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There’s something in your Facial Cleanser we need to talk about
The one ingredient no one thinks about, but everyone should.
And that something is Water. Because facial cleansers (and most household products) are up to 90% water. Just look at the ingredient list, water/aqua/eau is almost always first.
So why is water such a problem? I’ll give you 3 reasons
Reason #1: hormone disruption
To hold all that water, cleansers come in a lightweight, squeezable plastic bottle that is injected with chemicals known as ortho phthalates. And ortho phthalates can leach hormone disrupting chemicals into the cleanser and - likely - your face.
Should ortho phthalates be banned?
Dr. Russ Hauser, Professor of Reproductive Physiology at Harvard University thinks phthalates should be banned because it’s very hard for consumers to know which products contain ortho-phthalates — especially personal care products – and the potential health concerns from continuous exposure is difficult to measure because these chemicals are the ‘everyday, everywhere’ chemicals, meaning our exposure is constant.
If we removed water from cleansers, we wouldn’t need a plastic bottle, reducing our exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals - stay tuned for our alternative, (hint… it’s not a bar of soap).
Reason #2 The destruction of homes & habitats
Record breaking fires in California, hurricanes on the gulf coast, floods and melting glaciers. Think of all the damage to homes and habitats. And it’s all connected to our inefficient and over-use of fossil fuels or oil. Ugh, climate change.
According to the WWF, polar bears, green sea turtles, monarch butterflies, tigers, snow leopards & great pandas are the most affected by Climate Change.
To really make a difference - and reduce the impacts of climate change - we need to re-think things in a BIG way. So how do facial cleansers fit in? Well, in 2021 over 6 million imperial gallons of ‘cleanser water’ was shipped across the US alone.
Let’s break down the numbers.
The average cleanser is roughly 5.2oz (150ml) and at least 3.2oz (94ml) - is… water (you’re catching on). 271 MILLION bottles of facial cleanser were sold in the US in 2021, which adds up to about 6,773,437 gallons of water.
Now think of all the emissions released by shipping that water… and then think about all the other products in your home that contain mostly water - hand soap, dish soap, shampoo, body wash… the list goes on.
Image Credit: United Nations, 2023
And what hurts our planet also hurts you, me and everyone else, and I don’t mean in the future, I mean TODAY - right now.
“Last year was “part of a trend of hyperactive disaster years across the US”, said Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa)... Since 2016, there have been 122 separate billion-dollar weather and climate events that have, in total, killed more than 5,000 people and caused more than $1tn in damages.”
We think a simple, but highly effective step in the journey to carbon reduction is to stop shipping water and instead, add that water at home. Stay with me….
Reason #3 Plastic waste & increased plastic production
Plastic pollution is ‘old news’, but plastic production is not. Despite growing awareness of the problems with plastic - in our landfills, oceans and even our blood - the plastic industry is increasing production to offset losses in oil and gas (thanks to rising demand for electric vehicles and green energy).
“SINGAPORE, Feb 6, 2023 (Reuters) - Polluting single-use plastic production rose globally by 6 million tonnes per year from 2019 to 2021 despite tougher worldwide regulations, with producers making "little progress" to tackle the problem and boost recycling, new research showed on Monday.”
And the beauty industry is one of the biggest culprits, producing 120 Billion units EVERY YEAR. And the fancier the packaging, the more difficult it is to recycle, which means it ends up in landfill (where it will not decompose) or in our lakes, rivers and Oceans, and even back up the food chain to us.
And what about all those clean beauty brands that recycle their plastic? Well, it turns out, despite best intentions most of that plastic isn’t getting recycled either: “The more complex or costly the packaging, the harder it is to collect, separate and recycle. As a result, it makes it more economically viable to simply trash it than put forth the resources to recover it.” (Stephen Clark, Terracycle)
And if it does get recycled, the consumer often has to SHIP the plastic by letter mail - meaning more emissions. Honestly, how many busy people do you think will take the time ship their plastic packaging to get recycled? According to CNN “For cosmetics, most of these programs consist of mailing your empty beauty bottles, tubs and tubes — with a prepaid shipping label to TerraCycle.”
And how is double shipping a single container good for the planet - you’re just creating more emission shipping the empty bottel?
