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 with the exception of vitamins which are nature identical so we can confirm that the origins are not animal or palm derived. 

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

PALM OIL

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.  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.  

Avoiding palm oil is very difficult when manufacturing naturally-derived personal care products as 1000’s of ingredients are made using palm oil derivatives, including widely used ingredients such as glycerin and Vitamin E.  Palm oil content is often not declared on ingredient listings and it can be difficult to get the complete composition details from suppliers.

We fully research what makes up each and every ingredient we choose to use and strive to make our products free from palm oil derivatives, however if a palm free option is not available or if we are not able to obtain the full composition breakdown, we may use ingredients that are derived from RSPO certified sustainable palm oil as we value full transparency when selecting our ingredients.  This way we know we are using the most sustainable options available to us.

Our handcrafted soap bars will never contain palm oil as it is as simple as not putting raw palm oil into the product. 

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. 

Most of our products are refillable.  We offer bulk refill sizes available to 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.  They may be suitable for home composting or 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. 

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, operating in Squamish, BC.  We purchase the majority of our ingredients and packaging from within Canada.  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 territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh), and Coast Salish peoples.

OUR ROOTS

The Eco Alchemist was launched in May 2021 by Cosmetic Chemist and Holistic Nutritionist Terri Kirkham, with the goal of helping reduce the environmental impact of the personal care industry by creating thoughtful, eco-conscious alternatives to everyday products. 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 more natural and sustainable product options. After owning and operating a health food store, she saw firsthand just how many single-use plastic bottles are consumed by the beauty and wellness industries and felt compelled to become part of the change.

Her own experience with deeply inflamed, reactive and painful skin later shaped another part of The Eco Alchemist's story. After years of searching for quick fixes, Terri began focusing on barrier support, simplicity and patience...an experience that ultimately inspired her to expand the line into skin care and formulate the kinds of thoughtful, effective products she had been looking for herself.

Terri 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 and Organic Hair Care Formulation Diploma programs with Formula Botanica in 2019/20, as well as the Applied Holistic Nutritionist diploma program with the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in 2018.

Today, The Eco Alchemist brings together efficacy, sustainability and thoughtful formulation to create high-performance hair, skin and body care with a reduced footprint. From ingredient selection to lower-waste and refillable packaging options, each product is developed with both performance and environmental impact in mind.