Cruelty-Free Chronicles: Kat Scarlett Of Glotanicals On Top Brands Redefining Ethical Animal Practices in Their Industries
An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
Make sure you vet your suppliers before you start working with them. When meeting with potential suppliers, always ask for their own cruelty free certifications up front and let them know transparency in the supply chain is a must have for you.
The movement towards cruelty-free and ethical practices concerning animals is gaining substantial momentum. From cosmetics to fashion and beyond, brands are recognizing the significance of adopting animal-friendly approaches not just as a marketing ploy, but as an integral part of their corporate ethos. This evolution speaks to a broader societal shift, one that places emphasis on kindness, sustainability, and responsible consumerism. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kat Scarlett.
Kat is the founder of Glotanicals, a sustainable skincare brand that is made for skincare lovers and environmentalists alike. She is also a passionate environmental activist ( her brand was actually inspired by her activism work) and the host of Glo Eco, a sustainability podcast for modern women.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Yes, I’d love to! Thank you for having me. My backstory comes back to a deep love of animals and nature. I’m an animal lover at heart and protecting them has always been at the heart of everything I do. I began getting involved in environmental activism while living in Australia during the worst bushfires the country had ever seen in 2019. Seeing millions of acres destroyed, animals burned to a crisp, and smelling the smoke in the air every day for weeks was something I will never forget. It was the first time I had really experienced the effects of climate change up close and personal. After that moment, I knew I could no longer bury my head in the sand and had to get involved in the fight against climate change. So I started volunteering, getting involved in activism work, and evaluating my own lifestyle to see how I can be more sustainable. I’ve always been a massive skincare junkie as well, so one of the first routines I looked at to go low waste was my beauty routine (any excuse to try new products am I right?). I was sorely disappointed with what I found. Everything was either totally greenwashed or was a subpar product. That’s the moment the idea for Glotanials was born and after 2 years of R&D, we launched our first batch of product in the US in 2021.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
The most interesting part of my career has been in learning how to make truly sustainable, ethical, and circular (low waste) products. I went into this industry as a total newbie and thought, ‘it’s so obvious why isn’t everyone just making refillable products?’ I quickly discovered the answer, which is that the systems and infrastructure just aren’t built for sustainability. They’re built for profit at all costs. And to create products and packaging that aren’t harmful to the environment, and all the people and animals within it, you need to think outside the box, go against the status quo, and invest in creating better systems and infrastructure.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
If I had to choose three traits that are related to my success it would be networking, self-awareness, and a willingness to constantly learn and evolve as a person. Networking and creating genuine relationships with people in the beauty industry has been so instrumental for me. Meeting with other beauty founders on a regular basis so we can learn from one another and support one another has kept me going when things are tough. It’s not all about business either; many of these women are my real friends and it’s so great to have a community that gets what you’re doing. I think the other big piece of finding success as an entrepreneur is being really self-aware and willing to evolve. As an entrepreneur, your business is up to you and is a reflection of you. We all have our own stuff we need to deal with, and this will change over time in each new season of life.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Yes! I just recently launched a podcast- Glo Eco with Kat. Inspired by the conversations I was already having with fellow sustainable entrepreneurs and activists, this podcast is for modern women who want to be sustainable but don’t know where to start — the women who want to look and feel their best and make a difference. I used to think that I didn’t fit into the sustainability space because I don’t do low waste perfectly and I love fashion and beauty as much as I love nature. After being in this space for years and starting a sustainable beauty brand, I’ve found that you can be sustainable in a way that works for you and that you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. I hope that by listening to the podcast, women can see how achievable sustainability can be and how they can do it in their own way and feel amazing doing it.
How would you describe the current state of ethical animal practices in your industry, and what sets your brand apart?
In the last 10 years there has been a lot of progress in cruelty free beauty, but mainly with smaller indie beauty brands. Most of the big global brands — the L’Oreal’s and Estee Lauders of the world — still participate in animal testing. This is something that many consumers are now aware of and care about, which is what is driving this change in the industry. I also have to give massive credit to organizations like PETA and Leaping Bunny for creating awareness and holding brands accountable.
Most anti-animal cruelty certifications and practices only address animal testing, which from my point of view isn’t enough. Yes, animal cruelty is a terrible and frankly unnecessary practice if you’re using safe ingredients in your products. But we’re missing a huge piece of the picture if we don’t talk about where the ingredients in beauty products come from as well. Beauty ingredients come from all over the globe and can be a major cause of deforestation and habitat loss for wildlife. Palm oil is a great example because it’s been directly linked to habitat loss for endangered animals like orangutans and Asian elephants. But palm oil is just one of many ingredients that contribute to habitat loss. At Glotanicals, we trace the supply chain of every single ingredient to ensure that it was ethically, regeneratively, and sustainably produced in addition to making sure no animal testing has taken place.
