About Us

 

 

ETHOS

Our goal is to reduce the impact that the personal care industry has on the environment by choosing sustainable ingredients and packaging whenever possible. Transparency is very important to us, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out and contact us.

PRODUCTS

Our products are vegan and cruelty free.

We handcraft our products in small batches to ensure that everything is made with ethical manufacturing processes to the highest standard of quality.

We use natural and naturally derived ingredients, however we will choose a nature identical alternative to an ingredient if a vegan or palm free option is not available.  For example, we use nature identical Vitamin B5 in our formulas as the natural forms are generally derived from animal products (Vitamin B5).

We use ethically sourced, free trade ingredients wherever possible.  Details on each of our ingredients can be found in our Ingredient Glossary.

PALM OIL FREE

We acknowledge that there are approximately 2500 variations of palms and that the fruits of some of these trees are used to produce oils such as coconut and babassu.  When we refer to a product as "Palm Oil Free", we are referring to the oil commonly known as Palm Oil or Palm Kernel Oil used in foods, cosmetics and biofuel, which is made from the fruits and kernels of the Oil Palm tree. 

PACKAGING

Our packaging is 98% plastic free!  As soon as a replacement for the plastic screw top ring around dropper bottles is invented, we will be at 100%.  To reduce the need for these dropper bottle tops, we offer refills for our liquid products.  Request the low-waste option, pop the previous dropper top into the new refill bottle and recycle the aluminum cap.  We also offer bulk refill sizes to our wholesale partners so customers can refill in store!  

We use paperboard packaging which is both recyclable and compostable.  In the event that a paperboard package contained an oil based product (our deodorants), the packaging should only be composted, not recycled.

When a product contains light sensitive liquids, we choose to use white or black glass to reduce UV exposure and maintain the integrity of the ingredients.  

Some of our powder based products come in aluminum shaker bottles as they are very durable, can be easily refilled or reused for a multitude of uses, and aluminum is infinitely recyclable.

Our pouches and sachets are made from renewable plant materials and can be composted in an industrial composting facility.

IN HOUSE RECYCLING PROGRAM

Most beauty products are packaged in hard-to-recycle containers (think pump tops, packaging with mixed materials, etc).  As it is our goal is to reduce the impact the personal care industry has on the environment, we now offer recycling collection for all beauty product packaging at our location in Squamish, BC.  Feel free to bring in your empty containers from any brand and we will happily collect them in our Zero Waste Box.  Once the ZeroWaste box is full, we ship it to TerraCycle to be properly recycled.  The packaging does not need to be clean, we just ask that they are empty.  To learn more about TerraCycle recycling programs, click here. 

CARBON NEUTRAL SHIPPING INITIATIVE

For every order we receive, a formula is used to calculate the estimated shipping emissions. Based on those estimates, a portion of our revenue goes to carbon removal companies that have been vetted by scientists from Carbon Direct. Those companies use that money to remove the approximate amount of carbon each shipment creates. Any extra funds go toward the further development of carbon removal technologies.  Click here for more information.

SHIPPING MATERIALS

Your order will come packed in fully recyclable packaging. 

• Shipping labels and brand stickers are both recyclable & home compostable.
• We reuse packing paper from our incoming deliveries. 
• Tissue paper is made of 100% recycled content. 
• The seed paper shreds are from a wonderful Canadian company called Botanical Paperworks and are cut-offs from their seed paper production.  Plant it and watch wildflowers grow!

LOCATION

We are a Canadian company, created and nurtured in the Squamish and Okanagan Valley areas of BC.  All of our manufacturing is done on site at our HQ in Squamish, BC.  In addition to our manufacturing area, our location features a small boutique where you can visit for refills and check out all of our handcrafted goods in person.  

We respectfully acknowledge that our business is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

OUR ROOTS

The Eco Alchemist was launched May 2021 by Cosmetic Chemist and Holistic Nutritionist Terri Kirkham.  The business is 100% woman owned and self funded.

Terri discovered her passion for the industry after a deep dive into nutrition and environmental studies had her seeking out more natural product options.  The Eco Alchemist was created out of a need to help reduce the impact of the personal care industry on the environment by creating eco-conscious alternatives to everyday products.

She graduated from the Institute of Personal Care Science in 2023, proudly earning the title of Cosmetic Chemist/Formulation Chemist.  She also completed the Organic Skin Care Formulation & Organic Hair Care Formulation Diploma programs with Formula Botanica in 2019/20 and the Applied Holistic Nutritionist diploma program with the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in 2018.

The Eco Alchemist features highly effective products with a reduced footprint. Efficacy, sustainability and eco-friendly packaging solutions are a few key aspects of the brand.  After owning and operating a health food store, Terri saw just how many plastic bottles are consumed with beauty & wellness products and felt compelled to become a part of the change.