My Top 15 Female-Founded Sustainable Canadian Brands
International Women’s Day is upon us! I know I’m not the only one to say this, but I really do believe the most important thing is to support and uplift women everyday — not only women we know personally, but also women in every corner.
Before we get further into this blog, I thought I’d dig a little deeper into how we can recognize this time. Personally, I’m always in the process of learning more about equity-related issues. In fact, I’m honoured to have Katii, a colleague of mine, lend her perspectives and collaborate with me on this blog.
March is Women’s History Month, and I think it’s key that we take this opportunity to reflect on how many contributions women have made throughout history — contributions that frequently have been overlooked. Generations of women have paved the way for so much progress, while facing immense barriers, exclusion and mistreatment. That’s especially true for Black women, Indigenous women and women of colour (this is where the acronym BIPOC comes from); queer and trans women; and women with disabilities, just to begin.
In 2022, we’re still striving for gender equity and equality. Systemic barriers continue to be very real, and it matters that we bring an intersectional perspective to conversations about gender. But what does that mean?
Intersectionality is a concept coined by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw that recognizes the intersections of our different identities including gender, sexual orientation, race, class and ability. It acknowledges that we cannot be reduced to just one of our identities — the intersections of them make us who we are. This means that women with multiple marginalized identities — for example, Black women — can experience discrimination on more than one level, and we need to recognize that when we talk about feminism. To continue learning more about this concept, I encourage you to hear directly from Dr. Crenshaw herself about the concept of intersectionality in her TED Talk here.
It’s near and dear to my heart to support women in all communities and industries, who come from a variety of backgrounds and contexts. As an entrepreneur and founder, that definitely includes women in business! This feels particularly timely in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically impacted so many women in the workforce and increased the burden of balancing caregiving and working.
With this in mind, today I want to shine a spotlight on some of my favourite brands that are Canadian, sustainability-focused and founded by women. Read on to learn about all of their inspiring stories! We’ve included some businesses from The Purposeful You (TPY) shop — all labelled with a * — as well as BIPOC-owned brands. It’s so powerful to advocate for change through the dollars we spend, when we can.
Land of Daughters
Métis- and female-founded, Land of Daughters creates candles, aroma sprays and solid perfumes with unique scents. Handmade in Calgary, AB, Land of Daughters was founded by Paige Olson and is self-described as a “love letter to the world.” The company operates a refillery in Calgary for customers to refill candles and sprays. Land of Daughters also donates 50% of the proceeds from each of their Indigenous candles — Safe Space, Home Land and Ebb & Flow — to three different Indigenous charities
SALT Shop
SALT Shop founded by Jessica Wilson, is passionate about community and conservation. With a full online shop as well as a brick and mortar location on Fort St. in Victoria, BC, SALT is both a clothing brand and a collection of sustainable home items. Through their product offering, SALT makes it easier for people to be more mindful about their environmental impact. The company is diligent about using eco-conscious fabrics and ethical practices. SALT is a fixture in the TPY Shop, so be sure to check out my favourite items there!
Elate Cosmetics
A certified B Corporation, Elate Cosmetics is here to shake up the world of makeup — taking sustainability to the next level with packaging, sourcing and a recycling program. I admire how determined founder/CEO Melodie Reynolds is to leave the beauty industry better than she found it. Elate’s makeup products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free and fair trade, meeting the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Founded in Victoria, BC, and now available worldwide, Elate chooses ethics over ease.
The Market Bags*
Located in Kelowna, BC, The Market Bags — founded by Julia Mathers — is on a mission to inspire people to make small changes for the environment with the use of reusable bags. Made locally by hand with sustainable fabrics and even upcycled fabrics, I highly encourage you to look at their whole collection. Partial proceeds from all bag sales are donated to a Sustainable Nourishment Program to ensure that families have access to fresh, nutrient-rich food. Find The Market Bags in the TPY Shop!
Handful Sensory Dough Co.
Black-owned and operated in Regina, S.,K., Handful Sensory Dough makes non-toxic sensory dough for little hands. Amy started the company to combine her two greatest joys — being a maker and a mama. She sources high-quality, food grade ingredients that are safe for children, making ethical practices and low-waste packaging a priority. All dough comes in glass containers and all accessories are plastic free. Handful Sensory Dough is an amazing tool for kids to use for both learning and play!
Sḵwálwen Botanicals
Sḵwálwen Botanicals is an Indigenous brand creating botanical skincare products by honouring traditional Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) plant knowledge. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, the company incorporates sustainably harvested and sourced plants and organic, high-quality ingredients. All Sḵwálwen products are made without the use of harsh chemicals, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colors and parabens. I recommend clicking the link to learn more about this process!