Okay, okay, I get it, enough with the doom and gloom, there is a problem with water in cleansers (and other household products) including emissions, hormone disruption and plastic waste so…
What’s that solution?
This
Check out this video I (Steve Reble, co-founder & CEO of etee) made about our highly concentrated facial cleanser with up to 60% less water than most cleansers and NO PLASTIC PACKAGING - just make sure to turn on the volume…
(Shout out to Amy Whinehouse and the Ronettes for the makeup inspiration).
And here’s what cosmetic chemist and influencer Javon Ford said in response:
“When I came across cosmetic chemist Javon Ford during a scroll through TikTok, it was a welcome relief… I’m often overwhelmed by the unending launches of beauty products and newly touted ingredients that promise to help alleviate my latest insecurity. Ford’s refreshing and simplified take was an outlier among the barrage of influencers promoting all the new, must-have goods.” (Huffington post)
So how was the cleanser made & will it work for you?
We made it just as Javon said, solid surfactants and a little water, which you add to potable water (filtered or clean drinking tap water) at home. NOTE: We have tested this formulation with a variety of drinking waters to account for different locations and we add preservatives (like all other cleansers) to ensure there is no contamination.
The end result?
A gentle, hydrating facial cleanser for normal, dry, combination and oily skin - with glycerin, ceramides and superfood extracts.
Pop It, Squeeze it, Use it, Leave it
Cut & squeeze pod into dispenser, pre-filled with 100 ml of potable drinking water.
Gently shake and let sit. Use 3-4 pumps to cleanse face.
Rinse and breakup pod into soil or compost.
Is this one of those ‘eco’ products that’s good for the planet but ‘meh’ for my skin?
We formulated it with a team of cosmetic chemists and a PHD in microbiology. Adding the water at home has no impact on the quality of the ingredients that cleanse your face. We set out to match or beat existing cleansers by blending gentle chemistry with well researched and effective natural extracts.
And what about the funky-looking green thing?
It’s a re-fill pod we developed ourselves (patent pending) using:
- Agricultural waste hemp (from Manitoba)
- Algae (from here in Ontario)
- Natural waxes (from the USA)
- Oils and resins (locally and abroad)
Which makes it 100% backyard compostable.
So what does this mean?
NO toxins getting into your body or marine life (and back up the food chain).
NO unnecessary emissions transporting water and making plastic packaging.
NO plastic sitting in landfill, rivers, lakes and oceans.
You only pay for - and ship - a gentle cleanser for your highly absorbent skin and our highly absorbent planet.
How our cleanser Measures up
Scroll horizontally to view the entire table
Etee |
Youth to the people |
Cerave
|
Drunk Elephant |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
$15 - 19 | $38 | $16.99 | $35 | |
A gentle, hydrating facial cleanser for normal, dry, combination and oily skin with glycerin, ceramides and superfood extracts. For normal, combination & oily skin. | An award-winning face wash with superfood extracts to remove makeup, support skin's pH balance, and clear buildup in pores that can lead to blemishes. Normal, combination, and oily. | Gentle Moisturizing Non-Foaming Facial Cleanser for Men & Women, Dry & Sensitive Skin, with Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides, Glycerin. Fragrance-Free, | A gentle cleanser to remove makeup, excess oil, pollution, and grime that rinses away without residue, leaving skin clean and soft. Normal, dry, combination, and oily. | |
backyard compostable pods, 1/2 - 1/3 lower carbon footprint | 60% water, heavy glass jar = high carbon footprint | 60% water, heavy glass jar = high carbon footprint | 60% water = high carbon footprint, plastic packaging | |
90-day guarantee, if you're not happy, will refund and buy you a cleanser of your choice | 30 days, must ship back | 30 days, must ship back | 30 days, must ship back |
So what do you think, are you willing to give it a try?
We've served over 300,000 customers in the past 6 years, we make our skin care products right here in Toronto, Canada (which means strict Canadian regulations and high workplace standards) and everything is backed by our 90 day guarantee.
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Ultra Facial Moisturizer with Hyaluronic acid and Algae
Ultra Facial Moisturizer with Hyaluronic acid and Algae
Featuring hyaluronic acid, Squalane & Euglena Gracilis (Algae derived beta glucan).
