Sustainable LGBTQ

These LGBTQ+-owned makeup and skincare brands proudly prioritize inclusivity and sustainability every day of the year. Cheers to glowing skin and a healthy planet!

Jun. 9 2023, Published 10:51 a.m. ET

Upon opening your stocked medicine cabinet or vanity drawers, you're bound to come across a product birthed from a trailblazing LGBTQ+-owned brand. And we'd bet our bottom dollar said product isn't stamped with hollow corporate rainbows.

During June, you can't turn a corner without spotting mountains of multicored, mass-produced products adorned with generic queer mantras and ungodly amounts of microplastic glitter. Sadly, Pride Month merch tends to feel inauthentic and performative. And once the clock strikes midnight on July 1, the rainbows mysteriously vanish, as does the support.

Queerness knows no bounds, and a mere 30 days of supposed inclusivity is tired.

So, if you're looking to nourish your skin, update your makeup stash, and directly support queer people during Pride Month and beyond, throw some cash at LGBTQ+-owned makeup and skincare brands. Not only have the innovative beauty brands on our list blossomed from the minds of queer entrepreneurs, but they also hold sustainability close to their hearts.

Via email, Green Matters spoke exclusively with NTRL By Sabs founder Sabrina Rowe, Good Light founder David Yi, and Common Heir co-founder Angela Ubias about their views on sustainability and how their queer identities have shaped how they move through the world.

Keep reading for our Q&As with the fabulous founders as well as a peek at a few other LGBTQ+-owned makeup and skincare brands.

These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.

In the midst of 2020, celebrity hairstylist Sabrina Rowe found herself in a curious place. With 20 years of diverse experience (TV legends like Ilana Glazer and Uzo Aduba have sat in her chair), Rowe had never scrutinized the science behind familiar product formulas. So, she went to cosmetic formulation school and launched clean body and hair care brand NTRL By Sabs.

Initially focused on textured hair, NTRL By Sabs now offers something "for every head of hair."

If you're looking to support a queer Black woman-owned business and make your self-care rituals more sustainable — via zero-waste bar products with rich botanical ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, and bamboo extract — Sabrina Rowe has your back ... and your face, and your locks. In fact, NTRL By Sabs can completely revolutionize your daily shower routine! Those lemongrass and cedarwood-scented lips can kiss wasteful packaging goodbye.

Below is our Q&A with founder Sabrina Rowe.

GREEN MATTERS: How has your queer identity shaped who you are as both a founder and a person?

SABRINA ROWE: Embracing my queer identity has profoundly shaped both my personal journey and my professional path, informing my perspective, my interactions, and my approach to business.

Additionally, it has fostered resilience, courage, and authenticity, has taught me to embrace individuality, and has deepened my understanding of the broad spectrum of human experiences — which in turn has led to a greater sense of empathy and inclusivity.

I understand the importance of feeling seen and accepted. That understanding translates into our brand mission, in the gender-free inclusive range of products we create and the communities we strive to serve.

Being queer has taught me to value the beauty in diversity, to champion representation, and to build a brand that seeks to dismantle conventional, often restrictive, beauty norms.

GM: How do you believe NTRL By Sabs's mission can empower the LGBTQ+ community?

SR: NTRL by Sabs's mission is centered on inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability, principles that are deeply interwoven with empowering the LGBTQ+ community.

We aim to create products that cater to everyone, regardless of their identity or background. By doing so, we seek to validate all forms of beauty and reaffirm that everyone's unique identity deserves to be celebrated.

By making choices that respect and protect our planet, we demonstrate our care for future generations, ensuring that the world we leave behind is one where all identities can thrive.

Representation matters, and as a queer-owned business, NTRL by Sabs serves as a testament to the potential within the LGBTQ+ community.

Offering vegan, cruelty-free, and gender-inclusive products made in South Korea, Good Light skincare (stylized as good light) hopes to promote "a more inclusive definition of beauty through product and purpose."

With a moth as its mascot — an undervalued animal who chooses to come out of the shadows and find the light — Good Light encourages people of all identities to spread their wings and find their own light from within.

Founded in 2021 by former journalist David Yi, Good Light formulates with dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic ingredients like bakuchiol, carrot seed oil, and laminaria japonica. BPAs, parabens, mercury, microbeads, mineral oils, oxybenzone, and phthalates have no place in Good Light's CPT Labs-tested products, as clean formulas are a priority.

Though Good Light has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, its products feature recyclable packaging made of polypropylene, glass, mixed paper, cardboard, and soy ink. What stands out to us is its We Come In Peace Microbiome Serum pump — aka "the first patented no metal spring pump that can be fully recycled without being broken down."

Additionally, the brand donates 1 percent of sales to True Colors United, a charitable organization working to help unhoused LGBTQ+ youth.

Below is our Q&A with founder David Yi.

GREEN MATTERS: How has your queer identity shaped who you are as both a founder and a person?

DAVID YI: After working as a fashion and beauty editor, I realized the world was still so binary. Beauty has always been political and a vehicle for change. I wanted to create a more inclusive world, using beauty to push culture forward.

I thought it was off-putting to put gendered labels on products. Why is it that only one gender was allowed to beautify?

This led me to launch Very Good Light in 2016 to redefine masculinity through beauty, and eventually Good Light cosmetics in 2021 for "beauty beyond the binary." As an Asian American LGBTQIA+ founder, I am proud to be in this space and find that I can belong and finally feel beautiful.

GM: How do you believe Good Light's mission can empower the LGBTQ+ community?