Can you explain the process of obtaining cruelty-free certifications? Are there specific standards or benchmarks you adhere to?
There are a few well-known cruelty free certifications in beauty. The biggest two are Leaping Bunny & COSMOS. To be certified cruelty free you need to be able to prove that there is no animal testing at any level of your supply chain — from each ingredient to the manufacturing facility to your final product. Leaping Bunny only looks at animal testing while Cosmos takes it a step further to ensure the final product, ingredients, manufacturing process, and packaging are natural, organic, reduce waste, and are not harmful to the environment.
What are the challenges faced when ensuring every step of your supply chain adheres to cruelty-free practices?
One challenge is that not every ingredient supplier is transparent about where their ingredients come from. I’ve had many suppliers refuse to disclose this, and I’ve had to get creative and find other suppliers. Another challenge is that some countries actually require animal testing for imported beauty products. If you’re truly a cruelty free brand, you just can’t sell there and that’s a choice I’m okay with. But that’s also a major reason why big global brands are not cruelty free.
In the absence of animal testing, what innovative methods does your brand employ to ensure product safety and efficacy?
It comes down to what kind of ingredients you’re using. If you are using safe and natural ingredients in your beauty products, you shouldn’t need to do any type of animal testing.
Beyond being cruelty-free, how does your brand incorporate other ethical considerations, such as sustainability or fair trade, into its operations?
We meticulously trace the supply chain and carbon emissions for every aspect of our business. From ingredients to packaging, we make sure it is ethical, organic, regenerative, and as low waste as possible. We’ve also tracked our carbon emissions since day one — every sample, every trip to the lab, every ingredient, every shipment. Since Glotanicals was founded as a sustainable brand, we’ve been able to do these practices from launch as opposed to being a traditional brand making the switch to sustainability.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Ways That Brands Can Redefine Ethical Animal Practices in Their Industries”?
1. Don’t include countries that require animal testing in your sales strategy. The big global brands can’t forgo sales to these countries because they are a huge portion of their revenue. But if you plan ahead and are a smaller brand, you can create a plan for growth without supporting animal cruelty in these regions.
2. Make sure you vet your suppliers before you start working with them. When meeting with potential suppliers, always ask for their own cruelty free certifications up front and let them know transparency in the supply chain is a must have for you.
3. Visit your suppliers. This is another way to ensure transparency and also build real relationships. Providing transparency into their supply chain may not be something your suppliers are used to or even comfortable with, but if you know them personally and build that trust and relationship, they will be much more willing to work with you on this.
4. Formulate products with safe and natural ingredients. When you use ingredients that are safe for people and animals that come from nature, there’s really no need for excessive safety testing.
5. Lastly, choosing plastic free and PCR plastic packaging is an ethical practice that I think all beauty brands should be doing. It’s so much more achievable and affordable than it was even 5 years ago, so brands big and small have no reason not to make the switch to more sustainable packaging. Plastic is polluting our environment at an alarming rate and causing so much damage to natural ecosystems and wildlife.
How do you envision the future of cruelty-free practices in your industry? Are there any trends or shifts you anticipate?
In recent years I’ve seen more and more brands and beauty customers speaking up about sustainability. I think this is a trend that is here to stay and will result in so much benefit for our environment and the wildlife within it. By tackling sustainability, beauty brands can make a big difference in producing less waste and less toxic products that pollute nature.
For brands looking to transition to cruelty-free practices, what advice would you offer? Are there any resources or tools you’d recommend?
Start now! Whether you’re just starting with a beauty brand or have been in the industry for years, it’s never too late to do the right thing. Do your research and reach out to all of your suppliers to ask them about their cruelty-free and sustainable practices. If they can’t give you an answer, find a way to encourage them to make the switch or move on to a new supplier. It can be hard, but it is worth it.
For resources — check out leapingbunny.com. They’ve got a lot of resources for companies looking to be cruelty free.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My dream is to see more women leaning into living consciously, sustainably, and in harmony with nature. To view making sustainability a part of their lifestyle as a choice of fulfillment rather than sacrifice. And to see that by living in harmony with nature and using our actions and words to make a positive difference we can create so much more joy and purpose in our lives than just following the status quo.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
The best way to connect with me is on my podcast: Glo Eco with Kat on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and on my instagram: @katiswhereitsat. For Glotanicals, they can shop our line of sustainable skincare at Glotanicals.com or follow us @glotanicals on Instagram.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com .
Cruelty-Free Chronicles: Kat Scarlett Of Glotanicals On Top Brands Redefining Ethical Animal… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.