Sustainability & Packaging 

Creating a life, a workplace, and a product that impacts minimally on our Earth is important to us and to be honest, true sustainability in a capitalistic system seems impossible. We'll keep trying.

We ship in recycled and recyclable corrugated packaging and use 100% recycled post consumer paper for void fill. Our wholesale packs and product boxes are made from 100% post-consumer paperboard using 100% wind power. If we have to shrink wrap, we use non-toxic polyolefin vs PVC. 

In our continuing efforts to reduce plastic use, we have included more readily recyclable materials for our products: aluminum, glass and tin.  We also encourage you to buy less. A tube of balm lasts the average user 6-12 months. Our BalmTOO and BalmUNDER last the average user 2-4 months. 

Plastic Tubes:  manufactured: United States
We literally can not get enough recycled PCR (post-consumer recycled material) pellet to make our tubes. We must use FDA approved plastic for cosmetics which is a clean, non-tainted plastic resin; polypropylene #5. We have been contacting plastic manufacturers around the world for the last ten years trying to find a solution. The bad news: there is none...yet.  Petroleum rules the planet and that makes us (and you) sad...and mad...and... 

Look, plastic is amazing, it has changed the world. It works really well for many, many things (serving drinks on a airplane is not one of them;). We must close the loop and be smarter in its uses. To just stop using it is just not a viable solution as all alternative packaging materials have similar manufacture, sustainability and disposal issues.

Things you can do to help now: Stop buying stuff. Grow a garden. Walk more. Drive less. LIMIT SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CONSUMPTION (food containers, yogurt cups, coffee pods, cups, cup lids, straws, forks, spoons, beverage bottles, trial size items, produce bags, etc...etc...etc...).  C'mon, bring your own grocery bag, coffee cup and water bottle already! ;)

We’ll keep trying to find a solution. Know that our tubes now contain 30% less plastic than our old tubes (so they are a bit thinner). We always use recycled pellets in our tubes when available (up to 50%) and they are still recyclable #5 (although honestly, there is very little market for recycled polypropylene and hardly anyone does the recycling of it). Our hope is that PCR material becomes easily attainable for all manufacturers that rely on plastics and that alternative plastic material and technology continues to be developed. 

Common Question: Do the plastic tubes leach BPA into the balm?
No.

Common Question: Why haven't you put your balm cardboard tubes?
We tried...and tried again. We love the concept of cardboard tubes but in real life application we felt they didn't perform to our standards. Cardboard tubes didn't keep our balms fresh, a slightly cardboard taste would develop, the oils in the balm would "weep" into the pulp. The lack of rigidity in capping was problematic. Another issue we ran into was source material, we couldn't get guaranteed clean source (no contaminant) cardboard stock. Bummer.

Getting you a high quality balm is our mission and if we can't keep that balm high quality in it's package, in your hands, it's a no-win. But, we'll keep trying!  We are hopeful for market maturation in all things packaging. We feel closing the plastic loop is the true solution because any packaging en-masse becomes a sustainability issue.

Aluminum Tubes:  manufactured: France
In our efforts to reduce plastic use, we have introduced aluminum tubes. Even most silver “aluminum looking” pliable tubes on the market are infiltrated with plastic but ours are not!  We believe just one small change can make a difference.

Common Question: Does aluminum leach into the balm?
No. Heavy metals are all over our environment; in our water, food, cookware, etc. But rest assured, there is no aluminum leaching into our BALMTOO. Modern aluminum tubes have been repeatedly tested for safety; they are very safe and do not leach aluminum. Our tubes are manufactured in Europe where they are still used extensively in personal care products. The EU has very high safety standards for cosmetics and the packaging of them.

Common Question: How do I open and use the aluminum tube?
1. Unscrew the cap. 2. Flip the cap over and re-screw onto the tube to puncture seal. 3. Re-seal using either side of cap. 4. Squeeze gently from the bottom up.  Squish the tube as you use product or roll the tube up as you use product.