Mint Cleaning
What’s not to love about Robyn and Monika, founders of Mint Cleaning (located in Ucluelet, BC)? They are so funny on social media and love sharing cleaning tips. After suffering from the harmful effects of harsh cleaning chemicals, they wanted to switch over to safer, eco-friendly options. Mint’s products are handmade in small batches with the highest quality ingredients that optimize results while being eco-friendly, all-natural and non-toxic. I’m a loyal user of the Mint Scrub and Hand Soap.
Wychbury Ave Soap*
Founded by Melissa Labelle in Victoria, BC, Wychbury Ave offers palm oil-free, vegan soap and body products. The company strives to provide bath and body products that promote healthy living and encourage sustainable environmental practices. Focusing on fair trade and ethically sourced materials and ingredients, Wychbury Ave donates 25 cents from each bar soap purchase to organizations that support women in need. You can find an exfoliating bar soap, dry shampoo, and bath bombs in the TPY shop!
Ten and Co
Ten and Co is a premium, eco-conscious home goods company. Led by the inspiring Christen, Ten and Co designs, sells and distributes Swedish sponge cloths, which can be used for up to 6-12 months and are compostable. I am also obsessed with their tea towels! The company ships worldwide and also recently opened their brick and mortar General Store in Oakville, ON. All of Ten and Co’s products are sustainable, functional and beautiful. They make fantastic gifts or additions to your home.
EssentialsEco
Asian-owned and Vancouver-based, Essentials Eco offers a quarterly box subscription with eco-friendly wellness and household items, all carefully selected to replace high-carbon, high-waste products in your daily routine. At the helm is Brielle, a mama who is passionate about creating a more sustainable world for generations to come. With plastic free packaging, Essentials Eco sources all of their products from North American-owned companies who share their values about environmental and social responsibility.
mini mioche
It's popular for a reason — mini mioche offers organic, made in Canada clothing for babies and kids. For years, the company has been on a mission to make basics in an ethical, low impact way. Their visionary leader is Alyssa Kerbel, who began mini mioche when she couldn't find what she was looking for when her daughter was born. Talk about being the change you want to see! mini mioche fabrics are knit and dyed locally in Toronto using GOTS organic cotton and non-toxic dyes, at factories that pay their workers a fair living wage, before being shipped in eco-conscious, plastic free packaging.
Good Juju*
I’m so excited to have just added products from Good Juju, a BIPOC-owned personal care brand, to my shop! I am currently loving their laundry strips as well as their shampoo and conditioner bars. In their own words, founders Lisa and Alexa are friends, moms, climate nerds, and lovers of all things natural health. Their products are formulated with pure, organic ingredients and packaged and shipped in plastic free, biodegradable materials. Above all, Good Juju believes that every choice makes a difference — I have to agree!
Goldilocks Goods*
After volunteering with a shark conservation program, founder Amy Hall was devastated by the global ocean plastics problem. This compelled her to start Goldilocks, which began by making and selling small batches of beeswax wraps and has since grown into a sustainable home goods brand. Their latest line includes all-natural, non-toxic hair care products. Goldilocks is all about protecting the oceans and creating ethically made, circular economy products. You can find my picks in the TPY shop!
Imagine Perry
Imagine Perry makes the best non-toxic swimwear for women and kids! Founded by Lena Shaw, every piece is designed and made in Vancouver, BC. I’ve noticed that with some brands, clothing is designed in Canada but made elsewhere, so I love that everything from concept to manufacturing happens locally with Imagine Perry. The company makes swimsuits primarily from recycled material and sources fabric from a factory that is OEKO-TEX 100 certified, ensuring that its products are completely free of harmful chemicals.
Nature Bee Wraps*
Supplying all natural beeswax wraps, Nature Bee is also from Victoria, BC. Founded by Katie Gamble in 2018, the company began as her final project while studying commerce at the University of Victoria and has since taken off. Nature Bee’s wraps are handcrafted on Vancouver Island using 100% cotton, locally-sourced beeswax, pine tree resin and jojoba oil. Check them out in the TPY Shop for an amazing way to reduce single-use plastic waste in your kitchen! I always use beeswax wraps for avocados, cheese, lemons and limes.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our favourite female founded sustainable Canadian brands. There’s so many amazing business owners in Canada!
* Note: Some links featured in the above post are commissionable/affiliate links.