Is Fast Beauty the next Fast Fashion?
Jordan 0:00
In the world of sustainability and zero waste, there are an abundance of buzzwords that get tossed around all the time. Many of you might have heard of some like fast fashion, which is just a concept that describes how fashion trends come and go, and retailers are producing a huge amount of quick turnaround product to kind of keep up with our need as consumers for more, which unfortunately creates these harmful impacts not only to the environment, but to the garment workers as well, and ultimately, even our own wallets too, as consumers. And unfortunately, this method has also infiltrated other industries as well, especially within the green and sustainability movement. We're green consumerism is not telling us to consume less, but to consume differently. But the problem isn't inherently in the specific products we buy, but in our overall consumption of any and all goods. The world's richest countries consume on average, 10 times as many materials as the poorest countries. For example, if everyone lived like an average North American, we need around four Earths just to sustain ourselves. The real problem is that overconsumption is what is driving this climate crisis.
[intro music]
Jordan 1:18
Hey, this is Jordan.
Mimi 1:19
And this is Mimi.
Jordan 1:20
And welcome to the Imperfect Eco-Hero podcast.
Mimi 1:23
The series that connects community, normalizes imperfections and empowers heroes.
[end of intro music]
Jordan 1:32
Is Fast Beauty the next Fast Fashion? With the steep growth in the consumption of beauty products, the fast fashion model appears to have been replicated in the world of beauty now too. In this episode, we'll dive into some exciting topics, like how consumerism might be driving the popularity of beauty products, about the complicated connection between sustainability and beauty, and so much more. And what better person to have this conversation with than the brilliant founder of one incredible new skincare brand Aubri Thompson. Aubri is a clean beauty chemist and sustainability enthusiast living in Oakland, California. She has a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's degree in product development from UC Berkeley. Her company Rebrand Skincare is the first ever to offer refillable skincare products. You can find out more about them on our website at rebrandskincare.com or follow her on Instagram @rebrandskincare.
Mimi 2:28
Well welcome Aubri, we're very excited to have you.
Aubri 2:32
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here!
Mimi 2:35
So, we're really excited to learn about Rebrand and your journey with that. So do you want to start off with telling us what Rebrand is?
Aubri 2:43
Absolutely. So The Rebrand is the first refillable skincare company. But more than that, it's really one of the only beauty brands that is focusing on sustainability at every point along the product development process. So we're looking at ingredients, packaging, the refill model, and then all the way to marketing and our product offering. We want to keep in mind how we can reduce our environmental impact.
Jordan 3:07
How did you come up with that, like the name and even just this i..idea?
Aubri 3:14
Yeah. So I started my career as a chemist for a clean beauty brand. And I really love the idea of clean beauty and the focus on transparency and safety. But in my own personal life, I was trying to live more low-waste and I was just...like [laughs]...it didn't work. It was either I was going to use the beauty products that I loved, or I was going to go with some plastic free alternatives that just really didn't perform. And I just didn't see why that needed to be the case. So I was able to formulate these products myself to be up to the performance standards, but then be able to evaluate the ingredients and the refill model to make sure that it's something that would match up with a low waste lifestyle. Oh, and then the name...the name! [laughs] So, the name actually came from just meditating on this idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and how we haven't really changed that motto since we started saying it in the 1970s, so Rebrand is kind of this idea of like rebranding that three R idea to be more holistic. And to really focus on the reducing portion overall. And start from there.
Mimi 4:29
That's so cool. Yeah, when I read the name Rebrand I...yeah, I wasn't...I guess I didn't really think about the meaning. But yeah, I love that. That's awesome.
Jordan 4:38
Mm hmm. I'm really curious, is this kind of something you always knew you wanted to do growing up? Like, I don't know too many people who want to be chemists in the first place. But then also wanting to, like, take their, like, chemistry skills to cosmetics is something like, I had never heard of and I don't think I know anyone...up until now. So, is that something you always kind of knew you wanted to do?
Aubri 5:02
No. And I agree. Like, I had no idea this was even a career option. So, I just loved chemistry in high school. I started majoring in chemistry in college. And I was really like, "Oh my god, what am I going to do, I feel like I either have to work at, like, a pharma company, or, like, do a PhD, I don't know". [laughs] And my senior year, I actually got an internship at Rodan + Fields, which is a more, like, dermatologically focused skincare brand. And I absolutely loved it. And same, I had no idea that this was really even a field. But I think it's a great option for people who like science, but also have this kind of creative or more entrepreneurial side, because you do have to think about how is a consumer going to respond to this? What would a consumer be looking for in this product that I'm working on in the lab?
Jordan 5:56
That's really cool. I don't even think that's offered anywhere here in Toronto. To my knowledge. I had never even heard of it.
Mimi 6:03
No, it seems pretty niche.
