More sweat, less stink
Raise your arms if you love Planet Earth! Rolling out in Canada and the U.S. this year is Human Essentials, a new sustainable deodorant brand founded by Canadian entrepreneur Damian Van Zyll De Jong.
Human Essentials is on a mission to take on the beauty industry’s mammoth use of plastics by eliminating the traditional canister entirely and replacing it with a patented option that’s 100 percent biodegradable. The innovative packaging, which the company calls “P.E.E.L.” (it stands for Performance Enhanced Earth Loving) can go straight into your paper recycling. No more plastic or messy push-up paper canisters.
Interestingly, the paper canister material is produced using timber from a forest which has been evaluated and certified as being managed according to the correct social, economic and environmental standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
According to recycling company TerraCycle®, the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year. If we don’t address the problem now, “scientists suggest that by 2050, about 12,000 metric tons of plastic waste will be in landfills or the natural environment.” (Elle Canada).
Human Essentials is not only sustainable—it’s also vegan, plant-based, cruelty-free, and produced in Toronto, Canada. The brand currently offers four scents with names like Coconut, Guava & Sea Salt; Mountain Pine & Eucalyptus; Desert Lime, Mandarin & Vanilla Flower; and Neroli, Pink Peppercorn & Bergamot.
The specific ingredients are things like tapioca starch, shea butter and zinc ricinoleate, which all work in tandem to absorb moisture and trap odour molecules while also delivering antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Unlike an antiperspirant, Human Essentials is a deodorant, meaning it doesn’t contain aluminum, phthalates and preservatives.
The product was created by athletes and tested rigorously, and the brand has plans to expand their offering this fall.
With a captivating tagline—"Celebrate the joy of sweat. It's the human thing to do,” Human Essentials has us yearning for an adventure outdoors. This Canadian brand is proof that a plant-based vegan and sustainable product can look good, do good—and smell good.