What follows is an imperfect list, a subjective selection of great quality beauty brands trying to do better for the good of the planet. They are not all doing everything; some are better than others and they could always be doing more. But as industry experts at a recent sustainability conference told me, again and again: we don’t have time to wait for perfect, or for people to reject all the conveniences of modern life. It is more important to do something now than nothing at all, to our later cost. I take the view that big change comes from big business, which is why I’ve included global megabrands where there is at least the will and potential for improvement. What constitutes improvement is another bone of contention, of course. Some believe 100% organic, non-GM products are the only way to go; others rightly point out that some crops can be grown organically only thousands of air miles away. Many of us look for recycled plastic (living only about three lives), others prefer infinitely recyclable (but much heavier to freight) glass. This lineup is more expensive than previous “best lists”, which tend to run the gamut from mass market to high luxury. Locally made, renewable and sustainably grown ingredients cost more than petrol derivatives and virgin plastic, made in bulk in China. So I apologise if some of these prices make you wince, as they did me. vg vegan, v vegetarian, cf cruelty free: all not sold in countries where animal testing is mandatory; vg contains no animal-derived ingredients. No brackets: not tested on animals in the EU, where it’s illegal, but sold in countries where animal testing is mandatory.