How we started
It all started back in 2012 when our founder Brianne West started developing formulas in her kitchen at her Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Aotearoa (New Zealand) home. Back then, plastic-free wasn't the huge concern that it is for many today. Solid beauty bars weren’t a ‘thing’ and they definitely weren’t available from your local supermarket - or even Amazon.
In 2015 Brianne crowdfunded capital to expand the business and by 2016 was starting international sales. Today, Ethique sells in more than 22 countries and has employees across the globe, yet we still remain a small, entrepreneurial, and mission-led organization that aims to make products that are better for you and for the planet.
“I started Ethique out of frustration for the abhorrent amount of waste created by the cosmetics industry, and in particular, the amount of plastic and waste created by our bathroom essentials. I figured that switching to a solid product would be the answer not only to the water waste issue, but also plastic waste”.
