Tag Archive for: Lipstick

Meet Molly Hart of HIGHR Collective

Molly Hart is the founder and CEO of HIGHR Collective, a certified B Corp beauty company reimagining the lip category. She and her team take the terms “clean” and “sustainable” to new heights, whether it comes to formulating products or supply chain considerations. See what the process entails and how HIGHR is reinventing what it means to be green in the beauty industry.

What inspired you to create HIGHR Collective?

While working in social media for all the big beauty brands, I had a direct line of communication to our customers on a daily basis.  Everyday, I was fielding questions from our customers about ingredient safety, environmental impact and shade frustrations.  When constant customer concerns went ignored by decision makers, I knew there was a gap in the cosmetics market for a cleaner, greener product line.

What do you think most clean and luxury lip companies lack, and how does HIGHR Collective bridge that gap?

HIGHR is different because our focus is lip products.  Our founding purpose was due to the lip category being the most invasive category in the beauty industry (the only category we directly ingest), thus giving us a clear mission to switch as many cosmetics consumers into cleaner lip options. 

We also started with one hero product (HIGHR Lipstick), and we gave ourselves the challenge of building the cleanest supply chain around this one product.  That led to solar powered formulation, wind powered packaging, removing all pervasive synthetic ingredients in lip formulation, and tracking and offsetting all remaining operational CO2 to produce the world’s first CO2 neutral lipstick.

By working this way, we also became the first certified B Corp™ in our competitive space, meaning that we have met the highest verified standard of social and environmental impact, transparency and accountability.

How is HIGHR Lipstick CO2 neutral—and the world’s first lipstick to be classified as such?

We use as much renewable energy throughout our supply chain as possible, and then offset the remaining footprint with our friends at Native Energy.  As I mentioned, we use solar and wind in our immediate supply chain.  The tricky part then is finding partners, representing our Scope 2 and 3 emissions, who have the same values as we do.  We vet our partners and their operational ways of working relating to energy consumption before bringing them onto team HIGHR.  

We’ve also found some great gold standard projects to support in North America that are working to expand the use of renewable energy.  Our most recent project, the Crow Lake Wind Project in North Dakota, keeps as much as 430,000 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere annually!

Our total product footprint is calculated by tracking all CO2 emissions from the beginning of product development through to final product, negated by our renewable use, and then coming to a total footprint left to offset (all calculated by Native Energy).  Once the offset is complete the product is officially CO2 neutral – meaning that we saved as much CO2 as we created making the product.

What kinds of ingredients are on your “never” list and why?

I didn’t start formulating with a “never” list, per se.  I thought that lip product formulations were corporately irresponsible so I started by making a 100% organic product, and then working back from there to achieve a professional standard.  Our products are between 60 – 74% organic, with the remaining formula made of plant derived emollients and actives.  

We’re lucky in that there’s some great innovation happening in the creation of coconut derived silicone replacements, which give the silky texture of a traditional silicone lipstick.  In my view, there’s no excuse to put silicone, synthetic wax, mineral oil or polyethylene in a lip product.  Those ingredients also have no place near or on your mouth.

What’s your brand’s secret to balancing the beauty needs/goals of the consumer with sustainability and clean formulation considerations?

At HIGHR, we want to focus on a tight range of product that are as universally flattering as possible rather than create newness for the sake of it.  We’re finding balance by formulating different lip product formats so that we have a lip product for everyone.  

We start each product the same way – organic.  We then work back from there until we achieve a professional level product that customers will love.

What’s been your most rewarding moment with the brand to date, and what do you still hope to accomplish?

There are highs and lows with all startups. HIGHR has been worn by some very recognizable faces, and we’re starting to partner with retailers – these have all been great moments.  But the most rewarding moments hands down are the emails I get from customers with kind words on the business and product.  It always grounds me and reminds me why I started, and it’s so thrilling to know that people across the world have incorporated our products into their lives.  Our goal is to reach 1 million cosmetics customers with HIGHR lip products in the next 5 years.

What are your skincare and self-care non-negotiables?

Hyaluronic Acid is my number one.  During the pandemic, I royally messed up my skin barrier by using too many acids and HA was the only product that would help.  Since then, I’ve switched my chemical exfoliant to the physical Goldfaden MD Doctor’s Scrub.  It exfoliates and has the added benefit of retexturizing my skin.  

The biggest part of my self-care routine is family.  I walk my children to school every morning, which is the best start to the day.  Children are tremendous sources of joy, and I find it easiest to switch off from the ups and downs of business when I’m with them.

