How we're pioneering safe, sustainable, and performance-driven formulas to clean beauty
The word clean beauty has been thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? Being "clean" has been listed as an industry standard upheld by many retailers like Sephora, Credos, and Detox Market. Because of the popularity in demand for "clean" beauty, many brands tout they are clean, often resulting in green-washing in their sales tactic.
Being clean isn't just about having natural ingredients - not all natural ingredients are safe, sustainable, and effective (we love this article from Credos that explains the difference between being clean and all-natural). It's about being mindful and ethical in how products are made and sold. This includes using ingredients that are non-toxic for the human body and the ecosystem we live in; utilizing sustainable packaging that won't contribute more waste to the environment; and being transparent about the entire supply chain, right down how the ingredients were sourced.
Whether you've been a loyal customer or new to the brand, we are here to be 100% transparent with who we are and our clean credos.
Our Formulation Philosophy -
- Natural & Organic: We use premium and rare botanical extracts and oils that are naturally derived and organic. While most of our ingredients are sourced from plants, we also use clinical actives such as AHA, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Ceramides, and Retinol that have been synthesized in the lab to ensure high efficacy and stability. (please confirm if this is true and clarify if the sources of these actives are naturally-derived or they're synthetic).
- Evidence-Based & High-Performance: We are passionate about R&D and advanced formulation and use the optimal concentration of potent botanicals and cosmeceuticals that have been scientifically substantiated for their efficacy. We don't use controversial ingredients, water as a base, or cheap fillers. We also use liposomes (encapsulated ingredients) to aid in the absorption of ingredients in the skin and ensure they don't degrade as quickly.
- Ingredient Transparency & Ethical Sourcing: Our ingredients are ethically sourced from suppliers worldwide at fair trade prices. We list all of our ingredients on our product page, giving you complete visibility of what's included in each product.
- Sustainable Packaging: We are always thinking about how to be sustainable in how we package and sell our products. We use recycled paper for our outer packaging and 100% recyclable Miron glass for our bottles.
What else we stand for -
To us, being a green or clean beauty brand doesn't just stop at our formulation philosophy. It also applies to our company's inclusive, diverse, and community-centric credos.
- Women-led & Multi-Cultural Team: We pride ourselves on having a team of women from different backgrounds and walks of life. Half the team is first-generation immigrants!
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Giving back to our community is vital at OKOKO. We partner with the nonprofits Beauty Night Society, One Tree Planted, and The David Suzuki Foundation. Oyéta also mentors aspiring female beauty entrepreneurs, especially BIPOC founders, through OKOKO House of Brand and Mentoring for Beauty Entrepreneurs, hoping to pave the way to more diverse representation in beauty. This initiative provides business insights and mindset training to help founders navigate the challenges of launching and growing their businesses.
