Clean Beauty Boom

Today’s mindful consumers care about both their carbon footprints and the impact chemicals and additives have on their own bodies. Thanks to a number of local forces creating plant-based alternatives to meet the skyrocketing demand, it is, in fact, easy being green.

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In the span of a year, Carmen Kubista and her husband learned their daughter had celiac disease and their son had a severe tree nut allergy. These serious discoveries were game changers and prompted them to take a long, hard look at the products their family was putting in—and on—their bodies. Little did Kubista know this quest for healthy alternatives would evolve into a full-blown beauty biz. 

“We started questioning and reading labels,” says Kubista, who’s been an avid consumer of beauty products since her teenage years. She quickly became aware of the lack of transparency in both the food and skin care worlds. Even when it came to the skin care brands that claimed to be clean or natural, it was difficult to decipher ingredients and figure out  which ones contained gluten.

At the same time, Kubista grew frustrated with the disappointing results from her fancy antiaging skin care routine. So she delved deep into the clean beauty world and eventually developed Story Skin Care, a line of gluten-free essentials. Made up of just three staples (a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer), Story is formulated for all skin types and packed with natural ingredients and safe preservatives. The brand’s workhorse elixir? Eggshell membrane, a 100 percent natural, collagen- and elastin-rich protein that helps reduce wrinkles and inflammation, improve texture, and heal acne.

“So often people are actually using too many products in their regimen, which can cause a number of skin issues,” says Kubista, who spent more than two years researching and creating these formulas without synthetic preservatives or harsh chemicals. “When we are frustrated with our skin, many of us want to add something to our beauty cabinet instead of taking things away.” Her goal was simple: create something uncomplicated, clean, and results-driven with better ingredients.

While she’s not interested in expanding her Lakeville-based company’s core offerings simply to attract customers, Kubista is toying with the idea of adding an exfoliator or perhaps an ingestible down the road. For now, she says, “I want to stay thoughtful and keep focusing on what I have expertise in and what’s working well.” 

Stella Handmade and Natural 

After the birth of her first child, Lino Lakes native Anna Morley started making her own laundry detergent, all-natural cleaner, and diaper rash cream to free her family of artificial chemicals, fragrances, and colorants. As her repertoire continued expanding, her Stella Handmade and Natural line took shape. Today, the mother of four’s brand consists of more than 30 products for the skin (including a collection for expecting and new moms), the home, and even the family dog—yes, she’s created a lickable “paw balm” to keep canine pads soft and moisturized. Sales from her products often benefit local charities. When Morley recently teamed up with St. Paul-based Andrew’s Bravery Box and Black Lives Matter, she donated 100 percent of proceeds to the organizations. Shop online or connect with Morley directly for more-customized products. 

Odele

Since necessity is indeed the mother of invention, three Minnesota moms joined forces to help simplify overcrowded shower and vanity shelves harboring multiple shampoos and conditioners for every family member. The trio created Odele, a clean hair wash and styling brand positioned as gender neutral and free of sulfates, dyes, and synthetics. The name, a riff on the Norwegian phrase å dele, which means “to share,” speaks to the design team’s desire to develop fewer solutions that check more boxes. Each product in the line is formulated for all hair types—straight to coils, and fine to coarse—with the idea that one bottle can serve the needs of all who share the family shower. The products are also color safe and salon quality at an affordable price point (under $12). Available at Target stores or directly online. 

Aveda 

Clean, cruelty-free beauty has always been at the core of Minnesota-headquartered Aveda. Founded by beauty industry innovator and environmentalist Horst Rechelbacher in 1978 (and sold to Estée Lauder in the ’90s), the ahead-of-its-time and ever-evolving global brand has continued its mission of bettering the health of customers and the company’s impact on the planet. As of 2021, Aveda is now completely vegan. You might ask—wasn’t Aveda already vegan? Not entirely. While Aveda held multiple 100 percent vegan lines—including Nutriplenish and Botanical Repair—this new direction means swapping bee-derived ingredients (AKA honey and beeswax) used in hair, body, makeup, and aroma products for its own signature blend of natural waxes and butters—without the synthetic replacements. It may seem like this move is reacting to the current trend of clean and vegan beauty, but according to Christine Hall, VP of research and development, Aveda has been working on making the transition for three years. “Each year, we set environmental goals for ourselves in packaging, manufacturing, and sourcing,” says Hall, who says removing beeswax proved to be its biggest challenge to date. “It was a natural next step for the brand.”