Our Beliefs...Our Actions

True Green Beauty Pioneers, With Ethics at the Core of Our Business

"WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL IS GOOD,

WHO IS GOOD WILL SOON BE BEAUTIFUL"  - Sappho (poet)

THE CASE FOR BEAUTY IS ONE FOR SELF-CARE AND WELLBEING

SAPPHO believes adorning ourselves can elevate our well-being both inside and out, we also believe that no one has to compromise their health to do so. Our luxurious formulations are vegan, cruelty free, 70%+ certified organic, and as ethically sourced and made as possible. Everything we do, we do for a better world and a healthier planet. As a small indie makeup company, our promise is to get greener as we grow. We also vow to always be transparent regarding our ingredients, because what we put on our bodies can make its way into our bodies - a decision that belongs to each one of us. We have been devastated to learn about Organic fluorine and the ubiquitous of PFAS ( forever chemicals) and we are working at not only being transparent about our findings but we will not produce any new products that do not test <10ppm organic fluorine - the gold standard test for PFAS. 

For years, we have supported the Breast Cancer Support Fund and those effected through financial aid and day-to-day assistance.

JoAnn initiated a COVID-19 mask drive early in the pandemic, supplying masks for frontline workers in Vancouver, Ottawa and NYC at the beginning of April 2020.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Sappho Organics worked with Plan's 'Because I Am a Girl' campaign, to specifically dedicate resources for girls and young women in pursuit of education early on and although we are no longer officially connected to the campaign, we believe in supporting the next generation of young talent by providing real-life challenges that they could learn from and contribute towards.  SAPPHO has actively collaborated with higher education institutions in British Columbia, where it is based, by providing practical work placements. SAPPHO will be working with the Urban Native Youth Association offering mentorships for young makeup artists.

Education regarding toxic chemicals in makeup is at the forefront of SAPPHO New Paradigm's reason for existing and throughout our face-to-face interactions, our website and our marketing we strive to educate about ingredients, ecological issues caused by toxic cosmetics and of course, health issues. 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS ARE IN OUR DNA

Sappho, in her poetry, wrote freely about love and sexuality with fluidity. We have incorporated the artistic elements of her work into all facets of our very existence: our recruitment, product development, packaging design and marketing campaigns. It is first nature for JoAnn to support LGBTQ+ initiatives and artists as well as highlight Vancouver Pride activities every year. She has developed a diverse vegan shade range for her line from its inception and collaborated with artists, retailers and spokespeople who share the same values.

STANDING WITH WOMEN AND GIRLS

Being a women-led beauty brand, SAPPHO is particularly sensitive to the issues facing women and girls. We have supported local and national women’s projects, notably by supplying makeup for Vancouver's Dress for Success and various Downtown Eastside women’s shelters, the Good To Be Good Foundation, St. Mary’s Home and more, so women can receive high quality makeup to improve their wellbeing or put their best foot forward in the employment market. SAPPHO also supports Toronto-based Breast Cancer Support Fund, a foundation offering direct financial aid to those undergoing treatment.

WHEN THE EARTH LOOKS GOOD, YOU LOOK EVEN BETTER

We believe beautiful products that deliver performance should not come at a price to the environment.

SAPPHO is leading the evolution into PFAS /Organic fluorine tested products ensuring scientific safety for formulations and packaging. 

The bulk of  SAPPHO products  are manufactured in a zero-carbon footprint facility in Canada and they are also formulated with natural and plant-based formulations that have not been tested on animals; and because our formulations are made with  biodegradable ingredients we strive to create  products, when washed off,  that do not harm the water ecosystem.

SAPPHO stays away from controversial ingredients such as dimethicone as studies have not ruled out danger to fish and wildlife. Sappho is testing all their products for levels of Organic Fluorine in order to keep on the cutting edge of green science and offer a much cleaner alternative. 

We are always trying to improve our supply chain and logistics; we endeavour to source as much ingredients as possibly locally in North America, and as we scale our operations, we will continue to explore new ways to get your orders to you with reduced carbon footprint.

On the packaging end we have eliminated the plastic window in our compacts and powder refill packaging and we will be taking further steps as we grow  ie taking out the mirror in some compacts and making them non laminated. We are in the midst of rethinking our inner packaging to make all of it as recyclable and reusable as possible. One thing we have learned is that our present glass bottles have to go to specific recycle programs and so we are actively seeking more eco friendly solutions. Please be patient as we are a small company and only now are clear guidelines and information being made available and we are super excited to be planning our next moves towards a circular footprint.  

GOOD PLANETS ARE HARD TO FIND

…Have we also mentioned that all SAPPHO's plastic tubes are biodegradable, and our prized foundations, concealers, brow pomades and luminizers come in beautiful recyclable glass?

We  chose glass for these products as glass at this time is more recycled than plastic especially in the US however we are constantly looking at our footprint . Our formulation requires an opaque covering so we had our glass electroplated and although still recyclable it is more difficult than most glass so we are re-planning. In the meantime as we have glass bottles made we intend on using them with new labels rather than dispense of them . 

While we have invested on prototyping packaging that is luxe, stylish and reusable, we endeavour to continuously innovate and go greener with new materials and design. We are a small company constantly learning with the intention always to do our best and pivot when we are able as new information becomes available.

GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY

We are still small but because we believe that progress for a better world takes cooperation, we try to do everything with an ecosystem view: what is the impact to our customers, their friends and families, and our business partners worldwide? We believe in progress, not perfection, and continue to walk hand-in-hand with our customers on our own terms.

We continuously collaborate with industry leaders to revolutionize how beauty can be better and raise awareness.  SAPPHO proudly took part in a panel of  experts and Vancouver screening of Toxic Beauty upon its release in 2019: an important film that discusses the toxic practices prevalent in the industry. In 2016, JoAnn was interviewed in the documentary Coming Clean with Cosmetics. More recently, SAPPHO supported the crowdfunding efforts of the filmmaker for editing the upcoming documentary Pretty Ugly.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO, DO WHAT YOU LOVE

SAPPHO uses minerals sourced ethically and supports vendors who are child labour free, the majority also being part of the Responsible Mica initiative. 

Going forward all formulations will be tested for  the presence of organic fluorine and all results will be published.

SAPPHO New Paradigm treats our employees and partners fairly and transparently. We are a small team but we are multicultural and multilingual and look forward to growing ethically while building a global team.