Aubri 6:06
It's super niche. Yeah, if anybody listening has questions about how to get into the industry, I'd be happy to chat about that. It...there is no degree. So my degree is in chemistry, and then I learned everything on the job. I think there's only two programs in the United States that offer, like, cosmetic science in college level.
Jordan 6:26
But it's actually kind of surprising to me, even for environmental departments, considering the cosmetic industry has such a big environmental footprint or carbon... What's the term?
Mimi 6:38
Ecological footprint?
Jordan 6:39
Yes. So I'm surprised that it's not becoming, I guess, more...more popular.
Aubri 6:46
I agree. And I hope it does at my university, which is UC Berkeley, they offered food science, which is really interesting, and it's a lot of similar concepts. So, I do hope that it can carry over into cosmetic science, I do think there is a slight issue with thing gendered. And so it's not as sciency to some people, even though it's very similar to food science in the sense that you're combining ingr..ingredients according to a certain procedure to create a consumer product.
Mimi 7:18
Cool. Can you speak to the...the refill model. You mentioned it when you, like, first talked about what Rebrand is, but I'm really curious to learn about that.
Aubri 7:27
Yeah, for sure. So this is something that I meditated on for a long time, doing life cycle analysis on packaging materials, you pretty quickly come to the conclusion that there's not a perfect material out there. And really, what we need to move away from is single use, and we need to reuse what we have. So I thought about how that might work. I thought about people sending back their packaging to be refilled by me. But that didn't make sense from an admissions perspective, if you're just shipping me an empty bottle. So what I came to, and I think it's the best solution that I've seen — I've seen it in the home care space as well — is providing a 2x refill in an aluminum bottle. So aluminum is the most highly recycled material in the US. So this way, you're reducing your waste to nothing if you get that bottle in the recycling. You're also cutting your emissions in half, because we'll send you only that one shipment instead of two. And on top of that, my favorite part about it is, it really starts building that circular mindset and I think it's kind of new to consumers to think about things that way and not to consider things disposable. So I think it'll be a really good habit for us all to learn as we move forward for a more sustainable future.
Jordan 8:47
It's interesting that cycle. I've seen it pop up now in different industries. A lot like you said with food and a lot with fast fashion. But you know fast cosmetics is definitely not something you ever really you know think about. I like I'd never even thought about it until we discovered you. So I was curious like what...like, what is, kind of, fast cosmetics fast skincare? Like, why don't you think people talk about it more often?
Aubri 9:18
Yeah, I think that's awesome....question and...yeah, I've just started kind of using this term fast beauty as I realized how similar the impacts were to fast fashion. Luckily, I think there's a little bit less of a human issue as far as labor goes. But that doesn't mean it's not wreaking havoc on the environment. And in the same way, it's all because of just ridiculous overconsumption. So, we can have...even my company where I feel like I've done the most sustainable thing. If people are consuming it at an unsustainable pace, it's not gonna matter that the ingredients are renewable and the packaging is recycled. Like we need to slow down. And I think that's the first step. And it is definitely what I think about when I'm, you know, about to create a new product. Is it really necessary? Can I combine more than one benefit into a single product so that you're only buying one thing? And I think, you know, people haven't realized it yet, but I think they're going to shortly, there's going to be a time of reckoning as there was for fast fashion. And I think that brands that are promoting overconsumption, that are mentally trying to get people to impulse buy are going to be seen as, like, inauthentic and not sustainable.
Jordan 9:19
That's kind of kind of like that's almost like the catch-22 of green consumerism. Like there's a quote that says, like, green consumerism is a bit of an oxymoron, because it kind of forces you to buy your way out of the mess that we bought our way in. So yeah, I totally get that idea of needing to adopt more of that. But I always find that so hard with green brands, like I'm becoming more hyper aware of, like I get from, from a business point of view, you want people to buy your products, because that's kind of how you become successful. But how do you kind of balance trying to promote your brand and getting people to buy when they need to, but not buy when, like you said, when they don't need to, like, to over consume? Like, how do you...Is it in the marketing? Like, how you...how you market it out? Like, do you...have you tried different marketing approaches to solving that problem?
Aubri 11:33
Definitely yeah, I think there's a few strategies that have kind of helped me. One is, and this isn't possible for everybody, but not trying to take on investors or funding that is going to be against your values, or that's requiring a certain payback at a certain, you know, amount of years. Usually, when you're getting investment, they want a...want a 10 year exit plan. So they want to know how much money they're going to make when they sell your brand in 10 years. And that's just...that can't be sustainable, when that's the goal you're trying to hit. And so I encourage small brands that can try to become profitable for themselves at the beginning on a really small scale. So they're not put in that situation. And then with marketing, I definitely think it's a conscious dechi...decision, you want to be available to people. And that means, you know, having an easy to find and good quality social media, but you don't want to be bombarding them. So I send one email newsletter per month, that kind of just gives my updates, kind of reminds you if you...if you're needing to buy a refill, but it's not like every-other-day-30%-all-flash-sale type of thing. And even having language on your website, as like, shop "only what you need", or Patagonia was the first one to really spearhead this. And that was Rose Marcario. And she was such an amazing business leader in that regard, literally on the product pages it said "Do you really need this jacket?". Then that's just, like, so revolutionary. [laughs] But I think that's like the approach that we need to take. And I think consumers are starting to sniff out greenwashing. And they appreciate that kind of authenticity. So I hope that that becomes the trend overall.
