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Private Review: JVN Haircare

Rating: GREEN

Why We Chose Them:

Have you ever heard of the show Queer Eye? If you said no, you should watch it and look out for Jonathan Van Ness, a member of the Fab Five. He offers his talents in beauty and haircare giving people another chance to be the person they want to be. After watching the show, we of course wanted to try his sustainable hair care line. 

What’s Good:

We ordered the Nurture Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner along with his Pre-Wash Hair Oil. The Pre-Wash Hair Care Oil is one of the best hair care products that I have ever tried. I have colored blonde hair and this product moisturizes my scalp before I wash it and makes my hair more voluminous while healing my scalp. I tried the oil before a few different washing products and each time I noticed a positive difference. The Shampoo & Conditioner both had a very potent scent so if you like a lot of fragrance this is a positive. Both of these products help get rid of frizz but there were no visible hydrating effects. Out of these three products, the Pre-Wash Hair Care Oil will be a new addition to my hair care routine. I could do without the Shampoo and Conditioner, mainly because the scent is so strong. For now, I will continue to use all three of the products because they agree with my hair but there are definitely better products out there.

What you should know:

Jonathan paid special attention to his company’s use of plastic and waste production. He only uses four types of packaging. The first is his post-consumer recyclable caps. These caps are used on either 100% recyclable jars or tubes. For the final packing step, he uses Forest Stewardship Council® paper. To make it easier for consumers, he provides a simple diagram showing how each type of packaging is recycled. Most companies could care less what consumers do at the end of their product’s life cycle. Jonathan is a great example of what companies need to start paying attention to in order to make sustainable changes.

What we would love to see:

Jonathan does a great job in his goal to end the use of plastic in his company. As we researched more into his company, we would love to know more about the ingredients he uses in his products. To earn a rating of Pink, we would need to know more about how these ingredients are sourced, what other resources are used to produce them, workplace conditions, and the social impacts of the manufacturing process. 

Resources we use:

https://jvnhair.com/

https://aprinnova.com/d5-alternative-silicone-free-antiperspirants/

Private:  FEOB Sustainability

We developed our sustainability scale to rate brands and their products based on the following criteria

Pink: Top Notch

• Transparent about the entire process concerning the environment, animals, and people (raw materials → final product) 

• Does not contribute to environmental degradation or the displacement of people

•  Do not test on animals or people 

•  Use sustainable raw materials 

•  Sustainable packaging 

• Carbon neutral

•  Partners with other transparent organizations with third party certifications

• Life cycle assessments of products

• Clear detailed sustainability goals and action plan

Green: Compelling

• Transparent with most of the process, however important details in the supply chain and the manufacturing or delivery processes may not be included

• Most of the process does not contribute to environmental degradation or the displacement of people

• Does not test on animals or people 

• The majority of raw materials are derived from sustainable sources

• Sustainable packaging

• Not carbon neutral, but are working on it

• Partners with mostly transparent organizations. May have some third party certifications

•  Include a sustainable vision of some kind

Orange: Help Me

•  Not transparent about crucial stages of the process

• Most likely contributes to environmental degradation or the displacement of people

• Does not test on animals or people

•  The majority of raw materials are not derived from sustainable sources

•  May have sustainable packaging 

•  Not carbon neutral

•  Potentially partners with transparent organizations, however, this is not a priority

• May not have a clear sustainable vision

• Potentially greenwashing 

Grey: Failed

• Not transparent in any part of the process

•  Contributes to environmental degradation and the displacement of people

• Tests on animals or people

•  Raw materials are not derived from sustainable resources 

•  Does not have sustainable packaging

• Contributes to greenhouse gas emissions

•  Partners with industries that, whose practices harm the environment and people

•  Uses greenwashing techniques to lure people in

Private: Sustainability Glossary

Disclaimer: We are not experts in each subject we discuss in our blogs. We are using the knowledge we learned from our degrees and our individual research to determine which companies and products we believe are sustainable.  

Carbon Neutral:

A business is carbon neutral when the emissions they or their suppliers produce in all stages of the manufacturing and production process are offset by activities that remove carbon from the atmosphere. These activities include carbon capture, planting of forests, and more. Although carbon neutral is a great goal, we want to ensure that these industries limit their total carbon emissions. 

Displacement of People:

This means the removal of people without permission and/or fair compensation. We want to ensure that the actions of these companies and their suppliers do not directly or indirectly displace people even in the name of conservation. These situations are complex and must be treated as so.

Environmental Degradation:

Environmental Degradation is the result of damaging activities often seen in the fashion industry. This includes water pollution from chemical waste, deforestation, land pollution, acid rain, monoculture, and more. 

Greenwashing:

Greenwashing occurs when companies market their products as sustainable using false or misleading information to persuade their consumers to purchase their products. One of the first things we look at is a company’s transparency in every stage of the manufacturing and production process.

Life cycle Assessments:

A life cycle assessment is the environmental and social impact of a product in every stage of the product’s “life”, from the manufacturing stage to its disposal. 

Sustainable Packaging:

We look at where the materials come from and if they can be recycled or reused. Most companies we look at have packaging that can be recycled. This is a great first step. The materials used should come from ethical sources. 

Sustainable Raw Materials:

The raw materials are often left out of the conversation in the fashion industry. We look at how a company sources its fiber, and who they source it from. We want to find clothes made from fibers that are recyclable and plant-based with a minimum amount of water and land used to produce it. We also look at the impacts textile industries have on their surrounding communities, both the environment and the people. Other materials that are known for their environmental consequences, such as leather and wool, we look for companies that only upcycle these materials to end slaughterhouses. 

