At first glance, there appears to be TONS of different beauty brands out there, right? It seems like new skincare, makeup, and beauty brands are popping up constantly, everywhere you look.
It’s… a lot to keep up with.
But here’s a little known secret about the beauty industry that we think everyone should know…
Most of those new brands are not *actually* very new at all.
Sure, they may have all different labels, company names, and manufacturers, but the importance lies in who ultimately owns the different companies. Spoiler alert – many of the current beauty and skincare brands out there are owned by the same big corporations!
In fact, there are only a handful of large corporations that control most of the beauty industry today.
Now, maybe you’re wondering why this should matter. After all, who really cares about the ownership of brands, if the products are all unique?
Well, it matters quite a bit when it comes to the quality, ingredients, and sourcing of the skincare products you use and love. After all, whoever owns a certain skincare brand is in control of how products are made, marketed, and distributed.
So, who owns most of the country’s skincare brands?
This might be a bit shocking, but there are actually 7 main manufacturing companies that control most of the big beauty brands that exist today.
You’ve probably heard of most of them: L’oreal, Estee Lauder, Procter and Gamble, Shiseido, Coty, Johnson and Johnson, and Unilever.
It’s crazy to think that much of what we see and hear about skincare is controlled by these 7 giants of the beauty industry, huh?! They’re not just responsible for stocking shelves with certain brands and products. They also have control over the advertising and marketing that you’re surrounded by on a daily basis.
See, big companies have big budgets. And big budgets can overpower the media’s messaging about beauty, skincare, and even health.
The goal of big-budget marketing isn’t to inform the public about what’s best for their skin and bodies. Sadly, the goal is to sell lots and lots of products – most of which are just the same thing in different packages.
And, here’s the thing: if one of the 7 big companies listed above own several prominent skincare brands, you can be sure that those brands will have a lot in common. In fact, the packaging could be the only difference in some of the products.
Here’s the really wild part. Some of these products will have a super high price point and be called luxury, while others cost significantly less – but they may have almost identical ingredient lists.
Oh, and speaking of ingredient lists…
Do you think that the #1 priority of a giant, multi-billion dollar cosmetic company is to make sure that every ingredient is ethically sourced and good for your skin?
Of course not!
Big cosmetic companies are out to get bigger and make MORE money. Period.
But there’s a better way to care for your skin, and better things to put on it. Not every skincare brand is owned by big conglomerates. Smaller brands may not have the same reach and advertising budgets, but they can offer you something much, much better – products that are actually good for your skin, your budget, and the planet.
Let’s do a deep dive into the differences between the big beauty businesses, and small-batch – indie businesses (like us – Goodspread Skincare).
Small batch skincare vs. big batch skincare: What’s the difference and why does it matter?
In small-batch skincare, more time and care is taken in creating every single product. There’s a more personal, loving touch that the big companies simply don’t have the time or desire to implement.
Here are the key reasons why small-batch brands are a better choice for your skincare needs.
Producing small-batch skincare means knowing where every single ingredient comes from, what it does, and why it’s a part of the product. The same cannot be said about mass-produced skincare.
Usually, there are more preservatives, chemicals, and unnecessary fillers in the products manufactured by large companies.
Why? Because that’s the easier way to make and sell a lot of products cheaply and in bulk. Speed and quantity in production is more important than the actual benefits of the products being made.
For small-batch businesses, quality is everything. At Goodspread, we keep it clean, simple, and totally clear — because we believe everyone should know exactly what’s in their skincare.
The mass-production of skincare and beauty products is a major contributor for the planet's oceans and landfills being overrun with waste and plastics. Plus, big companies go after cheaper materials that are easily accessed and distributed, without caring about the enormous effects plastic waste is having on the environment. It’s just about the bottom line.
Small-batch brands, on the other hand, can focus on limiting the carbon footprint caused by skincare products by seeking better alternatives for packaging materials.
At Goodspread, we believe in going far beyond producing skincare. We want to help create a better future for the planet by going plastic neutral and addressing the waste crisis we’re currently facing.
With smaller companies, there’s more of a connection and relationship with the customers and communities. Giant companies don’t necessarily care if they lose a customer here or there, which means that they aren’t easily held accountable by customers.
For small businesses that produce smaller quantities, the feedback and happiness of every single customer is truly important.
As it should be!
We believe that all skincare brands should be held accountable for what they put in their products, as well as how they talk about and sell them. Our customers come first – their needs, insights, and concerns help make us better all the time.
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To sum it all up, small-batch, indie skincare brands really outshine the big cosmetic companies in a lot of ways. This is your skin we’re talking about…and putting anything less than the best on the body’s largest organ simply won’t do. But that also shouldn’t mean that the best quality products will cost an entire paycheck. After all, good ingredients that feel good on your skin should not be a luxury, it should be the standard.
Spread on!