Mimi 13:23
Yeah, that's really interesting that you mentioned greenwashing, because I think it is becoming more and more prevalent. And, you know, corporations and organizations are using the language of environmentalism and of sustainability, kinda to, like, cover their asses, but they're not actually showing up in an authentic way and doing the work, right? And from a consumer point of view, that can be really hard, because like they...their marketing team is so so well versed in the language and so knowledgeable so they can really change their message or, or promote their message in a way that they really do seem green. And it's really hard to break through all of that language. What kind of advice would you have for consumers that are trying to like, um, what's the word I'm looking for...differentiate between, like, an organization or a business like yours, where environmentalism is actually the number one priority versus an organization where profit is the priority and they're just using the language of environmentalism to...to up their game?
Aubri 14:28
Yeah, it is really tough. And I do think that the things that I look for, because I'm a consumer too, when I'm looking at a different industry, that I'm not an expert in, that I can't necessarily read the ingredients or things like that. What I look for number one is transparency. So I need to see a page that says sustainability, this is what we're doing. [laughs] If that doesn't exist, then I don't buy it. And then I think minimalism is a huge part of it as well. So looking at the sheer number of product offerings and really thinking about like...Is this too much does this seem like it's it's very marketing heavy, and you're just trying to...basically like, the goal of a marketer is to make you feel FOMO that you need something like so if you're on a brand website and you, you feel a bunch of FOMO, that's on purpose. And that might not be the most green brand. At the end of the day. It's not the end of the world, though, in my opinion, this is maybe a controversial opinion, like, I think we should try to reach out to brands and see what they're actually doing and dig into their green claims. But the fact that many brands are realizing that this is a selling point, and maybe their entrance into sustainability, and they may improve over time, and they may even have a bigger impact than a smaller brand because of their size.
Jordan 15:56
That's actually really interesting. I haven't actually thought about that, because I definitely now...when I try to make conscious purchases, I do, like you said, look to see if they're transparent, I know that there are like certifications like Certified B Corp corporations, where they do analyze literally every facet of the business to make sure that they're not only green, but they're doing...they're actively working on social justice issues. But like you said, it's interesting for the ones that are...you can clearly tell are just trying or just dipping their toe in the green space. And it's just like, do we discourage them by telling them that they're not doing enough? Or do we just keep them accountable? And tell them like, yeah, this is a good first step, but what are you...what are you doing next? Like you would...like...So that's, that's interesting.
Aubri 16:47
Yeah, it's definitely a fine line to walk. And I think there are a lot of different opinions than mine out there. But yeah, I'm of the mind that if we as consumers are writing to these companies saying "I liked this, the direction this line is going, but I still think you have way too many products". You know, that could end up being a bigger change than just being like, I'm not shopping with them.
Mimi 17:10
There's actually a lot of, like, consumers, and even in, like, the political sphere, as voters, we actually have a lot more power than sometimes we believe that we do. And sometimes a letter goes nowhere. But also sometimes a letter does influence and kind of shape the next steps, even if it's indirectly. So yeah, like, I love that you brought that because I think sometimes people just get frustrated, and just like, "I don't have any power in this...in this scenario", but that's not entirely true.
Aubri 17:39
Yeah.
Jordan 17:40
So do you actively actually reach out to some of the brands that you, like, shop at and, like, want to get products from, like, do you actually write to them and do you try to hold them accountable, especially now, having started Rebrand?
Aubri 17:54
Yeah, I do. I've kind of always done this, which may be a little bit dorky, but um...
Jordan 18:01
Amazing!
Aubri 18:02
Yeah, I mean, I get it from my dad. He is very civically engaged. He writes our representatives, and I just, yeah, I agree, I think one person can make a difference, or at least make someone think...think twice. And I also think it's good to write brands that are doing well and give them encouragement and to know that their efforts are actually making a difference in someone's choice to purchase from them. So yeah, it's...it's been really helpful too, because, for example, the most recent time I did it was probably, like, two months ago. It was from a zero waste store. And some packaging that I received with the order was not compostable or recyclable. And so I felt like, "well, you're advertising a zero waste, so this was a little unexpected". And so I just wrote to them when I said that and they said, "We really appreciate that, we're working on a solution to remove that piece from the packaging, but for right now, we can't" and you just, kind of, can understand where they're coming from and you know that it's something they're working on. So I think it's a great thing to do, if you have just two extra minutes to send an email.
