Last March 23, I got to go to Love Beauty and Planet’s summer collection launch in SM Makati. This is a new brand under Unilever that started early this year, I believe. And it’s very… green.

Love, Beauty and Planet’s Small Acts of Love by 2020

Basically, LBP believes that small acts of love can add up to big impact. Their vegan formulations include locally-sourced coconuts. Their lavender, ylang ylang and vetiver essential oils are from certified sustainable sources, but the rest are not. The goal is to have all the feature fragrances certified sustainable by 2020 – and hopefully, ethical as well.

LBP bottles are 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, and are 100% recyclable. Currently, the caps and pumps are not yet made with recycled material, and they are pretty transparent about this. In 2020, the goal is to move towards using 50% recycled plastic for the caps and pumps! 

Carboon footprints go both ways. LBP cares about the water we consume every time we wash our hair, so conditioners are formulated with quick rinse technology in mind. (Writer’s note: I have been using the yellow LBP Coconut Oil and Ylang Ylang conditioner, and it is no faster to rinse off than my recently in-rotation Kracie Himawari conditioner.) Moving forward, they plan to infuse the same technology in shampoos.

Internally, LBP sets carbon footprint goals, and vows to contribute $40 per carbon ton in excess to a carbon tax fund which supports programs that help reduce carbon emissions and landfill waste. Are they setting reasonable footprint goals or over-projecting to avoid liability? It would take a very close look to find out BUT I think this is a great place to start the conversation: by creating responsibility and liability.

Love, Beauty and Planet New Summer Collections

LBP formulations are vegan and not-tested on animals. It is not explicitly noted as being “cruelty-free,” so I’m not sure what they’re trying to hide with fine print. Their formulations have no dyes, no parabens, no silicones, and the body washes are sulfate-free (the shampoos and conditioners contain SLS.) I disagree with marketing tactics implying that paraben-free formulations are safer - this promotes ignorance and chemophobia, but there are many eco-warriors who have made a personal choice to avoid them and so I suppose it’s for their benefit to know. I do like the relatively shorter ingredients list of these items. It’s uncommon for mass market brands to feature such few ingredients!

LBP has three initial collections and are adding two new ones for summer: Coconut Water & Mimosa Flower (blue,) and Coconut Oil & Ylang Ylang (yellow.)

Love, Beauty and Planet Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower Collection

The two new summer fragrances both feature coconut, but the blue line has coconut water while the yellow line has coconut oil. Coconut water is a known lightweight hydrator, while the mimosa is there for a honey-like scent. The shampoo and conditioner of this line promise volume and bounty, while the body wash will deliver petal soft, whatever that means. It also features a lotion that offers ~luscious hydration. Liz (curly hair) has the shampoo and conditioner, and she loves it!

Love, Beauty and Planet, Coconut Oil and Ylang Ylang Collection

The yellow line features coconut oil, which is a richer form of nourishing than the blue collection’s coconut water. This allows LBP to create a silicone-free haircare formulation while still giving you that rich, smoothening effect. I don’t know if the quick-rinse technology truly works or if the richness of coconut oil is keeping it from being quick rinse, but the conditioner is not noticeably quick rinse! The shampoo and conditioner promise hope and repair, while the body wash promises tropical hydration. I have this collection and other than the failure of the quick rinse promise, IT. HAS. HONESTLY. BEEN. AMAZING.

The Shampoo and Conditioner (PHP 390 / 400ml each) leave my frizz-prone hair smooth and silky and sexy, which tends to be crunchy and frizzy. I never really experience this, even with coconut oil soaks. It feels like I’ve done hot oil treatments (as in with the heating helmet) every day! The Body Wash (PHP 290 / 400ml) isn’t bad too, a little lathers up a lot. The collection leaves me smelling like coconut buttercream, according to the mans. I actually hate the scent of coconut, but the hair sexiness is too good to ignore!

Does LBP Deserve our Support?

There’s reason to distrust eco-friendly initiatives from gigantic corporations. Time and again, these have been revealed to be goodwill-generating (and even profit-gathering) activities that hypocritically leave the environment a last priority. LBP is a pretty new brand under Unilever, one that is trying to start conversations about accountability and concrete action. I can’t say they deserve our undying love as of yet, especially since the color care line (pink) has some pretty awful feedback, but they do deserve a chance to be heard! 

Love Beauty and Planet’s summer collections are available in select Watsons stores and ecommerce retailers starting March 20, 2019. For more information, log on to www.lovebeautyandplanet.com/ph or https://www.facebook.com/LoveBeautyAndPlanetPH, and follow @LoveBeautyandPlanet_PH on Instagram.

Love, Beauty and Planet Coconut and Ylang Ylang Shampoo Ingredients:

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Perfume, Sodium Benzoate, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Cocamide MEA, PPG-9, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Acetate, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Sodium Hydroxide

Love, Beauty and Planet Coconut and Ylang Ylang Shampoo Ingredients:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Perfume, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid

Love, Beauty and Planet Coconut and Ylang Ylang Body Wash Ingredients:

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate,Glycerin, Perfume, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Coconut Acid, PPG-9, Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, PEG-4 Dilaurate, PEG-4 Laurate, Citric Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-4, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Xylene