CEO & Founder Brook Harvey-Taylor shares her 26-year vegan and cruelty-free journey to creating the iconic beauty brand, Pacifica Beauty. (This blog is sponsored content.)
You founded Pacifica Beauty back in 1996. What was the importance of creating a brand that was vegan to you back then?
BHT: I grew up on a farm and from a young age understood the respect and compassion we should show to animals and nature. My upbringing started a passion for veganism and when I created Pacifica Beauty, I made sure that no animals would ever be in our products. Back in ’96, I used to have to explain to our manufacturers what ‘vegan’ was, and we had to overcome the consumer misconception that conscious products aren’t as effective as animal-derived products – it was a longer journey but one I’m so proud of.
Pacifica is now an international brand stocked in pure player retailers in the US, UK, and Europe. How do you stay true to your vegan roots?
BHT: As beauty activists, we are always rethinking, challenging, and breaking down beauty boundaries. Our core value is compassion, for the planet, animals, and you. We believe that clean, vegan, and cruelty-free should be the standard, and that quality, innovative, and effective formulas should be available at an accessible price point.
What does beauty activism mean to you?
BHT: We are a movement as much as a brand. Our mission extends beyond amazing products to also making positive change in the world. We are committed to continue supporting our partners and using our platforms to educate and inspire the next generation of activists.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Dr. Jane Goodall
I don’t think anyone should have the luxury just to be a brand. We’re all consuming and using resources. If you choose to be a brand, you have an impact, and you should offset it with doing good in the world and creating a positive impact.
Being a vegan brand already has its environmental benefits. But can you tell us more about how Pacifica is committed to helping build an eco-friendlier future?
BHT: We are on a mission to create less wasteful packaging for a more sustainable future. We’re always looking for innovative ways and materials to reduce waste and make products with compassion for the planet.
We have partnered with Plastic Collective and the Asase Foundation in Ghana, Africa, to collect and recycle plastics equivalent to the total amount of plastic used in Pacifica products. Pacifica provides funding to empower communities to develop plastic recycling social enterprises that address ocean-bound plastic waste in vulnerable communities and natural ecosystems with high plastic leakage into the environment.