Jordan 19:10
Mm hmm. I know I've done it for companies that do, like...who've done really good things. I haven't actually thought of ever doing it for companies that don't. But I did it for a clothing company out in Canada called Anian. And they just take recycled wool from...from landfills and turn them into sweaters. And on Boxing Day and...what's another...what's the other big holiday where there's a lot of big deals?
Mimi 19:36
Black Friday?
Jordan 19:37
Yeah, they completely shut their website down and literally when you go to their website it says "Go outside!", like, "Enjoy nature, you don't need..." like..and they advertised it everywhere. They were like, we're not having any sales but the cost of these products..., like, they almost never put anything on sale because they're like, that's how much it costs to make it and like that's...like, we're...we don't want to sell you more than you need. And like these gonna last a lifetime and we'll actually, if there's, like, a natural wear and tear, just send it back to us, we'll...we'll fix it and send it back to you. So you don't have to buy a new one. So like, everything they have is...and so I wrote to them being like, "this is impressive, like, I love, like, everything you're doing". And they actually wrote back. And so it was really nice. And a lot of people did it too. But I hadn't actually thought of doing it for the brands that don't do a good job. But that's a good idea.
Mimi 20:25
Yeah, I love that. I also wanted to ask, as a consumer, you hear a lot of like buzzwords, and that's with any industry. So like in the sustainable industry, one is sustainability and other is like the circular economy. But you did say at the beginning that you wanted to create a clean brand and I just...I'm curious to know what you mean by clean brand.
Aubri 20:45
Yeah, I'm so glad you asked that question. As a chemist I like that term. It means nothing. Like clean does that mean it's not contaminated? Because all of our products should be clean. And so I really respect retailers that have started creating standards that brands can abide by to say I am cleaned by the standard. I think that's really helpful. I think some standards are better than others. My personal favorite is the Credo Clean Standard. If you've heard of Credo Beauty, it's that clean beauty retailer would highly recommend. C-R-E-D-O. They have all this information on their website and their standard encompasses all sorts of things they do have like a no-no list and it is one of the strictest no-no lists. But they also have other things they require from a packaging standpoint, full transparency throughout the supply chain. And it's just...it is a kind of hard caliber to hit and I think it's really awesome that they're doing that. So when I say clean, that's the standard that I follow.
Jordan 21:51
I'd never actually heard of...Cred...Credo?
Aubri 21:53
Credo, yeah.
Jordan 21:56
Is it an American...
Mimi 21:56
Me neither!
Jordan 21:57
Is it an American skincare brand?
Aubri 22:00
Yeah. So it's...I...I'm not sure if they have any stores in Canada, but it is a retailer, so they don't have their own products, but they supply specifically brands that meet that clean standard.
Jordan 22:14
Nice. That's...Okay! I will have to look into this after.
Mimi 22:17
That's...Yeah, it kind of sounds similar to, like, the B Corp idea of like, you have to meet certain standards in order...Is it a certification, like you get the...get it for your own brand?
Aubri 22:26
No. So they...This is another thing I love about it is that it's totally public. So any consumer can go on to their retail site and read what their standard is, and know that all of the brands that are being sold there meet that standard. Um, it's not as challenging as a B Corp. B Corp is a lot of time and it's...it's not always possible for a small brand. And it also has to do with tax structure. So it's like, [laughs] you usually, like, have to hire someone to help you file to become a B Corp. This is just a set of guidelines for formulating cosmetics, specifically that prioritizes safety and sustainability.
Mimi 23:07
Very cool, I love that. Is there um, in that is there like care for animal welfare or? Yes?
Aubri 23:17
Yeah, definitely. So they have...they're not necessarily completely vegan, but they do require, like, full disclosure of testing. And they have, you know, they say like...beeswax and certain things like this, we understand it's hard to completely move away from, but we love to see vegan alternatives as well, so. It's great, you can read it, which is my favorite...
Mimi 23:43
Yeah!
Aubri 23:44
Some of these other standards are, like, by lock and key, like, you kind of have a vague idea what they mean. Like clean at Sephora. If you've seen the clean sticker on Sephora, it's [laughs] it's kind of unclear. They have a list of ingredients that can include...but I think there's like more to that, that they're not making public.
