One of my best friends in the world, Steph, works for an absolutely badass green company. skinnyskinny is owned and operated by multi-talented entrepreneur Clara Williams (she also has a masters degree in Sculpture!). The business was mainly a hobby and online venture until recently, when she opened her Brooklyn storefront last November.
Every product (soaps, body oils, lip balms, bath salts, etc.) is handmade and wrapped within the beautifully exposed wooden walls of the shop. And when I referred to skinnyskinny as a "green" company earlier, I meant that in the truest of form. The packaging materials are recyclable, biodegradable, and sustainable. All of the ingredients are 100% organic, and virtually everything is vegan (with the exception of a single soap, which has goat's milk in it). The store is even run on wind energy! Last year, Greenopia gave skinnyskinny a 4 out of 4 rating, sharing the top nod with only three other major beauty companies.
Besides feeling fantastic about supporting them in the ethical sense, I also love the fact that I can count the number of ingredients in any given skinnyskinny product on my fingers AND I can pronounce them all (no sodium lauroyl isethionate here!). So, what we have here is a line of ridiculously planet-friendly products that smell amazing, are created by good people, are pretty, and actually work. What is this, heaven?
I am personally addicted to their tea tree and mint lip balm, where the words "peel biodegradable label before recycling tube" are printed. Yeah, this company is not kidding about being eco-savvy - they are the real deal. Maybe someday the hundreds of other companies out there offering sustainable products will catch up with skinnyskinny.
More info: www.skinnyskinny.com