DY: We launched Good Light to democratize beauty and help people understand that beauty comes in all forms and that we all have a place in this world. We want Good Light to be an inclusive space for all folks and try to champion different identities, sexualities, races, et cetera.

GM: What does Pride mean to you?

DY: Pride is about shining your inner light so that others can not only can bask in it, but be inspired to shine their own. Pride is about making this world a brighter place.

GM: What other LGBTQ+-owned beauty or skincare brands are you loving right now?

DY: I love Enrico Frezza from Peace Out Skincare, Hyram Yarbro's brand, Selfless by Hyram, and Of Other Worlds by my friend Simedar Jackson.

With a mission to "redefine classic beauty," Common Heir is a cruelty-free, plastic-free, silicone-free and WOC-owned luxury skincare brand that will add flair to any bathroom. Seriously, its #shelfie-worthy floral packaging is as dreamy as it is sustainable.

Founded by CEO Cary Lin and CPO Angela Ubias in 2020 — the latter of whom identifies as a lesbian — Common Heir strives to give passed-down beauty traditions a clean and eco-friendly makeover.

The brand's signature science-backed capsule serums include botanical hero ingredients like plant-derived squalene, huang qi, algae oil, marshmallow extract, and green caviar.

The squishy teardrop capsules themselves are plant-based, readily biodegradable, and lightweight for shipping. Plus, all packaging is recyclable and features eco-friendly inks and coatings.

Additionally, Common Heir is dedicated to carbon neutral shipping and is a member of 1% for the Planet. Aside from donating 1 percent of its annual sales, the brand has partnered with Ocean Blue Project — an organization devoted to ocean, beach, and river cleanup initiatives — to donate $1 per email signup. So far, the partnership has led to the removal of over 5,000 pounds of microplastics from the ocean.

Below is our Q&A with co-founder Angela Ubias.

GREEN MATTERS: How has your queer identity shaped who you are as both a founder and a person?

ANGELA UBIAS: For me, as a very femme-presenting woman, I often joke that I have to "come out" to strangers on a daily to weekly basis.

And while it's felt daunting to have to announce yourself in order to feel seen, it's also instilled tenacity and courage in me and a desire to unapologetically take up spaces that aren't necessarily designed for me. These have become assets to me as a founder who's not only a lesbian, but also a woman of color in the beauty industry.

GM: How do you believe Common Heir's mission can empower the LGBTQ+ community?

AU: The beauty industry has long held a very specific aesthetic as desirable, marketable, and even aspirational. With all that we do on the sustainability and innovation sides of the business, we also want to disrupt the industry by designing products with EVERYONE in mind.

We are proud to continue building an inclusive and uplifting community via our campaigns, creators we work with, and even retail partners that advocate for LGBTQ+ representation and visibility.

GM: What does Pride mean to you?

AU: It's time to take up space, teach, learn, and share the rich contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community with a broader audience. And it's a celebration of our community's resilience and beauty.

GM: What does sustainability mean to Common Heir?

AU: With the enormous amount of waste the beauty industry contributes, it's our mission to build a brand that is plastic-free and takes all of the guesswork out of sustainability in luxury skincare.

GM: What other LGBTQ+-owned beauty or skincare brands are you loving right now?

AU: I’m a big fan of Beekman 1802 and its commitment to sustainability!

For veteran makeup artist Gloria J. Noto — who's worked with with A-listers like Shailene Woodley, per Vogue — NOTO Botanics has always been about "radical self-care."

Not only does the cruelty-free and gender-inclusive makeup, skincare, and body care brand champion individuality, but it's a direct reflection of the change Noto wanted to see in the chemical-saturated, perfection-obsessed beauty industry.

Founded by Noto in 2016, NOTO Botanics specializes in multi-use, minimalistic products "that will change your skin with regular use."

Skin-loving ingredients like vetiver root oil, ylang ylang oil, and blue tansy are sourced responsibly, as the brand works with manufacturers that "pursue ethical practices and regenerative farming."

Packaging made of recycled PCR plastics, glass, and metal give the squeaky clean brand a sustainable edge. Additionally, all shipping materials are made of recycled paper and green cell foam — a biodegradable, cornstarch-based foam alternative.

Aside from its acceptance morals, planet-friendly motivations, and sexy packaging, NOTO Botanics takes pride in its "give back" philosophy. A portion of Agender Oil profits go toward organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Transgender Freedom Fund, the Trevor Project, and more.

As much as we love nutrient-rich skincare, Pride Month deserves some pizazz, a bit of sparkle, if you will.

Once former figure skater and glitter hater Saba Gray explored the magic of New York's underground fashion and arts communities, she fell in love with the shiny stuff. To her, glitter was no longer a symbol of hyper-femininity and perfectionism, but rather a genderless tool for unapologetic individualism.

And though she viewed glitter as an approachable way to "break down social barriers," understanding that the toxic plastic particles didn't break down in the environment irked her. With a background in sustainable fashion and textiles, Gray made it her mission to create biodegradable glitter, founding BioGlitz in 2014.

Seeking to "take the litter out of glitter," BioGlitz offers cruelty-free, FDA-approved, and GMO-free face and body glitter made from the pulp fibers of eucalyptus trees!

Trees utilized are all sourced from FSC-certified suppliers and the brand's OK Biodegradable WATER by TÜV Austria certification ensures "biodegradation in a natural fresh water environment."

Whether in-your-face holographic glitter is your thing, or you prefer your sparkle to be more conservative — the translucent blue denim glitter is uniquely tame — you can don BioGlitz products without guilt.