The C&TH Good Brands Directory
4 months ago
Conscious brands to have on your radar
Unsplash
In a world rife with greenwashing, how do you spot the companies who are actually walking the walk? Enter our Good Brands Directory, a little black book of names who are accredited by either B Corp, Positive Luxury or Green Salon (and occasionally all three) – from whisky distillers to refillable beauty. All the brands featured have been through rigorous and comprehensive assessments surrounding their social and environmental impact, so you can rest assured you’re investing in names who are doing the right thing for people and the planet.
The C&TH Good Brands Directory
Wild
Wild is shaking up the throwaway culture of bathroom products, with their high-performing natural body care. Rejecting single-use plastic, the brand has created a reusable deodorant applicator and shower gel case, made from aluminum, that never compromise on convenience or efficacy. There are seven delicious-smelling scents, from orange and neroli to coconut and vanilla to jasmine and mandarin blossom, including several sensitive fragrances containing zero baking power. Best of all, you can fill up your cases again and again with Wild’s bamboo pulp refills delivered straight through your letter box. Impressively, this saves over 30 grams of plastic going to landfill.
The Real Flower Company
The Real Flower Company was born in 1995 when founder Rosebie Morton was disillusioned by the lack of locally-sourced, scented flowers on the market. Most flowers you find in supermarkets are mass produced, laced with pesticides, farmed with excess water and wrapped in single use plastic – not those from The Real Flower Company. All their produce is sustainably grown, ranging from beautiful naturally-scented roses to English flowers, herbs and foliage all grown on their own LEAF-accredited farms.
The Botanist
Conceived, distilled and hand-crafted on Islay, The Botanist uses 22 sustainably foraged island botanicals. Throughout the year, James Donaldson and Kate Hannett, The Botanist’s professional foragers, roam the hills, meadows and moors of this remote Hebridean island to hand-pick apple mint, bog myrtle, chamomile and other local botanicals. The botanicals are then dried to preserve their flavour and aroma, before being slowly simmer distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery in a unique Lomond Still, nicknamed Ugly Betty, by Head Distiller Adam Hannett.
Star Seed
Star Seed is using nature’s healing powers to redefine the beauty industry. Their unisex, anhydrous (water-free) formulations are curated for sensitive skin. Naturally vegan, wild and organic, Star Seed’s botanical skincare formulations re-wild the skin’s microbiome. The brand’s focus on circularity extends to their beautiful artisan wood and refillable glass packaging, too, while 10 percent of profits go directly to regenerating indigenous forests and mangroves in sourcing areas.
Sarafumi
Born from Sarah Kelly’s passion for honeybees, Guernsey-based Sarafumi takes local fragrance to another level. Sarah handmakes every product, combining high-quality natural waxes and essential oils, from responsible suppliers. Each candle and cream is designed to stimulate the senses, to re-energise, relax and unwind. The aim is to promote Guernsey’s natural beauty, through these creations, by developing products infused with the island’s natural fragrances.
Sapling Spirits
Founded in 2018 as the world’s first climate positive British-made spirits brand, Sapling produces both Vodka and a London Dry Gin range. Using local ingredients to reduce transport emissions, it is four times distilled from 100 percent British wheat and blended with charcoal filtered, deionised water. For every bottle sold, a tree is planted – and a unique code on the bottle shares where the tree was planted. To date, the company have planted over 263,000 trees.
Prodigy Snacks
Inspired by the classics, Prodigy is reinventing our favourite chocolate bars and biscuits, only better. Better because they are made using delicious 100 percent natural, plant-based ingredients, exceptional single-origin cacao, and a uniquely low percentage of natural sugar. The UK’s first plastic negative chocolate bar and carbon neutral, every bar sold funds the clean-up of 10 ocean bound plastic wrappers from the environment.
Oddbox
This pioneering brand is fighting food waste, one curvy cucumber at a time. From stressed asparagus to out-of-season sprouts, Oddbox rescues and redistributes imperfect or surplus fruits and vegetables. Its mission revolves around transforming the way consumers perceive produce by embracing the uniqueness and character of ‘odd’ fruits and veggies that might be overlooked by traditional retailers.
Neal’s Yard Remedies
Neal’s Yard Remedies is on a mission to prove that organic skincare works. Ever since launching in 1981, this pioneering health and beauty brand has harnessed the power of nature, delivering products with proven results, while preserving the biodiversity of our planet. The tree in their logo symbolises their belief that outer beauty and inner health should be in perfect balance, and their skincare reflects this ethos by combining the ancient powers of aromatherapy and herbalism with modern skin science.
MATILDE
MATILDE is on a mission to create an earth-friendly alternative to traditional jewellery, without compromising on quality or design. Founded by Matilde Mourinho, who launched her eponymous line after discovering the detrimental effects of the mining industry, each beautiful piece of jewellery is crafted from lab-grown diamonds and 100 percent recyclable 14k gold. This sustainable approach is at the heart of the brand, such as the dust pouches which are made from organic pre-washed canvas.