Third-Party Certification: 

Third-party certification is a great way to ensure that a company is being transparent about its manufacturing and production process. We look for companies that list their third-party certifications. We then research these third parties and examine their transparency as well. So far, we have found AZ sustainability alliance and Sustainable Business Consulting as great third parties that provide certifications. 

Transparency:

This is the first thing we look for in a company. As mentioned in the disclaimer, there are not many fashion companies and products that are sustainable. Therefore, the first step towards having a sustainable future is being transparent about the impacts and actions in every step of the manufacturing and production process. We look at how the materials are sourced, who they source it from, the amount of energy and water used, the impacts on the surrounding environment and local communities, the treatment of workers, and more. 

Private: Top 10 Reasons We Love This Brand

Rating: PINK

1. It’s Trendy

Shopping sustainable should be an easy way to help the environment, but in reality, most sustainable fashion companies have clothes that aren’t that fashionable. The first thing we love about Reformation is how trendy they are! Even if they were not sustainable, I would be drawn to this company’s fresh style and flair. That said, trendy is not enough, so kudos to Reformation for combining style and sustainability. 

2. Transparency

Reformation keeps up with current trends while maintaining full transparency in all stages of manufacturing and production. They provide lists of every company involved in the life cycle of each product and establish criteria and specific standards that must be met. 

3. Code of Conduct

Their code of conduct is based on international labor organization standards and applies to all workers directly in their company as well as in their supplier companies. Reformation also requires periodic sustainability training with documentation from their companies and suppliers. If there are any complaints or issues, they add them to their action plan to address all concerns.

4. Animal Cruelty-Free

Reformation does not accept anything that has been tested on animals at any stage of the manufacturing and production process. They address anything and everything concerning nutrition, environment, physical health, behavior, and mental health. 

5. Fiber standards

Unlike most fashion companies, Reformation pays special attention to the raw materials used in their clothes. They follow strict fiber standards using a five-category scale that identifies what they are allowed to use and how they are allowed to use it. They also use FibreTrace®, which tracks the fibers throughout its entire life cycle. 

6. Water Use

The most important resource used in the fashion industry is water. Reformation is 100% water neutral! Here’s why; they source fabrics that are not water-intensive. They also offer incentives and compensation to farmers and ranchers to use less water. Reformation has partnered with Bonneville Environmental Foundation and is restoration water certified. It is important to pay attention to a company’s transparency about its water use.

7. Shoes suck! – Reformation

Do you know why shoes suck according to Reformation? Well, it is because of the negative environmental consequences of producing leather. Even vegan leather is often made from “fancy” plastic that pollutes our earth. Reformation uses a minimal amount of leather that comes from supplies with a ‘gold’ or ‘silver’ Leather Working Group (LWG) certification. 

8. Limited Chemical and Substance use

One thing most people forget about the clothing industry is their use of hazardous chemicals. To address this issue, reformation created two restricted substance lists; one for each step in the manufacturing process and another one for the finished products. 

9. Packaging

Packaging is often the only sustainable action that companies focus on, so of course, Reformation sets the bar in this area as well. The company uses recyclable packaging that is plastic-free. Their use of paper comes only from sustainable forests and aims to decrease their use of paper by using other innovative solutions. 

10. Carbon footprint 

Since 2015, Reformation has been 100% carbon neutral! This means that their activities or support for other organizations balance their CO2 emissions. They are transparent about their total carbon emissions and reveal where emissions come from in all steps of their manufacturing and production process. With this in mind, they continuously aim to decrease their emissions starting with ones that are emitted in their raw materials phase. 

Things to think about:

Although Reformation has earned our Pink rating, there are always ways to improve. We have two suggestions for them.

1. Reformation is currently sourcing their leather from transparent industries with strict standards on their use of land. They could go further than this and focus on the welfare of the animals until they find a new solution to leather.  

2. They are transparent about their CO2 emissions, however, they should also include the emissions from industries they have interest in but no control over. 

Resources:

Reformation website: https://www.thereformation.com/categories/all-clothing?gclid=CjwKCAjw7–KBhAMEiwAxfpkWDwf8P1aP6RX3-e9hIZVcg9I5VI8HR76gtyLaf8uIGhik4rZtr85rRoCThEQAvD_BwE

Bonneville Environmental Foundation: https://www.b-e-f.org/

Private: Boscia Konja Cleansing Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal

Part of my skin care regimen has always been to exfoliate, but its tough to know how much. I always use my Clarisonic at night but needed something more gentle in the morning. I’ve tried scrubs but those still tended to be too harsh.

A few weeks ago I tried a Boscia Konjac Cleansing Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal. So far it has done wonders for my skin. I use it in the morning with a gentle cleanser and it exfoliates very lightly. I would highly recommend this to those who want exfoliation for sensitive skin at a reasonable price.

Private: Kat Von D IT Tattoo Concealer

I was on a mission for a perfect concealer. So, I went to work researching and saw that this product had great reviews. In the description, the founder, Kat Von D says that the concealer is customizable with enough coverage to cover a tattoo.

Although I don’t have any tattoos, I do have some flaws that need covering. I got the product and was excited to try it. Every review that I read was right, this concealer really is amazing. It has great coverage, long lasting wear, good color, and blends nicely.

With some concealers running fifty dollars plus, for around twenty-five dollars I consider this concealer a good value. So far I am very happy with this product.