Common Question: Can I recycle my tube and cap?
Yes! Remove the cap and recycle the tube with other aluminum products. The cap can be recycled as #5...but again, hardly anyone does the recycling of it.

Glass/Tin:   manufactured: United States & China
Again, in our efforts to reduce plastic use, we have introduced glass and tin.

Common Question: Can I recycle my Aura jar/lid and Slim Slider?
Yes! Remove the cap and recycle jar with glass. The tin lid and our Slim Slider can be recylced with tin/metals...or re-use it in a plethora of ways!

Common Question: I can’t get my Aura lid off/on?  I can't open the Slim Slider tin?
Aura: Rarely, the “threads” don’t line up perfectly on the first try to screw your lid back on. Be patient, line the threads up and bingo!

Slim Slider: Gently push on the embossed H in the direction of the dot ... the harder you push the harder it is ... kinda like life sometimes ;)

Energy Management:
Hurraw! Balm is a clean energy partner of Arcadia Power. Arcadia Power is a renewable energy certificate (REC) that matches 100% of our electricity usage with Wind energy from partnered generation facilities. Visit www.arcadiapower.com to learn more about how you can make this switch.  We are also planning our first solar install on our facility in 2022!  

How most cosmetics are made

Cosmetic products often mis-state what they really are. Serums (plant oils in a fancy bottle), we're looking at you ;) and natural cosmetics costing upwards of a Ulysses or Ben Frank is eye watering. Yes, you are buying the experience and that's ok too! 

Nothing in a jar can truly, permanently transform your skin. Skin just doesn't work like that; marketing does. Sure you can peel it, plump it, fill it, smooth it, etc. but it's an ongoing chore because you are only dealing with the surface (epidermis) and those surface cells are constantly being regenerated.

Over the past decade, we've learned that manufacturing truly natural cosmetics en mass is hard work! The majority of cosmetic brands are contract manufactured akin to the fast fashion industry. Seasonal lip colors, celebrity skincare lines with trendy anti-aging claims, Insta-tik-ad products, etc. It's really just the same old colors, ingredients and formulas in fancy plastic packaging marketed as must.have.now. 

It's disheartening to see major retailers releasing “clean beauty” lines that actually contain toxic chemicals; many of which are banned from cosmetics in the EU. There is no regulation or even a definition of what “clean beauty” means.  What’s worse, trusted “clean beauty” e-commerce retailers are carrying brands that are most definitely not clean.  When will the madness stop?  It has to stop with YOU!  Educate yourself on ingredients (click above) and be diligent in the choices you make.

 Better, not more

We often get asked why we don't pump out new products more often...

We make our products from fresh plant based ingredients in our own manufacturing facility, as needed. Meaning, we don't have a sales office, we don't project and pre-order for the next season from a contract manufacturer or have product sit on a shelf while we market the heck out of it to sell it. This allows us tremendous flexibility in our "make fresh" production and keeps unnecessary product out of the consuming-of-things cycle.

Truly natural cosmetics can not run on the cosmetic industry hamster wheel. Many excellent cosmetic products can be manufactured with just a handful of pure, non-processed plant-based ingredients. But we must be realistic in their limits. They are after all, like food.

Don't chase, embrace

Basic skin care needs are simple: cleanse/hydrate/protect. You can achieve this using just a few simple plant-based products. We've learned from experience that the best skin care is achieved from the inside out. Clean Beauty can be found in a lifestyle, not in a jar.

Nourish and protect your skin wisely. Feed your body lots of plant-things so your skin can reap the rewards. Love every line, every blotch, every spot, every everything. Choose products as close to their natural state as possible to cleanse, hydrate and protect those skin cells.

You will always find a list of every ingredient Hurraw! uses and why it is used. We want you to have access to this information and continue to learn about the health of your skin and the cosmetic products you choose to use.