7 Cruelty-free Skincare Brands in India that have Changed the Game!

2020 has been a roller coaster ride for many of us. But one thing we learned this year is to take care of ourselves i.e Self-care. 

Self-care means giving ourselves the same grace, compassion, and care that we give to others. And skincare is one form of self-care. As the skin is the largest organ of our body, it needs the same TLC as other organs.

This year I have indulged myself in a lot of skincare routines & products. This post is about “Skincare brands that have changed the game”.

So, here is a list of Cruelty-free Skincare Brands.

PLUM

Plum is a Vegan and Cruelty-free skincare brand based in Mumbai. All their products are 100% vegan as they do not use any animal-derived ingredients. They don’t use ingredients and derivatives from ingredients such as honey, beeswax, wool, silk, shells, insects, bone, leather, etc, and ingredients filtered through animal-derived materials. Also, they don’t test products on animals.

 

All Plum products have plant-based actives that are carefully chosen and combined in a skincare formula. These plant-actives solve beauty numerous concerns and treat skin with the love and care it deserves

Plum has their very own in-house R&D facility that helps create all the goodness and they scour global safety standards before they put anything in formulations. There’s a hoard of chemicals they DO NOT use in any of our products. 

Their brand thrives on the motto CLEAN REAL GOOD

CLEAN: They use plant-based actives that are carefully chosen and combined in a skincare formula. They don’t use toxic chemicals that are harsh on the skin and/or harmful to the environment.

REAL: They believe in complete transparency, don’t make false promises and we also don’t keep any secrets. They have lists of ingredients they use & don’t use in their formulations.

GOOD: They are a PETA certified Cruelty-free brand. They use sustainable & recyclable packaging. They have an ‘Empties for Good’ program to recycle their packaging. And they donate 1% of their total sales to support environmental causes.

 

Their most popular products include:

Plum Green Tea range is specially made for oily, acne-prone skin. It is loaded with ingredients like green tea & glycolic acid.

Plum Green Tea Renewed Clarity Night Gel is the most talked about and loved by many.

The Olive & Macadamia range is their haircare range loaded with olive oil, macadamia oil, Vege-keratin, and UV shield.

Read this article featured in economic times to know what the founder of the brand has to say.

 

JUICY CHEMISTRY

Juicy chemistry is an Organic skincare brand based in Coimbatore. They are certified organic by ECOCERT (France) in accordance with COSMOS v3 standards

 

Juicy Chemistry was co-founded by Pritesh & Megha Asher in 2014 with a goal to provide effective skincare products formulated with the purest and the most nutrient-rich ingredients nature has to offer.

The brand strongly believes in keeping the ingredients raw and products preservative-free to ensure maximum benefit.

Their unique formulations are designed in-house and every ingredient earns its place to achieve a specific result. With carefully mixed ingredients in precise quantities and they make products in small batches to ensure maximum effective shelf-life. Also, each product is handcrafted with the finest local produce and organic essential oils. 

 

The concept of Juicy Chemistry revolves around sustainability. As the products do not contain any harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and sulphates, they do not cause harm to the environment. 

They also have a ‘Juicy chemistry recycle & reward program’

The brand sources its raw materials in an ethically sound manner from small farms and suppliers. 

 

Their most talked-about products are:

BLOOD ORANGE & ROSEHIP LIP BALM 

HELICHRYSUM & ROSEHIP FACIAL OIL

CHILLI, HORSETAIL & BLACK SEED HAIR OIL

 

Check out this article featured on YourStory to know more about Juicy Chemistry. 

 

Dr. SHETH’S

 

Dr. Sheths is a brand based in Mumbai.

Dr. Sheth’s is a dermatologist formulated luxury skincare range designed exclusively for Indian skin by three generations of skin doctors. The 3 Generations Of Expertise Are Dr. Sharat C. Desai, Dr. Rekha Sheth, Dr. Aneesh Sheth

Their product range is naturally inspired, medically created, and scientifically validated. All their products are vegan, cruelty-free, toxin-free, and sustainably derived.

