EVY is a member of the Association of Swedish Beauty Brands. To be a member, the brand’s headquarters needs to be registered in Sweden. Most of us produce parts or all our products in Sweden. There are so many innovative and fantastic Swedish skin care brands to choose from and we hope and believe that more and more Swedes will choose Swedish-produced on the skin care shelf in the future. Here we tell you why you should choose Swedish brands:
Sustainability is now a necessity in most industries. This applies to everything from materials, manufacturing, packaging, its content and the use of resources. The beauty industry has a long way to go, and there are important lessons to be learned from others. The modern beauty industry is a multi-billion dollar international industry. Many brands are global and their advertising looks the same, regardless of whether it’s being shown in Sydney or Stockholm. The industry has occasionally been under questioning, especially regarding how the products are manufactured. Animal testing has been banned by many manufacturers and countries, but unfortunately not all. There are also problems with the products’ content and the environmental impact of, among other things, microplastics and PFAS, which are commonly found in make-up and skincare products.
All products on the Swedish market are under the control of the Medical Products Agency, which includes environmental and health requirements and that they must comply with EU regulations. For the individual consumer, it can still be important to know how a mascara or skin cream has been made and what it contains. The fact that a brand is well known is usually the only thing the consumer knows about. There’s often an assumption that the bigger and more well-known a brand is, the more likely the product is sustainable. But often it’s just the opposite.
In Sweden, new brands have emerged in recent years in the beauty industry. Common among many of them is the focus on sustainability and that the products are made with greater consideration for health and the environment. Local manufacturing also gives a solid assurance that it takes place in a way that’s ethically defensible. That the production is done correctly is possible to check, even for the individual consumer. Unfortunately, these smaller local manufacturers are in a tough situation. The difficulty is that they’re fighting against massive marketing from global giants and the exclusivity they convey. When the seemingly simple, locally-produced products are pitted against brands with international glamour, the outcome is often to the giants’ advantage.
If transparency was greater and consumers were more aware, they might not make the same choice. As in other industries, full transparency should be a matter of course. In the food industry, for example, we see a clear trend of people wanting to buy more locally and organically to benefit both the environment and their own health. It’s time for the beauty industry to make the corresponding leap. With increased consumer awareness, we could have a more sustainable beauty industry, which, in the end, is also better for both the environment and the climate, as well as for our economy and employment. The content is more important than the exterior. This may sound like a paradox when it comes to our industry – even so, it is true.
The team of ASBB – Association of Swedish Beauty Brands
