Beautyologie, a fair trade and ethically sourced beauty marketplace, has debuted at www.beautyologie.com. The site is a mix of e-commerce and content, with a goal to inspire and educate beauty consumers about the importance of knowing where their beauty products come from, how they’re sourced, and who produces them.
Beautyologie was created by longtime beauty PR professional Robin Tolkan-Doyle. “I wanted to create a space in the beauty world for social change that can enlighten consumers, not just about the ingredients in their beauty products and what they do to your skin but dig a little deeper and start a conversation about the origin stories behind the products,” she says.
Much of the beauty industry is reliant on the agriculture industry, yet it’s a topic that isn’t usually spoken about. “Shea butter; cocoa butter; sugar; oils from baobab, moringa, argan, and marula; and even mica, all come from natural resources around the world,” says Doyle. “It’s one thing to include these ingredients in a product and call it ‘natural,’ but it’s an entirely other thing to make sure that these ingredients are sourced in an ethical manner, that the people sourcing them are being treated fairly and humanely, and that they’re being paid a fair wage.”
If consumers had more awareness about what really goes on behind the scenes in the manufacturing of beauty product ingredients around the world, Doyle believes they might think differently about how they choose to spend their money.
Last March right before the pandemic, Doyle traveled to India where she had her “aha” moment. Having worked in the beauty industry for 25 years (she started off as a beauty editor for a teen magazine), she has always had beauty in her blood. For the last few years, though, Doyle was feeling like she wanted to do something more. The experience of seeing firsthand how people on the other side of the world can be directly impacted by what people in the western world do, made her realize that this was an invaluable lesson and one that she wants to help share with others.
“This past year, we’ve all literally lived in our own bubbles” says Doyle. “Since beauty is what I know, I want to build off of that and help pop these insulated bubbles we live in by bringing attention to people in other parts of the world who are making the products we all use every day.
Beautyologie has launched with 16 brands sourced from around the world including Tierra and Lava from Guatemala; Some Moroccan and Silktage from Morocco; Kaibae, True Moringa, Shea Yeleen, Terres D’Afrique from Ghana and various countries in Africa; Candela, Essential Oils of Peru, Arbor Mundi from Peru; 700 Rivers from Bangladesh, Love, Indus from India, and more.
Beautyologie’s shop allows customers to Shop By Country of product origin, offering geographical information about each place. There is also a Beautyologie TV section on the site where customers can watch videos about the ingredient producers working with various brands to learn how these beauty businesses have positively impacted their lives.
“By shining a spotlight on the ingredient producers from developing countries, we want to inspire beauty lovers everywhere,” says Doyle “Without the hard work of these producers, your body cream or face serum would not be possible.”