This face cream was made to hydrate, smooth and plump up your skin with our secret weapon - a small batch fermented algae (grown right here in Ontario) featuring a highly pure beta-glucan, known to promote collagen production and retain up to 20% more moisture than hyaluronic acid.
15% Vitamin C Serum
15% Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C is an antioxidant known to reduce dark spots & boost collagen. By combining this with our Algae derived beta glucan & hyaluronic acid, you get a restorative treatment that also hydrates from within and without.
It's very grippy, so it makes an excellent first layer of protection and hydration before applying moisturizer.
Beautypod Starter Bundle
Beautypod Starter Bundle
This bundle inlcude's Facial Cleanser (dispenser w/refill pod) BGI Moisturizer (jar w/refill pod) Vitamin C Serum (bottle).
Ginger Body Butter
Ginger Body Butter
A naturally nourishing body butter with a captivating scent and soothing relief for dry and irritated skin. Its rich formula visibly smooths your skin while creating a glow and leaving you feeling refreshed. Available in an 8 oz jar.
Deodorant Paste
Deodorant Paste
Our *NEW* Deodorant Paste is aluminum free and lightly scented with a blend of pure citrus essential oils. It’s enriched with shea butter to help keep your pits soft and smooth, and a natural active ingredient made from Zinc with odor absorption efficacy as well as baking soda to double up on its odor blocking properties.
Reusable Facial Cleanser Dispenser
Reusable Facial Cleanser Dispenser
A 'multi-use' glass dispenser, with water fill line to enable easy mixing and use of our facial cleanser (free with purchase of 3 pod / bottles or more).
Lemongrass Hand Soap Concentrate
Washing your hands thoroughly with soap is more effective than using hand sanitizer." (The New York Times, March 11, 2020), Each biodegradable pod holds our all-natural, bio-based concentrated hand soap, made with 100% plant-based ingredients and lemongrass essential oil. Free from sulphates, SLS, phthalates, sulphites, synthetics & colourants. Each 40ml pod makes 13.5oz/400ml of liquid hand soap.
Alcohol ethoxylate (botanical cleaning agent), polyglucoside (botanical cleaning agent), amine oxide (botanical cleaning agent), hydroxyethylcellulose (botanical viscosity modifier), etee proprietary essential oil synergy.
Dish Soap Concentrate
Now available in Lavender Lime!
Dish Soap Concentrate
Now available in Lavender Lime!
Each biodegradable pod holds our all-natural, bio-based concentrated dish soap, made with 100% plant-based ingredients. Free from SLS, Phthalates, Sulphites, Sulphates, Synthetics, Colourants and Fragrance. Each 40ml pod makes 13oz/400ml of liquid dish soap.
Glass Soap Dispenser
A perfect dispenser to make your new dish soap into!
Glass Soap Dispenser
A perfect dispenser to make your new dish soap into!
Grab a 16 oz glass mason jar with either a stainless steel or black pump top (with a plastic straw - this pump has the least plastic that we could source and is offered only due to popular demand). Either option is easy to use, slick, classy and looks great on your kitchen counter.
IRON CLAD GUARANTEE: Try Our Cleanser For 90 Days and LOVE It… Or You Pay Nothing. AND We’ll Buy Your Next Cleanser From Any Brand Of Your Choice.
If you’re not happy, we’re not happy. Seriously. We believe in our cleanser so much that we want to make this a no brainer for you. Order our cleanser today. Try it out for 90 days. If you don’t love it and feel it’s the cleanest experience you’ve ever had from end to end — just let us know. First, we’ll refund all your money back in full.
Second, on your request, we’ll buy you your next cleanser from any brand you want up to the equivalent amount you spent with us on our cleanser. All the risk is on us. That’s how much we believe in our products and KNOW you’ll love our cleanser. In the small chance you don’t… you have absolutely nothing to worry about. This is why over 300,000 people all over the world have trusted us over the past 6 years. Test the cleanser out first for 90 days… THEN make your final decision.
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Elizabeth Ann
"I absolutely LOVE IT! It doesn't dry out my face like other cleansers and it works incredible!" 🥰
Abigail Sergenese
"Works great, skin feels so good and not dried out! Love the packaging, it's fun to make!"
Mandy Lee Joseph
"I've been using this for a few months now, and I love it. I have oily skin and wash A LOT, but it feels so good, never dry. Such a cool concept."