claims which might not be all they seem. Do your research to make sure that the reality matches the hype. Brands should embrace transparency to help consumers make good choices. For example, many will produce impact reports detailing their current efforts and plans for the future.

At Davines, sustainability has been at the heart of what we do for many years. As well as being part of the B Corp movement since 2016, we have created a number of our own initiatives in an effort to push not only ourselves but the whole beauty industry towards greater sustainability. For example, in 2022 we founded the B Beauty Coalition to share best practice and celebrate positive impact within our sector.

And in 2021, in collaboration with the Rodale Institute, we launched the European Regenerative Organic Centre (EROC) - the first research, education and dissemination center in Italy and Europe in the field of regenerative organic agriculture led by a cosmetics company. EROC is focused on expanding the supply of regenerative organic ingredients, training farmers, and pushing the frontiers of sustainability through research.