e.l.f. Beauty achieves sustainable sourcing with Fair Trade USA certification

08 Sep 2022 --- e.l.f. Beauty has been recognized as the first brand in the beauty industry to receive Fair Trade USA certification for a manufacturing facility.

Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization that globally recognizes sustainable sourcing certification programs.

To qualify for the certification, the production facility must meet standards that promote sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions for factory employees, protection of the environment and transparent supply chains.

Both e.l.f. and Fair Trade USA have claimed their increased interest in creating a more environmentally and socially sustainable world through their businesses. 

“We bring premium quality products at an extraordinary value that are cruelty-free, vegan and clean, and now we are achieving a Fair Trade Certification,” says Tarang Amin, CEO at e.l.f. Beauty. 

Synergies and prospectse.l.f. says it will help industry workers financially at recently certified manufacturing facility.  Credit: 2021 e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc.
When applying for fair trade certification, suppliers must pass through audits and demonstrate adherence to over 100 compliance criteria covering social responsibility, environmental responsibility, empowerment and economic development.

“It’s been meaningful to partner with Fair Trade USA to establish the first Fair Trade Certification in the beauty industry for our third-party manufacturer,” remarks Amin.

e.l.f’s third-party manufacturing facility received its certification in August 2022. The certification encapsulated products from the entire e.l.f. Beauty portfolio of brands: e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Well People and Keys Soulcare.

“Our partnership with e.l.f. Beauty shows the breadth of what’s possible with Fair Trade Certified across industries. It’s a world-changing way of doing business,” says Paul Rice, founder and CEO at Fair Trade USA.

Brands focus on social responsibility
e.l.f. Beauty has stated that every time a customer buys a Fair Trade Certified product, the company will contribute to the workers in the facility who made the item. 

Companies have been trending more toward social responsibility as consumer awareness rises. It is now considered almost nearly as crucial for a company to be morally agreeable on top of selling a good product. 

“Our organization is based on the simple idea that the products bought and sold every day are connected to the livelihoods of others,” Rice states. 

This way of thinking, while trending for a few years now, continues to rise and has become a vital pillar in a brand’s portfolio. 

“Beauty brands must prove that there is a reason for their existence, one that contributes in some way positively to the environment, to society, or to supporting individual expression. Just having natural or vegan ingredients has become an entry-level requirement for consumers. Brands need to take the next step,” Anna Brightman, the co-founder of UpCircle Beauty, previously told PersonalCareInsights. 

e.l.f. is also in the process of achieving certification for additional suppliers. 

Edited by Sabine Waldeck