our impact
People + Planet, in practice
My personal commitment to both people and planet lives at the center of everything we do at Laurel Skin. Doing less harm determines my own life choices, and it naturally extends into how we operate as a business.
The act of consumption places real demands on the Earth and humanity, often in ways that remain unseen. As a small business owner, I take this responsibility seriously and each daily decision is a conscious act to minimize harm.
Both human and planetary health depend on our interconnectedness with Nature and with each other. We make our choices from a place of love; I believe that, over time, that leads to the subtle transformation of systems that are no longer in the best interest of people and planet. I care deeply about effortless accessibility to our most basic needs like real food, clean water, and healthcare for all, and my hope is that organic medicinal herb farming is ensuring a future that can hold all of those things for everyone.
Each action taken with how we source our ingredients, how we care for our team, how we package our products – it is all how we are choosing to show up in the world. I hope that Laurel Skinโs commitments and actions below speak to a great care for others and an integrity that I try to embody myself. – Laurel
people Initiatives
SOURCING AS ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Sourcing and supply chains are not only environmental issues, they are deeply human ones. Forced labor, child labor, and the exploitation of farmworkers remain widespread across global agricultural systems.
Our commitment to people begins long before a product reaches your hands. It lives in how we source and who we partner with. We prioritize sourcing as close to home as possible so working conditions can be directly known and monitored. When international sourcing is necessary, it is done through intimate, values-aligned relationships with humanitarian intentions that mirror our own.
We actively advocate for the profitability and long-term sustainability of small family farms. Rather than relying on standard botanical pricing models, we encourage farmers to charge fairly for their time and labor. We regularly support our farm partners with equipment purchases, staffing assistance, water access, and seeds.
Certifications alone are not enough. Even well-intentioned systems like Fair Trade have limitations. Meaningful change requires accountability that goes beyond labels, grounded in direct, transparent relationships. This commitment is unwavering, both financially and in practice, and it is work we are deeply proud of.
Sourcing is not a neutral act. Every decision within a supply chain carries human consequences.
diversity + inclusion
Creating Opportunities for Diversity + Inclusion
Access to opportunity within the wellness industry is not evenly distributed. Structural barriers continue to limit who is seen, funded, and supported. We believe that addressing these inequities requires more than statements of solidarity. It requires material support, investment, and ongoing relationship.
Partnership DIVERSITY Grant Program
Each year, Laurel Skin offers two Partnership Diversity Grants to licensed estheticians or spa owners from historically marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. In total, each grant recipient receives: a $1,000 Laurel Skin product credit, a $250 educational credit, one-on-one mentorship from a dedicated Partnership + Education Manager, and on-going sales & marketing support.
These grants are designed to support sustainable growth, not short-term visibility.
Inclusive Partnerships
We are committed to maintaining a minimum of 20% paid affiliate partnerships and collaborations with individuals from historically marginalized communities. We actively seek out and welcome diverse partnerships across the wellness and skincare space, understanding that representation, access, and shared success are essential to meaningful change.
company transparency
Internal Community Care
Care begins internally. How we treat our team matters as much as how we source our plants or package our products.
Laurel Skin operates as a low-profit business, prioritizing people and planet over maximizing margins. Since 2016, we have maintained a profit-sharing program that redistributes 10% of annual profits back to our team.
We strive to offer competitive pay in one of the most expensive regions in the country, along with health benefits and an employee assistance program, providing confidential resources for mental health, caregiving, substance abuse, and financial challenges. In 2020, we started an employee self-care stipend, which we expanded on in 2025 with an annual employee Wellness Day focusing on health education and restoration. We also support ongoing learning through a shared team library curated by staff interests, purchasing books from Elizabethโs Bookshop & Writing Centre, which donates a portion of its proceeds to The Loveland Foundation.
Planet Initiatives
sourcing as an action for planetary health
Planetary health is embedded in every part of our process, from sourcing to packaging. We understand skin health as inseparable from the health of soil, water, air, and ecosystems, and we make our choices accordingly.
We work exclusively with organically farmed ingredients and prioritize Biodynamic, regenerative, and Indigenous agricultural practices whenever possible. These methods restore soil vitality, support animal and plant biodiversity, and protect waterways from chemical contamination.
We do not use genetically modified plants, which disrupt Natureโs intelligent systems and create long-term ecological imbalance. We also avoid monocropping, instead supporting diversified farming systems that allow entire ecosystems to thrive.
Wild-harvested or wildcrafted plants are intentionally excluded from our line. Wild harvesting can lead to plant depletion and habitat loss, despite how often it is romanticized. At its worst, commercial wild harvesting leads to plants and animals becoming at risk or endangered, and the act can infiltrate and disrupt entire Indigenous communities.
By sourcing as close to home as possible and directly from farmers we know, we reduce our carbon footprint and transportation impact and maintain accountability at every step.
Abundant Harvest Initiative
Our Abundant Harvest initiative centers around working with plants that are naturally abundant for our regional farmers. Ingredient trends often outpace sustainable supply chains, leading to over-harvesting and ecological strain. Rather than chasing novelty or scarcity, we formulate with what the land is already offering in abundance.
These plants are used thoughtfully in our spa line and seasonal or limited-edition offerings, supporting local agriculture while protecting ecosystems from demand-driven harm.
Animals and Ecosystem Care
Our products and ingredients are never tested on animals. We actively support farming practices that protect animal habitats and biodiversity. Bees, in particular, play an essential role in planetary health. We work only with small-scale beekeepers who prioritize the well-being and growth of bee populations over yield. Many of our partnering farms maintain hives that exist solely to support pollination, not honey production.
IN-HOUSE production
Clean Operations
All Laurel Skin products are made in-house at our Barn. This allows us to avoid reliance on petrochemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing systems, which are often driven by profit at the expense of environmental and human health. Many synthetic, bio-identical, and biotech cosmetic ingredients originate within these industries. By keeping production under our own roof, we maintain complete oversight of our processes, minimize unnecessary inputs, and work at a pace that honors both plants and people.
We eliminate the use of dyes, synthetic fragrances, and harsh chemicals in all internal cleaning and manufacturing processes. Our lab is cleaned with plant-based disinfectants, vinegar-water solutions, and organic grape alcohol. Fragrances are not permitted in the Barn, protecting both our team and the waterways downstream. Our facility is powered through Sonoma Clean Power, supporting renewable energy sources for our daily operations.
packaging
That Eliminates Waste
All Laurel Skin shipping materials are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials and are fully recyclable or compostable. 100% post-consumer is rare, and it means something. It means that these items have eliminated waste and been entirely repurposed. There is actually only one 100% post-consumer provider in the U.S., and this large scale financial commitment is something we are proud of. Our glass bottles and jars are designed to be reused or recycled. Product boxes, brochures, and educational materials are also printed on 100% post-consumer paper using plant-based, biodegradable inks.
We also offer a Box Opt-Out Program, a sustainability initiative allowing customers and retailers to choose whether additional packaging is necessary. This program has already kept tens of thousands of boxes out of landfills and recycling centers.
who we support
While we feel that our daily actions make the greatest impact, we also choose to donate to non-profits each year. We believe that we should all have the right to grow our own real food and have effortless access to fresh, pristine water. We understand these basic human survival necessities donโt exist for those who lack financial and/or geographical accessibility. Youโll notice almost all of our financial donations are to non-profits that have a hand in farming, food, or water accessibility, health inequity, and public land preservation. Here is a non-comprehensive list of non-profits that we have chosen to share our profits with over the years.
Doing less harm isn’t one grand gesture.
Itโs hundreds of small choices, adding up to replace old systems of harm with something centered in heart and nature.