Making an impact – how do we do that?

At Food for Skin we prefer to speak of responsibility rather than sustainability. We believe that companies and producers have a duty to deliver maximum quality with minimal impact on the earth. Read more about our choices, considerations, decisions and social projects below.

100% natural ingredients

  • Upcycling residual flows

    At the moment, about 30% of our ingredients come from residual flows. For the CO₂ emissions of upcycled versus virgin raw materials , 30-50% less emissions are now calculated. The production process to upcycle the raw materials does of course cost energy and it also has to be transported, so that also costs emissions. However, no new raw materials are used for upcycled ingredients, which means it has a significant positive impact.

  • Local

    We produce almost everything in the Netherlands and two products in Italy . All our ingredient suppliers are European and know the origin and extraction of their ingredients. About 90% comes from Europe , but for some - such as Kakadu plum and Shea butter - that is not possible. In those cases we opt for CO₂ compensation and collaboration with social or local initiatives or wild picking.

  • Organic

    If we have the choice for organically certified , we choose that! If there is no certificate, we check whether they produce according to organic guidelines. Currently, our products are at least 85% organic. Officially, we are allowed to call it organic, but because it is not 100%, we do not claim this to avoid confusion.

  • No fillers

    Did you know that the main ingredient in many cosmetics is 'aqua'? That means that about 60-90% of your product consists of water. It does not harm, but also does nothing for your skin. Microplastics are also often added as a cheap filler. Our products consist of only active ingredients . Powerful, rich products that you only need to use a little of!

100% recyclable packaging

  • Vegan oogcrème | Food for Skin

    Glass jars and bottles

    Our glass packaging is made of Miron Violet glass, which protects the contents and extends the shelf life. This glass consists of 50% recycled material and is 100% recyclable in the glass container . Its production causes more than 50% less emissions than standard glass.

  • Mono-material plastic

    For good recycling, mono-material (1 type) plastic is important. Our pumps are made of PP plastic , and despite intensive search for a more environmentally friendly alternative, there is no better alternative due to the use of oils. Fortunately, PP is easily recyclable ! Therefore, throw the cap/pump separately with the plastic waste.

  • 100% PCR tube and cap

    Our sunscreen comes in a 100% recycled mono-material tube, fully recyclable and circular when separated (that's where you come in!). The plastic comes from the Netherlands, which limits CO₂ emissions. The tubes are produced in Wormerveer by a factory that uses 100% green energy and is zero-waste.

  • No extra boxes

    Packaging is one of the biggest polluters in the beauty industry. Unnecessary material creates extra waste. That is why we leave out the extra box when ordering via our site. Not always easy, because all information has to fit on the label - but we often do not choose the easy, but most sustainable way!

  • Natuurlijke lipverzorging | Food for Skin

    Cardboard tubes

    Our lip balms come in full cardboard tubes , sourced from Asia. We have searched hard for a cardboard option from Europe, but have not been able to find one yet. We strongly prefer cardboard over plastic, so we have chosen this option. Recycle the tube with the paper waste!

The social projects of Food for Skin

  • Boro Atelier

    Since the end of 2024, our washcloths are made with care by Boro Atelier from ecological, unbleached cotton . This unique social textile studio and natural dye house in Amsterdam focuses on burnout recovery and circular production. Local, social and circular – a match made in heaven!

  • The Savannah Fruits Company

    Our Shea butter comes from the Savannah Fruits Company, which empowers women in rural areas of Africa by providing them with fairly paid work in the production of natural ingredients. They work with local cooperatives and ensure a transparent, sustainable chain – from harvesting nuts and seeds in West Africa to processing and delivery worldwide.

  • The Plastic Soup Foundation

    We donate 1% of our gross turnover to the Plastic Soup Foundation each year to support their important research into microplastics . Indirectly, you also contribute by ordering from us! The Plastic Soup Foundation has already achieved great successes with their donations in shaping new legislation and tackling deliberate microplastic polluters.

The Food for Skin subsidy projects

  • Own residual flow Pumpkin Seed Oil

    We are part of a circular pumpkin chain project in which we will make the Pumpkin Seed Oil for our Pumpkin Serum from residual flows of Dutch pumpkins . This way we can replace the virgin variant with our own upcycled version! We work together with Varta Research Laboratory and EdelKraft, an organic natural oil press company. We were on BinnensteBuiten on NPO3 with it at the end of January.

  • Protein of Columbus

    The aim of this collaboration is to create a realistic business model for farmers and processors of residual flows from legumes . Our goal is to extract useful ingredients from legumes and convert them into cosmetic-grade active oils and juices. By making residual flows commercially attractive for both suppliers and processors, we accelerate the integration of upcycled ingredients in our and other skin care products.

  • 100% circular

    Together with The Upcycled Beauty Company, Arkive, Collateral Projects and Weboxit we are working on an innovation to create a 100% circular beauty product . This means that not only the formula, but also the glass jar, the box and the label are designed completely circular.

    The result? A completely circular skincare product that raises the standard in the beauty industry to a higher level. Will we succeed? We will share the results in early 2026!