Their most popular products are:

Neem & BHA Spot Clarifying Serum 

Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Mask 

Rosehip and Retinol Power Emulsion

Cica & Ceramide Overnight Repair Serum

Read this article to get some tips for glowing skin shared by Dr. Rekha Sheth.

 

ILANA ORGANICS

 

Ilana has a special place in my heart because it is based in Pune. Ilana Organics was co-founded by Nikita Deshpande & Amit Patil in 2018.

Ilana Organics source their ingredients from Organic and Trade Safe certified farms around the country. They look out for natural ingredients that pack a punch in their effects.

This brand maintains high standards for quality and formulation, provide professional opportunities to semi-skilled workers, and strive to be ethical in every process. 

Being progressively ethical for the betterment of personal skin and hair care and the environment is what sets them apart.

They are a Women’s Team & women empowering company.

Their guiding principles are being Conscious, Ethical, Transparent, & Effective.

Conscious – Meticulously sourcing from ethical and trade safe farms

Ethical – Uncompromising about quality and fair practices

Transparent – What’s on the ingredient list is what’s in the bottle

Effective – Exceptional results through rigorously researched formulations

 

Their most raved about products are:

BEET TINT – BEETROOT PIGMENTED LIP AND CHEEK TINT

ESSENCE OF WATERMELON

CLARIFYING TONER 

CLARIFYING SKIN SERUM 

 

JUST HERBS

 

Just herbs is an ayurvedic skincare brand based in Chandigarh. And it is co-founded by Neena Chopra, Arush Chopra & his wife Megha Sabhlok.

All their products are certified by the Ministry of Ayush, Govt. of India. They are also a PETA certified company.

The brand believes in simplicity and purity. All their formulations are based on ancient Indian wisdom and they use the purest of herbs and plant extracts.

All products by Just Herbs are free from Petrochemicals, Parabens, SLS/SLES PEG/PPG, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), and other harmful synthetic ingredients.

The core principles for these brands are Safety, Honesty, & Effectiveness.

Safety means products are free from Sulphates, Parabens, GMOs, bleaching agents, or any other carcinogenic or harsh chemicals

Honesty means they believe in full ingredient disclosure.

Effectiveness is creating products that work without compromising on their purity or the Ayurvedic principles they are based on.

 

Some of their most favorite products are:

Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum 

Kimsukadi Tail – Glow Boosting Facial Oil 

Herb Enriched Ayurvedic Lipstick Shade Sampler Kit 

Aloe Vera Facial Massage Gel

 

Read here to know how this brand came into existence.

 

EARTH RHYTHM

 

Earth Rhythm is a sustainable skincare brand founded by the dad-daughter duo, Siva & Harini.

They use only certified organic products. The ingredients used are naturally extracted to provide the best of what nature has to offer. From herbs and flowers to fruits and vegetables as well as butters and oils have their own formulas. Also, all ingredients are put together in unique recipes, formulated in their own kitchen, to nourish your skin and be kind to the planet.

Earth Rhythm as a brand uses sustainable and recyclable packaging.

Their most talked-about products are:

MURUMURU BUTTER SHAMPOO BAR 

CLEANSING BALM WITH MATCHA GREEN TEA 

PHYTO GEL WITH CENTELLA ASIATICA & HORSETAIL EXTRACT

 

Read this article featured in Forbes India to know more about Earth Rhythm.

 

Dot & Key

 

Dot & Key has a nature-forward approach to formulation to ensure all ingredients and actives are in their most natural skin-friendly usable form. They take every precaution to eliminate anything that has the smallest chance to adversely affect the human body and our environment.

Every one of D0t & Key product is tested clinically to ensure 100% dermatological safety.

They have a ‘REUSE, RECYCLE & REDUCE DOT & KEY EARTHCARE’ program

Their most popular products are:

AHA + BHA HYDRO PEEL EXFOLIATING SERUM 

10% NIACINAMIDE SPOT CORRECTOR SERUM (Read more about this product here)

AHA EXFOLIATING SLEEPING MASK

HYDRATING HYALURONIC FACE SERUM

 

I am all about cruelty-free skincare. Most of these brands are also vegan or organic, which a YAY for me.

These are all the brands that have caught my eyes & heart. Do share your experiences with these brands.