Sustainability as a Whole Practice
When I started ANGAN, I wanted to make skincare that was both wildcrafted and genuinely accessible, not a luxury reserved for a few. To me, sustainability was never just one choice you make once. It is the whole chain, from where an ingredient is grown and how it is processed, to packaging, transportation, and even how well we explain all of it to you. Every one of those decisions gets made with people and the planet in mind, and we try to make them consciously rather than by default.
Our approach keeps evolving as we learn more and find better solutions. Three pillars guide almost every decision we make along the way.
- Ingredients grown or gathered with care, and processed using geothermal energy.
- Production kept small, close, and entirely within our own studio.
- Packaging designed to be reused, refilled, or recycled wherever possible.
In This Article, You'll Learn
- The three pillars behind ANGAN's approach to sustainability, ingredients, production, and packaging
- How wildcrafted Icelandic ingredients are grown, gathered, and processed using geothermal energy
- Why production stays small batch and entirely in house at the studio outside Reykjavik
- Where ANGAN's packaging is furthest along, and where the work still continues
1. Ingredients
ANGAN uses raw, wildcrafted ingredients found in Icelandic nature, dried and processed using geothermal energy. Our herbs grow in mineral rich soil, and we combine them with Icelandic sea salt, a by product of Saltverk, our sister company based in the remote Westfjords. Many of these botanicals, wild nettle, dandelion, red clover, yarrow, and Arctic thyme among them, form the Icelandic Botanical Complex that runs through much of what we make. We also choose ingredients grown without unnecessary additives, so you know exactly what you are putting on your skin. Every ANGAN product is vegan and cruelty free, and formulated without parabens, silicones, sulphates, phthalates, PEGs, phenoxyethanol, glycols, or formaldehyde.
2. Production
Every ANGAN product is handmade in small batches in our own studio just outside Reykjavik. Making everything ourselves means we control the quality of what leaves our hands, and it lets us keep batches small enough to protect the freshness of each formula rather than sitting in a warehouse for months. It also means we can watch our water and energy use closely, and work steadily toward reducing the waste that comes with manufacturing at all, batch by batch rather than all at once.
3. Packaging
We will be honest, packaging is the part of this work that is still furthest from finished, because a perfect solution does not really exist yet. What we can do is keep working toward one. Each product is packed in green, recyclable glass, and our outer cartons are made from recyclable, sustainable material printed with vegetable ink. Small parts like pumps and droppers are harder to recycle, so we encourage giving them a second life around the house rather than throwing them away.
We also offer refills for our bath salts and the Westfjords Collection, a small but meaningful way to cut down on new glass, and we are working on a circular system so bottles can eventually be cleaned, disinfected, and given a new life instead of ending up in the bin.
The quest for sustainability is never finished, but we are committed to doing the best we can, and keeping you informed along the way.
An Ongoing Commitment
None of this is about claiming to have it all figured out. It is about making conscious choices at every step we can control, and being honest with you about the ones we have not solved yet. Thank you for reading this far, and for being part of that process with us.
Xx, Iris
Leave a comment