Okay ladies, now let's get in formation.
The idea of shopping for beauty products in trying times such as these can be fleeting, but you can be just as concerned with the state of your skin as you are with the state of the world—the two aren't mutually exclusive. The beauty industry is actually pretty unique in that it's one of the many that women were the first to make strides in something. Take Madam C.J. Walker, who was the first woman and woman of color who was a self-made millionaire in the United States, or Elizabeth Arden, who pioneered the idea of eye makeup as well as the term "makeover" in addition to countless skincare formulas.
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Today, the beauty industry has proven to be just as revolutionary, and through partnerships with organizations focused on women's rights, the impact made by a single purchase exceeds that of your makeup bag. Here, we put together a list of 9 beauty brands donating proceeds toward organizations that put women first.
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Tatcha
With the purchase of every full-sized Tatcha product, like the super-nourishing Camellia Beauty Oil, the brand will fund a day of school for girls in need through their partnership with the Room to Read Girls' Education Program.
Sustain Natural
This personal and sexual care line put women's needs at front and center, as evidenced by their natural, vagina-friendly formulas, and the 10% donation to Planned Parenthood and other women's health organizations from each purchase.
Mary Kay
Your mother's favorite direct-sales brand is getting in on the girl power momentum, too—$1 from the sale of each Beauty That Counts Baked Blush will go toward The Mary Kay Foundation, which supports survivors of domestic abuse, and women's shelters.
Beautiful Rights
With shade names like Pantsuit Pink, Politically Pout, and Gloss Ceiling, it's the perfect range for all the Nasty Women out there, and better yet, 20% of all proceeds benefit a wide range of organizations devoted to supporting women's rights. Upon checkout, you can choose which organization you'd like your purchase to be donated toward, like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, or Emily's List. Let the 20% contribution also serve as a reminder of the wage gap—women in the U.S. still get paid 20% less than men for doing the same work.
Earth Tu Face
These organic formulas are good for your body, and do a world of good for women's rights. 5% of proceeds from the Coconut and Cardamom Body Butter (pictured) will go towards Planned Parenthood, while 5% of sales from the Universal Face Serum ($62; earthtuface.com) benefit the ACLU.
Senteurs d'Orient
This soap and bodycare line is inspired by the hammam bathing rituals of the Middle East, and it's safe to say the Royals are fans—or anyway, they like the handcrafted soaps enough to stock them at the eco-luxury shop in the royal Highgrove Estate. In conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, the brand is using proceeds from the sales of each product to help send women in Lebanon to school.
Clove + Hallow
In an effort to break the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health, 15% from the sales of Clove + Hallow's "Psych" lip color will be donated toward the Georgia Chapter of Mental Health of America, which will go toward education and outreach centered around mental illness.
Honest Beauty
Fact: more women belong in the tech industry and Jessica Alba's Honest company wants to make sure that happens, which is why the brand has partnered with Girls Who Code and donates a portion of the proceeds from each product sold to the organization.
Desert Essence
By February 2018, Desert Essence hopes to donate up to $10,000 from the sales of this all-purpose hair and body oil toward the Because I Am a Girl initiative, which ensures that girls in the developing world will have education, healthcare, clean water, and food, among other basic human rights.
