E24 – Planet-first beauty: Cosmetics with a conscience

Today, we sit down with Ericka Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Axiology, a plastic-free, vegan beauty company based in Bend, OR. Ericka speaks with us about her journey into cosmetics rooted in her personal lifestyle choices of being a lifelong vegan, valuing the outdoors and nature, but not being able to find products that mirrored her values. She touches on the challenges inherent in being an ethical beauty company including packaging challenges and sourcing raw ingredients that often include the ubiquitous, rainforest-destroying palm oil. She also chats with us about the role that social media has played in the evolution of the Axiology brand, what consumers can do to support waste-free businesses, and how she and her small team keep things fun, lively, and impact-driven as they churn out the latest and greatest in Planet First Beauty products.