Jordan 24:04
Mm hmm. It's actually interesting. I was looking up a little bit more about the whole clean beauty industry, prior to this call. So I wasn't a complete noob going in. And I realized that, like, even just the words like natural versus organic can mean two completely different things in terms of beauty and like one can use...one is used a lot more in greenwashing. So I thought it was really interesting that, like, even the word choices that they're using can...which I thought were the same thing natural and organic, but turns out they're entirely different. [laughs]
Aubri 24:39
It's so complicated, and yeah! I, like, think, as a personal mission, is something I'd love to shed light on. So I'm definitely trying to, you know, make my TikToks and my Reels to kind of explain some of these terms. But yeah, organic is regulated by a federal standard. So that is actually quite difficult to achieve whereas natural has no definition whatsoever. So you can slop that on just about anything.
Mimi 25:07
Are you serious?
Jordan 25:08
I did not know that!
Mimi 25:08
I had no idea! Holy moly!
Jordan 25:11
I knew or...I think I knew that about organic. I just thought natural also needed to have, like, some sort of regulation. But...
Mimi 25:18
I've heard organic is like you try your best to be organic, but if you have to use pesticides, like, you do so, right? So even with organic, it's a very, like, loaded word. And like it's...it's different. The certification for organic is different depending on what geographical location you're in, right?
Aubri 25:36
Yeah.
Mimi 25:37
But I had no idea natural, there was just like, no definition.
Aubri 25:42
Yeah, it's...it's tough. And even organic can be complicated. Like you said, it's by location. And actually, it really only refers to agricultural products. So that's why it was meant for food. It wasn't meant for cosmetics, but people started applying it to cosmetics. And that has led to confusion as well, because really only...like there's a select few product types that could possibly be organic meaning derived only from agricultural products. But something like a sunscreen or a lotion, it's actually not possible to make that with only agricultural products, so it could never have an organic seal. This is probably getting into the weeds, but, um...
Mimi 26:26
No, I love it. Like, I didn't know any of this!
Jordan 26:29
No, this is so interesting! Mm hmm!
Aubri 26:30
Yeah. So there are a lot of buzzwords, like you said, in every industry. And cosmetics has more than enough of them to go around.
Jordan 26:40
Well actually, touching upon that. So you just mentioned that you actually make Reels and like posts about this, I'm assuming on your Instagram page. What made you decide to do that, like 'cause I know one of the greatest barriers, even for myself in just making more conscious choices, is that, like you said, that barrier to really understanding...Am I making the right choice? [mimics hesitating tone of an average customer:] Like I think natural makes sense. It sounds nice. But like, I don't know what that actually means so...
Mimi 27:05
And is it a green bottle? [laughs]
Jordan 27:06
Yeah, that's a good... There's a recycling logo on it...somewhere? I think I'm doing good...there's a happy animal on it. [back to normal tone] But I was curious if that was also part of...Rebrand was that you also wanted to make the information also more consumable for people who may not know or understand all of...all of these technical terms?
Aubri 27:32
Yeah, I think there's, that's a huge part of what I want to do. And I think there's multiple reasons to do it. Like, I want my consumers to make an educated choice to choose my product, not just because I convinced them, like, I want them to be able to understand. And as a chemist who has worked in the industry, I think I have a pretty unique, like, lens that a lot of people don't have. So, that not only allows me to maybe reach people with new information, I think it also gives me credibility, which is helpful for building a brand.
Jordan 28:07
Yeah! [laughs]
Aubri 28:08
So...[laughs] So yeah! Um, and you know, the algorithm loves Reels, so...
Jordan 28:14
They really do. Oh, my God, I've learned a lot about...how does social media correctly... Have you found that to actually...to be really...challenging, considering...I didn't realize this, but you started your company literally dab-smack as the pandemic started. So like, not only did you go on, like this really big, like, life changes as a...entrepreneur, almost...like pretty much. But you also then had to navigate it in, like, the cyber sphere where, like, it's also new territory, like, ...no one's ever had to do this for this long, like, how has that whole journey been?
Aubri 28:52
Yeah, it's been wild. Going on a year one of pandemic life. But uh, I...one thing I kind of realized, it's like, there's not ever going to be the perfect time to start a business. As you probably know, with your podcast. There's, like, always something that's like, eeh, is it the right time? So you, kind of, do just have to take the leap. And I feel really fortunate for the situation that I was in, that I hadn't, you know, signed a lease on a retail location, or something like that, where I could be selling my products through e-commerce. And that, yeah, people are on social media that are interested in sustainability. And I think even that has grown a lot, as people are on social media learning more about climate change. They have actually shifted their habits and made this a priority. So that's been fantastic to see as well.
Mimi 29:50
I'm curious to know, like, as a...entrepreneur, is it really inconvenient to prioritize sustainability?
