*This feature is not sponsored or paid for in any way by Sukin or any other invested party
**This feature has had no input from Sukin and will be updated if/when they respond to requests for information
Sukin is one of the go-to brands for those starting out on their journey to more natural and more sustainable living. That's because not only are the products accessible, they're also so much more affordable than a lot of options in the market, plus there's a whole array of them! Sukin has a whole range of haircare, skincare, body care, men's, and baby products.
The brand's website says that they strive to maintain that "perfect balance of naturalness, affordability, and safety" and that they are "committed to providing skincare that doesn’t cost the earth," by which they don't just mean monetary cost, but also literally costing the earth - they strive to tread lightly on Mother Nature. This is great news for those who really want to do the right thing and support brands who commit to sustainability but find a lot of the products in the market a bit too far out of the monthly budget.
So, we took a closer look at the brand to find out the nitty gritty and learn exactly what goes into the brand and why it might be one you conscious consumers might want to check out if you haven't already.
OWNERSHIP
Siblings Alison Goodger and Simon O’Connor in May 2007. They sold it to BWX Limited in 2015 for $53M.
INGREDIENTS & RAW MATERIALS
Sukin heavily advertises that they use naturally derived ingredients wherever and whenever possible. According to their website, "Sukin products are 98.8% naturally derived." They are also 100% vegan - they do not use any animal derivatives whatsoever in any of their products.
Sukin's formulations are grey water safe and biodegradable, meaning they are safe for waterways, wildlife, and plant life even when it goes down your drain. Their products contain no micro plastics, even the exfoliants which use biodegradable alternatives.
They use phenoxyethanol as a preservative in most products. The ingredient makes up less than 1% of their formulations and is only present to make sure that no bacteria, fungus, or mould is present. However, according to their website, "our Research & Development Team are constantly on the lookout for ways to keep optimising and improving our formulas, and we will continue to strive to use the most natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced and proven to work." So if you're hoping for more natural preservatives, maybe it can happen down the line.
They also have an extensive list of ingredients that will never appear in their products. The Sukin NO list can be found on their website. On the other hand, they also have a list of all the ingredients they do use for all of their products.
SOURCING & PRODUCTION
Sukin products are proudly 100% Australian - based, designed, and made in Melbourne in a purpose-built factory which they feature on several videos on their website.
Sukin is cruelty free, certified by Choose Cruelty Free and Leaping Bunny, and have been since day one. Their manufacturing and testing processes are free from animal testing and they only source from suppliers that are cruelty free as well. Sukin does not sell their products in physical stores in China precisely because of China's policy on animal testing, however, Chinese customers can purchase their products through online platforms.
PACKAGING & RECYCLING OPTIONS
Most of Sukin's full sized products are packaged in PET plastic, which is BPA free and 100% recyclable. This means their packaging can go into the recycling bin instead of in general waste. (They recommend that customers wash the products out and leave the caps on) They also use amber glass and PE tubes, both of which are also 100% recyclable.
Sukin also has the following statement on their website with regards to their packaging:
"We also support our packaging development on the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPGs) from the Australian Packaging Covenant Organization (APCO) in order to be compliant with the latest regulations."
GIVING BACK & ADVOCACY
Sukin is proudly carbon neutral. They do this by offsetting all of their carbon emissions - emissions from transport, machinery, and office power consumption included.
Sukin invests in third-party certified and independently reviewed projects that earn carbon credits, as well as in clean energy projects. Two such projects are the creation of wind energy from generators in China through the Carbon Reduction Institute, and a solar farm in India through Greening Australia's carbon trading arm - Biodiverse Carbon Conservation. The project's goal was to reduce energy poverty in India while creating local employment and replacing coal fired power.
Over the last 10 years, Sukin has offset over 45,000 tonnes of carbon, which is the equivalent of the greenhouse emissions of 22,332,228 kilograms of coal burnt.
Sukin also partnered with Greening Australia for their Reef Aid Program which aims to stop sediment and improve water quality. They coordinate with "local landholders and communities across the Great Barrier Reef Catchment to rebuild eroding land and restore vital coastal wetlands." Through this program, they also help protect and support the Australian Hawksbill Turtle.
So far, this project has achieved a 97% reduction in sediment at the trial sites. "Reef Aid is on track to improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef by more than 80%, and to restore 3000 hectares of rivers and wetlands by 2030."
DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY
As Sukin has yet to respond to requests for information, we have no information on the diversity of their workforce.
In the meantime, we took a deep dive into their socials to see how they're doing with representation in their advertising. While it's still predominantly white, there is an effort to feature women of colour and more mature women as well. However, they feature men on their socials quite infrequently, despite having a dedicated men's line.
EDITOR'S NOTES
Sukin is a brand that I immediately gravitated towards when I started making changes in my home. It was a great starting point in that it allowed me to make quick changes in the products at home without spending too much money. I've admittedly moved away from some of their products as I've discovered ones that I liked more but I still use their Signature Hydrating Body Lotion and a few products from their Rosehip Oil range (which my husband also dips into). My husband also uses a few items from their men's range such as the face cleanser, and occasionally, the beard oil, as well as the shampoo and conditioner from their Signature Range.
Sukin is available in various retail stockists across Australia, as well as online. The brand is also available in New Zealand, the UK, USA, Canada, and selected countries in Europe and Asia. A full list of their international retailers is on their website.