As Beauty Packaging continues to hear from cosmetic brands searching for sustainable packaging options, here’s how Yolanda Cooper, founder of hair care brand We Are Paradoxx, made her choices as to which materials to use.

We are Paradoxx claims 90% plastic-free packaging, up to 97% natural ingredients, vegan + cruelty free formulas, and all the certifications you can handle (Leaping Bunny, PETA, vegan, gluten-free, 1% For the Planet, and more). The brand believes it’s possible to be cool and clean, and says it is one of the first sustainable hair care brands committed to eliminating the use of plastics everywhere possible. This means that all of their packaging is aluminum, and the tiny amount of plastic they have to use (two small pumps to be exact) is fully recyclable.
Created by Irish hairstylist, Yolanda Cooper, We Are Paradoxx is infused with ingredients native to her homeland, including botanicals such as moss, hops, whiskey, clover, seaweed, Celtic salt, and more. She says, “The brand is environmentally responsible, socially conscious—and makes damn good hair care products.” 

Here’s why Cooper chose the current packaging:

“I still remember the moment of deciding to go plastic-free,” says Cooper. “It was when I realized we needed to make over 100,000 bottles of packaging in our first year. The global beauty industry produces over 142 billion units of packaging every year! I simply thought ‘there’s no way I can be responsible for creating 100,000 units of plastic.’ I believe there is no such thing as ‘good plastic’ as most of it ends up in the sea or landfill and every piece of plastic ever made still exists. Our packaging is aluminum and stainless steel and even if it ends up in the sea or landfill, it causes no environmental damage. Plus, it can be recycled on an infinite loop, unlike plastic which degrades in quality with each recycling loop.”

Cooper says, “It was a no-brainer to opt for aluminum from an environmental perspective, however the reason this is not a widely used material is that it costs three times the amount of its plastic equivalent, a cost that brands would need to absorb. Due to the lack of demand there are also less suppliers, so we had to work hard to make this happen… we are working with 1% of the planet to fund research into plastic alternatives to pumps and sprays, so that we are able to go 100% plastic free, without compromising the consumer journey.”

A Story Fit for Retail

The brand recently launched online at Ulta.com with hero SKUs including: Hangover Hair Elixir ($35); Super Natural Shampoo ($22); Secret Weapon 3-in-1 Conditioner ($25); and Game Changer Hair Mask ($37).