Beauty Boss Lena Chao, was looking ways to become more sustainble in her every day life. When she searched for brands that were producing eco-friendly products, she could not find one. She decided to start Clean Circle as a way to reduce everyday waste in one’s beauty routine. Read on more to find out about her story:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and why you started Clean Circle?
A few years ago, I was looking for easy ways to be more sustainable in my everyday life. So as a lover of all things beauty, the easiest place for me to start was in the bathroom. Here’s the thing no one tells you about sustainability– sustainability isn’t as simple as reducing waste. It’s directly linked to climate change, how we treat the most vulnerable communities, and human inequities in this country and world. And with my 10+ year career rooted in education, this interdisciplinary knowledge was fascinating to me!
When I started looking for eco-friendly replacements for my single-use products, I took my new understanding of sustainability and searched for brands that were producing eco-friendly products ethically and responsibly. And I couldn’t really find one. So I decide to start Clean Circle to provide reusable products that take the idea of sustainability one step further. Yes, we help you reduce everyday waste in your beauty routine, but we also ensure that our fabrics are certified with no harmful chemicals and that we work with mills that abide by laws around pay and humane work conditions.
Can you tell us a bit more about your sustainable cotton pads and makeup wipes?
Textile is one of the dirtiest industries in the world, figuratively and literally. As a first-generation American whose parents worked in factories, I picked up some knowledge around fair wages and ethical factories. So when I was in the product development stage, I wanted to make sure that my products were not ‘greenwashing’ in the beauty industry. I sourced some of the best fabrics for my reusable rounds and reusable makeup wipes which I’m really proud of. Our bamboo charcoal makeup remover pads are and will always be gray! They are dye-free, and I designed them specifically with a pointed tip to get into the lash line. I just hate it when eyeliner is left over! Our reusable bamboo velour pads are insanely soft. It’s a nice way to add a sustainable luxury feel to your everyday routine.
Picture Courtesy: Clean Circle
How do you see the beauty industry becoming more sustainable?
I love brands that are trying their best to be more sustainable! No brand can fully say they are perfect at it (if you know of one, let me know!) because environmental science is ever-changing. And no brand is going to get it right every time. But I do believe that every small action moving in this direction, where we think deeply about our impact on the environment is a good step forward. We’re starting to see more refill options, glass packaging, better packaging design to reduce wasted space, plus so much more. There is so much potential to do right by people and the planet. It’s an exciting time for Clean Circle and for myself as a beauty lover.
What does it mean to be a #beautyboss?
It means building a beauty brand that adds value to other people and ensuring that your ethics guide your everyday decisions to always do better than yesterday. Even as simple as reusable bamboo pads and reusable makeup remover pads.