L.A Brewery
L.A Brewery’s sparkling non-alcoholic drinks provide an uplifting alternative to alcohol, with a rich layered complex flavour profile. Made using natural fermentation with innovative blends of tea, wild plants and flowers, the brand takes inspiration from the garden, with natural ethically-sourced ingredients, from trusted and local suppliers. Each of the drinks are sustainably brewed at the brand’s micro-brewery in Suffolk, which runs on 100 percent dark green energy, generated from a biodigester that converts local organic waste into energy.
Krī Skincare
Krī Skincare’s ethos is to make more with less. Guided by science, efficacy and simplicity, the results-driven products are made with a tightly curated selection of evidence-based ingredients that are the pillars of healthy skin. This means you won’t find 20–plus ingredients in any of their skincare. From cleansing to sun protection, Krī products are made to seamlessly work together as part of a daily routine.
Journeys With Purpose
Journeys With Purpose creates transformative experiences to the most ambitious, exciting and successful initiatives protecting and restoring nature in the world’s wildest corners. Alongside the brand’s bespoke offering, Seven Worlds One Planet is a series of exclusive journeys for small groups. The trips, hosted personally by the pioneers that propel them, give unprecedented access to remarkable rewilding initiatives that are shifting the needle in nature conservation.
Inlight Beauty
Inlight advocated ‘clean beauty’ from the outset, long before this term turned into a ‘buzz word’. Handcrafted in Cornwall, this 100 percent organic natural skincare works with the skin for visible results, promoting health and radiance. Dr Mariano Spiezia – medical doctor, clinical herbalist and homeopath – is the wisdom behind the brand. He synthetises over 30 years of his orthodox medical knowledge, the extraordinary yet complex world of green chemistry and his innate passion for alchemy into each formulation.
Form Nutrition
Launched in 2017, Form started with a simple belief: that you can realise the greatest version of yourself while being mindful of others. The result is an impact-driven, award-winning nutrition company, offering plant-based protein powders and responsibly-sourced nootropics backed by science and designed to optimise overall wellbeing. Packed with high-quality ingredients and no nasties, the formulas support everything from performance and muscle growth, to improving sleep and preventing cognitive decline.
Ethica Diamonds
Ethica Diamonds is challenging the carbon-loaded and unethical nature of the diamond industry by producing sublime, sustainably-sourced jewellery, designed to last for generations. Founded by a mother and daughter team in Cornwall, the brand is redefining the meaning of luxury jewellery. They exclusively use lab-grown diamonds, working with growers who use renewable energy, and support local communities, prohibit child labour and ensure safe working conditions.
Elvis & Kresse
Elvis & Kresse is a blueprint of what business as a force for good means. The brand was established in 2005 to save London’s decommissioned fire hoses. Founders ‘Elvis’ Henrit and Kresse Wesling fell in love with these old hoses (too damaged to repair and destined for landfill) and mounted a rescue. Today, Elvis & Kresse’s highly skilled craftspeople make beautifully designed homeware and accessories, including bags, belts and wallets, from 15 different reclaimed materials.
Bruichladdich
Bruichladdich Distillery was established in 1881 on the Scottish island of Islay by the Harvey brothers, but eventually closed in 1994. In 2001, Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and then-Head Distiller Jim McEwan reopened it, with a vision to produce the world’s most thought-provoking spirits. Reconnecting land and dram, Bruichladdich single malts are distilled, matured, and bottled solely on the island. In 2020, Bruichladdich became one of the world’s only distilleries, and the first Scotch whisky and gin distillery in Europe, to be B-Corp certified.
Bower Collective
Eliminating plastic waste from our homes is at the core of Bower Collective’s sustainable mission. The brand makes circularity effortless – order refills of everything from laundry detergent to hand wash, limescale remover to hair care, then send the empties back to Bower for free to be endlessly reused and refilled. Impressively, Bower’s refill revolution has eliminated 14,237kg of plastic waste in the last year alone.
BAV TAiLOR
‘Respect your body + your sphere’ is the mantra behind this luxury soul-transforming brand. Founded by London-born ‘nomad in spirit’ Bav Tailor, her holistic company entails a 360°approach to wellbeing, encouraging love of mind, body and ātman (the self), while nurturing the sphere that surrounds us.
886 by the Royal Mint
Sustainability has never looked more luxurious. The Royal Mint’s philosophy has circularity at its core, creating quality jewellery collections designed to last a lifetime. Its 886 collection uses gold reclaimed from electronic waste, and repurposed silver from NHS-discarded X-ray films, and crowns the company as pioneers of innovative technologies in reclaiming precious metals. The stunning jewellery, by award-winning British Creative Director Dominic Jones, is timeless and elegant and is inspired by The Royal Mint’s heritage and expertise as Britain’s oldest maker.