Aubri 29:59
Uh, yes and no. I think it's harder than not prioritizing it. But there are some places where you actually like, save money. Like, for me, the refills is beneficial for me too, I only have to buy one package instead of two, because it's a 2x refill. So I can pass that discount on to my customer too. So there are definitely ways where it actually makes more economic sense to focus on sustainability. I think there are a few areas where it's challenging. One of the most challenging areas I would say, is dealing with the supply chain. Supply chains are so complicated for cosmetics, I mean, you've seen an ingredient list, you're looking at 10+ ingredients from around the world. And they're not even...as I said, they're not necessarily agricultural products, like straight from the field. So what...Where did they come from? How are they processed? How do they get to where I am. And as a small brand, suppliers aren't always, like, super stoked to work with you on that, or in many cases, they don't actually know themselves. They're just kind of a middleman. So for sustainability, I think supply chain is one of the most difficult areas to work in.
Mimi 31:21
Yeah, that...that makes sense. Actually, I feel like that's probably a common thing in a lot of industries, like, in I don't know, I'm thinking about like cell phones right now, and all the minerals in cell phones, you know, and how like, the brand you're buying your cell phone from, they have no idea where those minerals came from, right? Because this is really hard to track down and...yeah, that's interesting. Have you found that as a consumer your habits have changed since you've created Rebrand.
Aubri 31:51
I would say it kind of happened the other way around. Which when my...when my habit started changing, which was probably during college, which was the first time that I started composting and you know, started making those first swaps started eating less meat, like that's what kind of triggered me to think there aren't enough options for people who are trying to...to live this lifestyle but also still have the routines and the things that they love and not have to just make it all about sacrifice. But yeah, I mean, I...I have come a long way since I started and I think the Rebrand definitely plays into that I have like a one by per month rule. And that goes for, like, skincare and clothing. So I only buy like 12 things per year. I mean give or take. And again, it's not all about sacrifice. But I do think having....like, being aware of your own consumption allows you to really invest in things that you know that, for a fact, that are going to be beneficial to your life.
Mimi 33:07
Are there any like when...when you're...when you're a consumer...Are there any non negotiables that you have? Like you will not buy it from this brand if they do A, B and C or you won't buy this type of product if it contains whatever.
Aubri 33:20
Um, I think it's probably...I'm sure I have that but I don't, like, a written down you know, like, it's kind of just what my habits have become.
Mimi 33:30
You just kinda follow your integrity.
Aubri 33:32
Yeah...
Mimi 33:33
Yeah.
Aubri 33:33
I've been uh...like I shop at the places that I have done a lot of research in. So like, I was mentioning Credo, like, if I need something that I can't make myself I'm looking there because I know that that's a standard-that-I-agree-with type of a thing. But I don't have, like, strict guidelines.
Jordan 33:56
How do you find some of the organ...companies or items that you...you buy? Do you, like, do you just Google them? Or are you constantly, like, on social media trying to find those...those platforms? Like I'm always curious how people find, like...we found you on accident! And so it's one of those things where it's...I’m always curious to know how people find these things, because I need to know how to search them up to sometimes...you know...
Aubri 34:24
Yeah, I mean, I think Google is a great place to start. Um, and yeah, social media has been helpful in some sense, like...I have mixed feelings about targeted ads and...but yeah, they know me pretty well at this point. So at least it gives me leads to go check out a brand and you know, I may or may not end up thinking that that brand aligns with me, but I'm also looking at some of the, like, bigger accounts and influencers in the sustainability space. They usually have a lot of recommendations.
Mimi 34:59
'Cause it can be really hard to navigate that, you know, especially in...in a world where, like, likes and followers are like a type of currency, right? It's really, it can be really hard to decipher between, like, influencers that are authentic versus influencers that may have, like, some other motive?
Jordan 35:19
Mm hmm. Yeah.
Aubri 35:20
Yeah, I think...I think it is tough because for many of them, this is, therefore has become, their income. So like, I don't blame them for...
Mimi 35:34
Oh, no, not at all!
Aubri 35:36
...when they believe in the product, but you're absolutely right. It's hard to tell. Are you just posting about this because it was gifted to you? Or was it something that you sought out, because you actually loved the product and you wanted to work with a brand?
Mimi 35:48
Mm hmm. Yeah. And I find like, if you're following someone from, like, their beginning, like, at the very start, you can kind of tell that they're getting products that they really like. But then, if it becomes more and more frequent, you're just like, but do you actually like this? Or do you just need the money? And again, no, no shame or shade towards that person, but it’s just as a consumer, it can be really hard.
Aubri 36:10
Yeah. So I think some of the people that I've, like, turned to or look toward, for some perspective, and the sustainability space would be Queer Brown Vegan, he does fantastic work as far as...
Jordan 36:23
Love him! He's amazing! Isaac...
Aubri 36:26
Right? Okay! He also came to Berkeley...
Jordan 36:28
Isaias.
Aubri 36:28
...so I feel like I have a connection with him.
Mimi 36:31
Did you know him?
Aubri 36:32
No, he's younger.
Mimi 36:34
Okay.
