Find the perfect eco-friendly gifts here for all your loved ones, near and far
We might not be able to pass presents around in person, but we can absolutely still find ways to connect this year. The act of giving is part of what makes the holiday season so special and there's no reason why your choices can't be environmentally-friendly. Here are our top 10 vegan, cruelty-free and clean beauty and wellness gifts to spoil everyone on your list.
May your holidays this year be merry and bright, safe and green!
1. Mini Juicy All the Way Lip Jelly Set by Tower 28 Beauty
Current darlings of the green-and-clean beauty world, Tower 28's holiday kit includes four minis of their top-selling ShineOn Lip Jellies. Formulated with five nourishing oils, they look like a lip gloss but act like a nourishing balm. Beyond being vegan, cruelty-free and made without the usual suspects (parabens, phthalates, sulfates, etc.), Tower 28 adheres to the US National Eczema Association's ingredient guidelines, so no more fears of developing little bumps along the lip lines from irritating ingredients. This one is pretty and smart (and affordable).
Available at Sephora, $27
2. Travel Aromatherapy Diffuser by Lotus Aroma
This small but mighty diffuser, with its USB charger, is perfect to keep beside your computer or in your car—anywhere where you might be spending more time than usual. This diffuser is approximately 3 inches wide and 5 inches tall, but can keep your immediate area beautifully scented for around eight hours. This set includes a diffuser, lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil, a charging cable and carrying case. Their products are always natural, vegan, gluten-free and GMO-free.
Available at Lotus Aroma, $69
3. Merry Multi-Masking Kit by Briogeo
Based on recipes the founder of Briogeo used to create homemade hair styling products with her grandmother in her West Virginia kitchen when she was young, these products today remain 6-free (free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicones, DEA and synthetic colour) and are 90 to 100 percent naturally derived.
This holiday, their multi-masking set features a full size of their best-selling Don't Despair, Repair! Honey Moisture Deep Conditioning Mask, along with minis of their cult-favourite Deep Conditioning Mask and new Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask. If your hair is thirsty and dry, use the Superfood Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture mask to nourish, smooth and hydrate. But when your hair feels damaged, use either of the other two, which contain protein and will repair your hair.
Available at Sephora, $46
4. Holiday Candle Bundle by Homecoming
Handmade in Vancouver with all-natural soy wax and cotton wicks, Homecoming candles are a local, sustainable gift that smell as beautiful as they look. Their Holiday Bundle features 8 oz candles in three scents—Cedarwood + Pine, Cardamom + Star Anise and Fir Needle + Pine—blended with premium essential oils, each burning for more than 40 hours. All their candles are vegan, cruelty-free and made without petroleum, lead, zinc or phthalates or preservatives.
Available at Homecoming, $84
5. Snow Showers by Lush
It's just not the holidays without Lush, and this set contains a collection of their best-selling and limited-edition shower gels: the delectable, caramel-ly Yog Nog; the comforting, marzipan-scented Roasting Chestnuts On An Open Fire; and the soothing, cozy Sleepy. All three are packaged in an eco-friendly, upcycled mycelium and hemp box. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a mushroom, making this compostable when you're all done.
Available at Lush, $33.95
6. Power of Three by Youth to the People
This is your morning and night routine in one clean sweep. This trio will cleanse, hydrate and brighten with formulas packed with superfoods, adaptogens and vitamin C. Their products are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalates-free, dimethicone-free, and abide by the EU's list of 1,300+ ingredients that are restricted for cosmetic use. Youth to the People also reduces the quantity of plastic waste created by the beauty industry by always choosing glass for their bottles and jars. And any paper involved in their packaging is from recyclable, post-consumer materials.
Available at Sephora, $58
7. Sunset Superbloom Outburst Longwear Lip Stain Trio by Bite Beauty
This trio of lip stains is perfect during these dark months. The sunset-inspired shades are immensely cheery, in bright red, orange and pink. The formulation is lusciously lightweight and leaves a satin-matte finish. This limited edition set is powered by superfoods such as passionflower oil, coconut oil and sunflower seed wax. And, as always, Bite's formulas are clean, vegan, cruelty-free and gluten-free.
Available at Bite Beauty, $32
8. Super Soft Shea Trio by eos
Eos knows how to make hydration fun, and this set is ideal for anyone, especially at this time of year. It contains their iconic lip balm in limited edition Champagne Pop, Coconut Hand Cream and a full-size Coconut Waters Body Cream, all formulated to deliver 24 hours of comfort. These products are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free and use sustainably sourced ingredients.
Available at well.ca and Loblaws, $19.98
9. Give, Gift and Get Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Wardrobe by Tarte
The very best gifts are those you want to keep yourself—and Tarte has achieved that this year with their trio of eyeshadows. This set includes three nine-pan palettes in limited-edition petite sizes, in a mix of fan favourites and all-new shades. These eyeshadows are made with Amazonian clay, are cruelty-free and formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances.
Available at Sephora, $64
10. Revitalize Luxury Gift Set by Huna
This is a seven-piece set featuring Huna's top-selling products from the Revitalize range, specifically addressing anti-aging, radiance and glow. Their formulas are anchored in the power of botanicals, and all products are organic, cruelty-free, biodegradable, GM-free, gluten-free, sustainably sourced and ethically made. Included in this set is the Revitalize Cleansing Crème, Botanical Face Mist, Superfood Detox Face Mask, Revitalize Age-Grace Face Serum, Nourish Skin Nutrition Balm, Firming Eye Cream, Nourishing Lip Shine and a large cotton reusable cosmetic bag. As a holiday bonus, every purchase of this set will include a complimentary Ultra-Rich Peppermint Body Crème ($62 value) until Dec 31, 2020.
Available at Huna, $340