Seed Phytonutrients: A New Sustainable Beauty

Body care brand Seed Phytonutrients is redefining sustainability within the beauty industry. Conscientiousness spans their end-to-end production process as they continue to shave down the impact they have on this planet. Their goal is to someday produce Hair, Face, and Body products with 0% environmental footprint.

Four strong pillars uphold the Seed vision: Promoting Natural Beauty, Leading Environmental Sustainability, Supporting Organic Farmers, and Preserving Seed Diversity. In keeping with this vision, they have cultivated a strong community around them, founded on trust and a profound respect for the plants that keep this earth alive.

Our mission is to plant the seeds of health, well-being and sustainability for future generations.

Seed believes that natural beauty and healthy living are indivisible. They understand that beauty comes only when we feel as good on the inside as we do on the outside. That’s why they take care when crafting the ingredients that will soak into our skin and hair.

The seed is where a plant’s nutrients are encased and protected from environmental elements, where they remain in their purest form. Within their shells are high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, phytosterols, carotene and vitamins A, C, D, and E. To preserve these nutrients in their purest form, Seed uses cold press and expeller methods to extract oil from the seeds. Though the process takes more time and extracts less oil, it upholds the integrity of the ingredients and eliminates the need for chemical solvents. They return what’s left to their farmers to provide nutritious, organic feed for their animals.

Seed respects the rarity and importance of the organic farmer, which is why they pay for 100% of their crop up front.

In order to gain access to these rich seeds, organic farmers have to exist. Organic farm certification is expensive, and can take up to three years to secure. Seed respects the rarity and importance of the organic farmer, which is why they pay for 100% of their crop up front, regardless of yield, so they have the security to reinvest in their farms and plan for the future.

This long-term vision also reflects in the strong relationships Seed forms with their farmers, manufacturers, and fellow seed enthusiasts. Every contributor they touch feels valued, necessarily, and supported. Staffers regularly hop on the tractor to check in on their plants at Barefoot Botanicals down the street. “They’re not just coming here and buying the oil,” says farmer Eric Vander Hyde. “They said, ‘We want you to be successful.’ They’re fostering the development of small-scale farms.”

Seed founder Shane Wolf tracked down Julie Corbett, creator of Ecologic, to create what is now the industry’s most eco-friendly packaging. By adding a blend of minerals extracted from clay, they created a water-resistant paper bottle that could stand up to the pressures of a shower. Instead of glue, the bottle uses an interlocking design that’s just as strong. The interior liner is made with food-grade recycled plastic, and is 60 percent thinner than typical plastic bottles. Their unique pump evacuates up to 98 percent of the available shampoo, great for both the consumers and the carbon footprint.

“Soon,” says Wolf, “we’ll be making these containers from our own waste paper and cardboard boxes,” which creates a closed loop, bringing Seed one step closer to the ideal vision of zero waste.

Seed Phytonutrients has shown us how far sustainability can go.

Their Hair, Face, and Body collections feature oils from camelina, sunflowers, safflowers, and jojoba. They incorporate ingredients like vitamin C and E, olive oil, mint, and coconut to create formulas that strengthen the hair, and protect and hydrate the skin.

At BWB, we tried their shampoo and body lotion to experience the purity for ourselves. Knowing that the products resulted from a mindful, conscientious process that sourced only natural oils was half of the experience. Seed’s gentle medley of powerful ingredients is light to the touch, and quickly soothes dehydrated skin. It is easy to feel their shampoo nourishing and calming the scalp as its subtle, earthy scent wafts into the shower’s steam. Two weeks later, their cardboard bottles show no signs of water wear.

Seed Phytonutrients has shown us how far sustainability can go. As we run our fingers through happy hair beneath a warm stream of water, we can begin thinking about the beauty industry’s impact on the environment, agriculture, and our own wellbeing. We can begin to reevaluate the quality and integrity of the other products that frame our bathtubs.