Aubri 36:35
But yeah, he's fantastic for also defining terms like he does a great job defining terms that are kind of becoming buzzwords or that you, you know, you want to be...you want to understand, to speak the lingo. And I think that's what he's trying to do is kind of break down this idea that you need some super high degree to be part of the environmental movement, which I love. And then Green Girl Leah is another that I...just really enjoy her account. And she's very outdoorsy. So it's always some inspo for me to, like, put on my hiking boots and get out there. And yeah, I mean, I think my advice would be like, just type into Instagram, like sustainability, see what account comes up and like, follow 10 or so of them, and then you'll unfollow the ones, throughout the month, that didn't really resonate with you. But they're...it's so exciting to see so many people, especially young people, and more people of color in the space.
Mimi 37:38
Totally. Yeah, I can definitely agree with that. I'm curious, you talked about, like, putting on your hiking boots and getting outside. What has your relationship with nature been like, like, throughout your life?
Aubri 37:51
It's always been a part of my life. And I feel really grateful for that. I've been skiing from a very young age. So...
Mimi 38:00
Downhill?
Aubri 38:02
Yeah!
Mimi 38:02
Or cross-country? Okay, very cool.
Aubri 38:04
Yeah, I actually snowboard. So...
Mimi 38:07
Oh nice!
Aubri 38:08
[laughs] Can only do downhill, can't you? [laughs] But yeah, so I've been coming to the mountains since I was like three years old. And then I also, living in California, have always loved the ocean, and just being able to be near the beach or the ocean. So yeah, I mean, California is really incredible for being in different ecosystems, you can be in the mountains, you can be at the beach, you can be in the desert, in the forest, like, within like a three hour radius. So, um, very fortunate for that. I think, during the pandemic, actually, I've definitely picked it up even more so, have been hiking every weekend. It's so rejuvenating, and it really kind of...grounding me and like what am I actually doing this for? And it's, it's really so that my kids and grandkids can experience these same ecosystems and not have to have fear or be like living their lives according to extreme climate events.
Jordan 39:12
Yeah, which is a reality for a lot of people already. So yeah, anything we can do to slow it down for everyone.
Mimi 39:18
Especially in California, yeah.
Jordan 39:20
I was gonna say yeah, you guys h...hit with the...the droughts and the wildfires, and... Do you find that that also has been hard? Like, I guess seeing these extreme climate events? 'Cause at least in Toronto, I don't see them. So I, like, I hear about them. I see them elsewhere in the world, but like... Do you find that that's been even more motivating that those events are happening like in your...in your states, like, just how it's like outside of your house?
Aubri 39:50
Yeah. Oh my gosh, I...it's definitely been very impactful to witness it firsthand. I remember one day, I believe it was in September or October, where I woke up and it was like, completely orange outside, you may have seen this photo
Jordan 40:09
I saw the photos!
Aubri 40:10
Oh my God like.. It’s scary, it’s really scary. And I think the way that I think about it is like...I’ll be fine. Like, I have the privilege to move away or to buy a really nice air purifier and it's just tragic to think about the loss that we’re gonna have if we don’t. I’m, like, tearing up as I’m saying this but um... It’s a human issue like we’re gonna lose people and um it may not be immediately like they may not die in a fire but their lungs are gonna be filled with smoke and they’re not gonna have any other option. To me that’s, like, the most frightening part. I..I try to be optimistic and think about solutions but there is absolutely real fear there.
Jordan 41:02
Yeah
Aubri 40:03
I mean I think those fires and...and the pandemic and just learning more about these issues.. I mean last year was the record for acres burned in the US, number of named hurricanes in the US, like, record high temperature in Death Valley...like [sing-songy] it’s not a coincidence anymore people! [laughs]
Mimi 41:24
No!
Aubri 41:25
So uh...you...you do have to wonder a little bit but, um... I do think that a lot…a lot of people have woken up to the reality of it and I welcome different solutions. I’ve always said that, like, if you have a more economic solution, or, whatever is it, like, we just need to agree on the baseline fact and then we can actually start discussing what we’re gonna do about it. So I hope this was the year that...that got the majority of people around the hump to realize, like, this is actually a problem that we need to adress.
Mimi 41:59
Mm hmm.
Jordan 42:02
I remember for me what did it was...I remember at the start of the pandemic they were saying that with everyone in lockdown that air pollution had gone down and that like the Earth was healing itself but then at the end of the year they were like despite the pandemic it’s the worst year like on record for, like, everything related to cli...like, climate change had gotten worse and it just kinda blew my mind that like even with everyone at home for the most part, like, and like, using cars less and going outside less and do...like it was...it’s still getting worse. And I’m like wow! So we have to actively do way more than just slow down what we do, if that makes sense and that was kind of eye-opening. It’s like, I can’t just stop driving a car or stop eating meat, like I have to do something more to actually slow this down.
