Axiology’s Zero-Waste Makeup Moment

Axiology founder Ericka Rodriguez is swiftly learning about the importance of changing course amid a pandemic. In order to salvage what had been planned to be a robust year of global expansion, the clean beauty pioneer is spinning her Bend, Ore.-based beauty brand in a different direction with a quartet of product releases.

“This [pandemic] is bigger than all of us,” says Rodriguez. “I just have to keep reminding myself: It’s not our fault; it’s outside of our control. We want to survive, and we’re going to survive. The only way we’re going to survive is if we play this right and be flexible right now.”

The biggest of Axiology’s releases is Balmies, lip-to-lid color crayons housed in zero-waste packaging that are being unveiled today timed with Earth Day. Priced at $14 for a single item and $36 for a trio, the crayons are wrapped in recyclable paper and tucked inside a small red box made in Bali from recycled trash. In addition to Axiology’s website, Credo will sell the Balmies. They join a growing roster of eco-conscious makeup offerings from brands the likes of Aether Beauty, Elate Cosmetics and RMS Beauty.

Following the introduction of Axiology’s first lipstick in 2014, “our customers have been wanting something new for a long time,” says Rodriguez, a 33-year-old entrepreneur who’s been an animal rights activist since she was 14 and a vegan for the past decade. “We’re a planet-first beauty company, so our main inspiration was to create a zero-waste multiuse crayon that answers the urgent need for sustainability in our industry. Second to that, we want to make clean beauty more accessible to more people.”

Makeup artist Veronika Robova guided Rodriguez in the development of Balmies’ colors. Accompanying the four highlighters are nine shades ranging from the neutral Nude Plum and pinkish Sorbet to the magenta-like Raspberry. The same size as Axiology’s original crayons, but half the price, the Balmies live up to their name by hydrating like a balm with oils, butters and antioxidants such as elderberry, hemp and plum oil. They’re safe to use on lips, cheeks and eyelids.

Compared to her the process of scouring YouTube, reading blogs and going through trial and error to create her first product, Rodriguez’s acumen has increased along with her customers’ savviness.

“The only way we’re going to survive is if we play this right and be flexible right now.”

“Six years ago, it was just about ingredients,” she says. “Now, it’s about the whole packaging.” Rodriguez emphasizes that customers “just really care about every aspect,” noting they raise concerns about the sourcing of materials related to environmental impacts and labor rights, and seek planet-friendly materials.

Axiology is expanding its audience through Asos. It debuted on the fashion and beauty e-tailer in March, tapping into the British company’s young clientele and influencers as well as its 200-country delivery network. Rodriguez has learned to work with retailers on a massive scale, thanks to a 1-year stint selling Axiology’s lip products in Sephora a few years ago.

“We were the smallest brand Sephora ever brought in,” she says. “It showed because we did not have what they needed, which was a lot of money for marketing and a lot of money for samples and training. We’re a bootstrapped business, and we don’t have investors.” Rodriguez wholly owns Axiology.

Prior to the pandemic, Axiology lined up retail launches for this year at London department store Harvey Nichols, Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Express in the United States. Rodriguez expects some of the expansions to be pushed back. She says, “Now I know exactly what to do, which is to maintain super healthy relationships, to constantly train, to constantly check in, to constantly sell samples and [to] be top of mind always.”

Rodriguez also knows her customers are worried about COVID-19. She’s whipped up formulas for cleansers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Introduced earlier this month on its e-commerce site, Axiology’s new hand-care grouping features a palm oil-free bar soap, zero-waste lotion bar and cleansing gel made with sustainable, non-GMO alcohol.

“We realized we needed to pivot and offer people what they are looking for during this time,” she says. “I myself have had a very hard time finding bar soap without palm oil, so I believe our customers will really appreciate this effort.”

“Six years ago, it was just about ingredients. Now, it’s about the whole packaging.”

Though not certified as hand sanitizer, the Sweet Orange Cleansing Gel serves the same purpose. It blends 64% alcohol with essential oils from sweet orange, mandarin, lemon and lime for on-the-go sanitization. Priced at $10, it sold out in its first week on the market. “We didn’t know what to expect,” says Rodriguez, “but, since people are really wanting to purchase it, we are going to sell more and in larger bottles—4-oz. [ones for $15]—as opposed to 2-oz. [bottles].”

The Zero Waste Hand Lotion comes in bar form, and is made with buttery coconut and hemp oil, either unscented or enhanced with lavender oil. Designed to fit in the palm of a hand for easy application, the lotion costs $7. The Vegan Bar Soap contains only four ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, lye and water. Retailing for $7, Rodriguez praises it for being “extra foamy, bubbly and smooth.”

While she concedes “it’s a weird time” to discuss lipstick when consumers are hunkering down and budgeting money carefully, Rodriguez is finding ways to spotlight beauty and Axiology’s fellow emerging beauty brands. She recently posted an Instagram Story tagging six brands, including Wabi-Sabi Botanicals, Sigil Scent, Luxe Botanics and Meow Meow Tweet. Rodriguez says, “It was reminding people that, if you can’t spend money right now, it’s great to leave reviews for products you love…Little things can keep us staying positive [and] make us feel like we’re helping each other.”

Indeed, if there’s one message she’d like to send to her customers and retail partners, it’s that “we’re going to come back stronger and more nimble,” she says. “It’s a time to reevaluate how we’re running our business, if there’s anything we can be doing better.”