Pure Culture Takes Home Bronze Award for Innovative Clean Beauty 2022!

Since we launched Pure Culture in February, we’ve always been dedicated to elevating the beauty landscape and making clean, mindful skincare accessible to people all over the world. Today, we’re thrilled to share that our up-and-coming brand has been globally recognized by the Organic Beauty Award, earning two citations for Best Clean Brands 2022 — Bronze award under the categories Innovative Clean Beauty: Brand that Gives Back, and Best Skincare Brands: Skincare Tools!

“Building a sustainable, mindful brand is not easy. From a business perspective, it is definitely more practical to go for  more economical options, whether it means choosing lower quality ingredients, or using plastic packaging,” explains our co-founder Alex Gentry. “But what people don’t realize is that there’s a more expensive trade-off, paid by our skin, bodies, and our planet. With urgent issues surrounding toxicity, waste and climate, it’s our responsibility to change the way we do business and create a more sustainable future for all.” 

“This is a momentous occasion for the brand. From the start, we’ve proudly maintained a no-compromise approach to beauty, making sure we cultivate values such as diversity, inclusivity, safety, and sustainability,” says co-founder Kim Reyes-Palanca. “In the Philippines, clean beauty is something that isn’t fully ingrained in our culture yet, so to represent our country on the global stage this way means so much to us.” 

Established in 2017, the international Organic Beauty Award is an esteemed showcase for natural beauty brands — from handmade soaps and bespoke baby care, to organic home essentials and cruelty-free beauty. From more than 50 entries from brands across Australia, New Zealand, and more, only 16 brands made it to the final cut. Winners were screened based on rigorous criteria, such as: charities and communities supported, sourcing certified organic ingredients, ethical manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging. 

Currently, Pure Culture has several sustainability initiatives in place. Guided by what we call the Pure Culture Code, we start by using responsibly sourced raw materials and natural actives that are harvested with respect to human health and the planet. Second, we are meticulous and transparent about our selection of ingredients and preservatives. Our ‘Heck No Checklist’ covers a comprehensive list of questionable ingredients, including the Toxic-Free Campaign Criteria of Safe Cosmetics Australia, and other questionable substances based on our own research.  

Next, we’re committed to using only biodegradable packaging, actively avoiding bioplastic tubes, bottles, and jars. Aside from these, we are a proud member of 1% for the Planet, which means we give back a portion of our sales to rewilding habitats, starting with our own Philippine oceans. For this we have chosen Reef Check Philippines as our first non-profit partner. These are just some of the ways we seek to redefine the industry. To learn more about our Pure Culture code, we encourage you to read through our page. 

“Sustainability is always going to be a work in progress for us. We’re actively looking for more ways to harness the best of nature, reduce our environmental impact, and uplift communities,” shares co-founder Rina dela Calzada. “We would like to thank Safe Cosmetics Australia for this honor. And of course, we couldn’t have achieved this Innovative Clean Beauty win on our own. We are grateful to everyone who continues to join us in championing safe, effective, and sustainable skincare.”