Aubri 42:52
Definitely! And I think it’...it’s scary to think of, like, it on an individual basis. I think we’ll go so much further collectively and I think, like, we’re already starting to see that. We’re starting to see some...I mean we’ve already been seeing some really incredible innovation as far as car...like carbon capture and my, like, bible that I go to when I start feeling stressed out is Project Drawdown because this...these are the solutions. So Project Drawdown is a research project that has a book and it’s basically the top climate solutions rated by how many tons of CO2 they would be removing from the atmosphere. So...they have—
Mimi 43:37
Hmm...Interesting, I’ve never heard of it.
Aubri 42:40
It’s incredible! So, it’s a book. They also have a fantastic website, it's drawdown.org. And...Like, the solutions exist, we can do this! So whenever I start to wallow I need to, like, turn to, like, okay, what are the proven solutions.
Mimi 43:58
That’s awesome
Jordan 43:59
I remember reading an article that said, like, on the idea of collective action what Greta Thun...Thunberg has been doing with Fridays For The Future and how Fridays For The Future has now, like, gone global. That there actually has been a Greta Thunberg effect. Like, she’s at...what she did and what everyone’s currently doing has actually led to an increase in like more people caring for the...for the planet and that’s also been what’s given me a lot of hope for the future, is that like, yeah, one little girl in Sweden, just skipping school on fridays, has actually shown in research it’s had a massive effect on the entire globe, so...yeah it’s…
Aubri 44:43
Yeah, I saw that article too and I was just, like, smiling so biiig. So cool!
Jordan 44:48
Yeah. Like everyone says, like “oooh protesting won’t lead anywhere, like, what can one person do?” And it’s like well no it’s like that domino effect and then people start working collectively and then that’s where...change happens.
Hey, if you have any, like, helpful tips for people too, like, anyone who may be as new to going green. Cause that’s what we’re trying to do is to inspire people who might not know what to do. So if you have any helpful tips of, like, how you got into not just clean...like, beauty but, like, everything else like if you have any other helpful tips or actionable things that people, like, can maybe do, um. Cause it’s Action Tuesday, today, so…
Aubri 45:29
Yaay! Yeah, so um, I think that’s such a good topic and actually for Earth Month which is coming right up — actually I’m not sure if this podcast will be before or after Earth Month — but on the Rebrand Skincare page, I’m gonna be doing 30 days of accessible climate actions. So one action each day. And the goal is to show that you don’t...like you said the green consumerism is kind of an oxymoron, you don’t have to buy something new in order to take part in this movement and you should really individualise that. Like, what are the things that you enjoy and your talents and that’s, like, what you can bring, and I think that is really exciting too. So if you love doing research and reading, check out Project Drawdown, check out books at your library. And really educate yourself more so that you can then transmit that information. If you love doing, you know, low-waste DIYs, like, do that too and share the recipes with your friends. It really…you don’t have to do everything at once. Do the first thing that seems exciting to you, because if you’re trying to do everything at once, you’re gonna burn out and you’re not gonna be able to make the impact that you may be wanting to make.
Jordan 46:44
I like the emphasis on doing something that makes you excited. One of our previous guests said that too, that that was what was missing from the climate movement is, we always talk about what you have to give up or what you have to lose, but like, being green can be fun! And like that’s kind of where I think many people need to start is what can you do that you enjoy doing, make it green and then just roll with it... Yeah, I love that.
Mimi 47:09
Yeah! And the other thing you touched upon that I love is that, like, there can be different levels of engagement and that’s okay. You don’t have to go from, like, 0 to 100, right? You can start small, you can just...yeah, meet the climate movement where you’re at, right? Where your boundaries are, and where your capacities are at. And you don’t need to feel bad about that, right? As long as you’re actively trying to do something.
Aubri 47:32
Yeah, I think the...the guilt is definitely a barrier to people getting involved. And I don’t want that to be the case, at all. Like, you know...Everybody knows the quote, like, a million people doing sustainability unperfectly, that’s what we need. And, it’s so true. So, anyone who’s trying to shame you, tell them that! [laughs]
Jordan 47:58
Yeah, oh God! It’s so true. Oh hey, this is so, this is kind of why we had you on too and like what we’re hoping to do with this podcast is that hopefully share that idea that there should be no reason to be shamed for trying. Like, we need everyone to try, and that’s gonna be how we fix this. And uh...yeah. Well, it's been a real pleasure having you on the podcast Aubri!
Mimi 48:22
Yeah, definitely, thank you so much!
Aubri 48:24
It’s so fun, I loved talking to you too!
[outro]
Mimi 48:27
Thanks for listening to this episode of Imperfect Eco-Hero. Stay connected with us through our instagram @Imperfect_ecohero or email us at imperfectecohero@gmail.com. If you want to learn more about our podcast or see resources related to this episode, visit our website imperfectecohero.com