 

by
,

Radiant Renewal Skin Series: Rosy Lipstick

All things beauty. All things glam. This is why we wanted to ask skincare and beauty blogger Rosy Lipstick to swap out her skincare regimen for our Radiant Skin Renewal Starter Kit. Here is what she had to say.

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 12.02.57 PM
1. What is the biggest problem you face with your skin?
Dryness and sensitivity.

2. How did you like Goldfaden MD’s Radiant Renewal Starter Kit and Light Treatment?
The Starter Kit was a simple cleansing routine and the Light Treatment was astoundingly good!  I literally saw my two dark spots near my chin 50% lighter within a week!

3. Does it help?
It really does.

4. What is/was your favorite part of the regimen, and why?
The cleanser was effective, yet didn’t dry out my skin.

5. Have you noticed your skin behaving differently since using Goldfaden MD?
There is an overall brightening effect that is amazingly noticeable.

6. Would you recommend Goldfaden MD to your readers? And why?
I definitely would. The products are natural with none of the extra chemicals that makes me feel good about what I’m putting on my skin.

You can follow @RosyLipstick on Instagram here and shop our Radiant Skin Renewal Starter Kit here.

by

How long do our beauty products really last?

If you’re like us, our bathroom cabinets and drawers can get crowded with beauty products that can often times go unused and/or forgotten about. We’d love to think that they could all last forever (being the beauty junkies that we are), but that’s simply just not the case. We decided to debunk the facts about the most commonly kept lotions, potions and makeup that builds up in our cabinets.

Screen Shot 2015-03-23 at 2.58.00 PMPhoto via SarahLovsMakeup

LIPSTICK

  • What is the standard guideline for when to throw out a used tube of lipstick? 1-2years
  • Is there circumstance where it could have a longer shelf life? If so, how long much further can we go past the recommended throw-out time period? Lipsticks last longer than lip gloss because there isn’t an application wand being exposed to air all the time. A good rule of thumb is that if it smells rancid or feels different(too waxy or sticky) then throw it away.
  • What are the skin risks of swiping on a tube that’s too old? Probably won’t make you sick but it can taste bad and dry out the lips. In severe cases expired lipstick can cause irritation to the lip area. If you suffer from cold sores and used your lipstick while having a breakout definitely throw it away as you may have contaminated it.

SUNSCREEN

  • When should we throw out sunscreen that has been opened? Most sunscreens have expiration dates listed and this will vary depending on ingredients. With our Sun Visor SPF30, we recommend 12 moths after opening. Since the sun can be so harmful and damaging to the skin and our health, you should obey the expiration date. Sunscreen will not be as effective post expiration date and therefore may allow for sunburn and most certainly sun damage and skin damage.
  • If your sunscreen doesn’t have an expiration date on it, is there a way to tell if it has gone bad? It may appear clumpy, yellow in hue, watery or smell funny. If you are unsure then toss it and buy a new bottle.

SKINCARE CREAM

  • When should we throw out face cream that has been opened? 6-12 months
  • What if we neglect to use it, will it still be good? Depends on the ingredients and the packaging. Natural products formulated ‘without preservatives’ will go bad first. Water based products are also the first to go. Airless pumps or tubes will last a little longer than jars as jars get cross contaminated by bacteria on your fingers and in the air.
  • Is there anything we can do to make our face cream last as long as possible? If your product is a face oil or has active ingredients like Vitamin C, acids or Retinol, it should be packaged in a dark glass container and kept in a cool dark place. If you’re using a jar absolutely utilize the spatula that comes with it as this keeps your fingers and bacteria out of the jar. If it doesn’t come with a spatula then get one or use something disposable or that you can clean after each use.

PRESSED POWDERS

  • What is the typical guideline for throwing out loose and pressed powder (including blushes and bronzers)? 12 months
  • What can we really get away with? If the product has not been contaminated by either skin infections(breakouts) or bacteria from brushes then maybe 2 years. This brings up the topic of keeping brushes clean. Clean brushes will prolong the lifespan of your makeup. If you’re using a sponge in the compact make sure to keep it clean or replace it.

LIQUID FOUNDATION

  • When should we throw out liquid foundation that has been opened? 6-12 months
  • Is there any flexibility? If foundation is in a pump then it will last longer as it is not being contaminated. If you dab your fingers in the foundation jar always make sure you have washed your hands first or use a brush or disposable sponge
  • Should we follow these same guidelines for concealer or does it have a different shelf life once opened? Similar guideline depending on the packaging. If its in a pump then it will last the longest. If it is a little wand that you touch to imperfections on the skin, make sure you wash this and replace every 6 months. Skin infections and breakouts have bacteria and this can get transferred onto the wad or brush and then back into the container, so really keep these clean.
by