What Ethique does

Ethique is a New Zealand-based sustainable personal care brand founded in 2012 by Brianne West, specializing in concentrated solid-format beauty bars as a plastic-free alternative to traditional liquid bottled products. The company's core product line consists of shampoo bars (11 variants targeting different hair concerns — clarifying, volumising, curl-defining, hydrating, strengthening, etc.), conditioner bars (8 variants), and adjacent categories including aluminum-free natural deodorants (6 scents), solid face cleansers, and vegan lip balms. Its primary technical differentiator is the proprietary Melt Cast Method — a low-heat manufacturing process that preserves ingredient potency and enables bars with up to 30x more active ingredients than liquid shampoo, with pH balanced between 4.5-6.0.

Ethique operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and retail distribution model, with ethique.com as the flagship DTC channel offering subscriptions (Subscribe + Save), a dynamic bundle builder, and the Ethique Rewards loyalty program (Bar Raisers, Changemakers, Eco Champions tiers). The brand has secured premium US mass-market retail placement at Target, Ulta Beauty, Whole Foods, and Amazon, plus Canadian retailer Chatters, with international e-commerce shipping. Pricing is unit-based ($8.50 lip balms to $17 face cleansers, $14 standard shampoo/conditioner bars, $25-$42 bundles with up to 20% bundle discounts) plus subscription recurring delivery. The company is B Corp certified (one of the highest-scoring globally), Leaping Bunny cruelty-free, vegan, palm-oil free, and complies with EU cosmetic regulations banning 1,300+ ingredients, supporting a sustainability-led value proposition anchored by the cumulative claim of 41M+ plastic bottles saved.

Ethique is a private, founder-controlled company headquartered in Christchurch, New Zealand, with 1-10 disclosed employees. Disclosed funding totals approximately NZ$1.3M across 2017 (NZ$501K) and 2018 (NZ$798K from Icehouse Ventures) rounds. Revenue, valuation, headcount trajectory, and capital structure beyond these data points are not publicly disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Ethique

Legal name

Ethique

Website

https://ethique.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ethique is a New Zealand-founded sustainable beauty brand (2012) selling concentrated solid shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and skincare bars as plastic-free alternatives, distributed via DTC, Target, Ulta, Whole Foods, and Amazon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Personal Care Products

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deodorants & Antiperspirants (CRADANAA)

Keywords

• Solid shampoo bars
• Plastic-free haircare
• Natural deodorant bars
• Compostable beauty products
• Sustainable personal care

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Ethique generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of shampoo bars, conditioner bars, deodorants, face cleansers, and lip balms via its e-commerce platform. Individual bars range from $8.50-$17.00 with bundle discounts available.
2. Subscription Model: Subscribe and Save program offering recurring product delivery with potential discounts, providing predictable revenue stream and customer retention.
3. Retail Distribution: Products sold through major retail partners including Target, Ulta Beauty, Whole Foods, Amazon, and Canadian retailer Chatters, expanding market reach beyond direct-to-consumer channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ethique develops, manufactures, and sells concentrated solid-format personal care bars including shampoo bars, conditioner bars, deodorant bars, face cleansers, and lip balms as plastic-free alternatives to liquid personal care. Products are formulated with plant-derived, vegan, cruelty-free, and palm-oil free ingredients and packaged in home-compostable materials. The company sells direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce site with subscription, bundle, and loyalty options, and through major US/Canadian retailers.

Product overview

Ethique is a sustainable personal care company offering concentrated solid-format haircare and beauty products as an alternative to plastic bottled products. The core product line consists of shampoo bars and conditioner bars in 11 and 8 variants respectively, addressing different hair needs such as clarifying, scalp health, curl-defining, volumising, hydrating, repairing, smoothing, purple toning, and gentle/fragrance-free options. These are sold alongside complementary products including natural deodorants (6 variants), face cleansers (3 variants), and lip balms (4 variants), with accessories like storage trays. Products are bundled in various combinations (haircare bundles, mini travel packs) and supported by a loyalty rewards program. The company emphasizes plastic-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and compostable packaging across its entire portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ethique Shampoo Bars Concentrated solid shampoo bars that replace plastic bottles, formulated with plant-derived ingredients for different hair types and concerns including clarifying, scalp health, curl-defining, volumising, everyday shine, hydrating, repairing, smoothing, purple toning, strengthening, and gentle/fragrance-free variants.
• Ethique Conditioner Bars Solid conditioner bars designed to pair with Ethique shampoo bars, providing nourishment and moisture for hair types including curl-defining, volumising, everyday shine, hydrating, repairing, smoothing, purple toning, and gentle formulations.
• Ethique Haircare Bundles Pre-configured shampoo and conditioner bar duos bundled together at discounted prices for complete hair care routines targeting concerns such as thinning hair, curly hair, color-treated hair, oily hair, and daily care.
• Ethique Mini Travel Bars Travel-sized shampoo and conditioner mini bars lasting 10+ washes each, designed for travel convenience with TSA-friendly solid format and spill-proof packaging.
• Ethique Natural Deodorants Aluminum-free solid deodorant bars made with bamboo powder, zinc oxide, and magnesium hydroxide, available in six scents including Vanilla + Lavender, Eucalyptus + Cedarwood, Tropical Mango, Sweet Rose, Fresh Cotton, and Fragrance-Free.
• Ethique Face Cleansers Solid face wash bars including Hydrating, Purifying, and Glowing exfoliator variants, formulated for different skin types with clean ingredients that cleanse without stripping.
• Ethique Lip Balms Vegan lip balms including So Cocoa, Juicy, Nectar (unscented), and Sugarplum (tinted) variants, made with jojoba oil and cocoa butter in home-compostable packaging.
• Ethique Haircare Storage Tray Storage tray designed to keep shampoo and conditioner bars dry between uses with proper airflow drainage, extending bar longevity.
• Ethique Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $125, $150, $175, and $200, delivered via email for recipient redemption at checkout.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30x more concentrated active ingredients than liquid shampoos
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CleanHubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleanHub partnership allows Ethique Rewards members to donate their loyalty points to support plastic removal from coastal communities. Points are converted into plastic bottle equivalents removed from entering oceans. Donation tiers: 500 points = 5 bottles, 1000 points = 10 bottles, 1500 points = 15 bottles, 2000 points = 20 bottles.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lush Cosmetics: Global handmade cosmetics retailer and manufacturer with a long-standing solid shampoo bar and conditioner line. Operates thousands of stores and a comparable sustainability narrative, making it Ethique's largest incumbent competitor in plastic-free haircare.

Direct peers

• HiBAR: US-based brand specializing in plastic-free shampoo and conditioner bars sold through mass retail and DTC. Directly comparable product format, target consumer (eco-conscious haircare shoppers), and retail distribution model to Ethique.
• Plaine Products: Refillable and sustainable personal care brand offering hair and body care with an environmental mission. Comparable in target audience, sustainability positioning, and DTC-driven growth model, though it uses a refillable bottle format rather than solid bars.
• J.R. Liggett's: One of the original shampoo bar brands in the US natural haircare market. Directly competes in solid shampoo bars with comparable distribution through natural food and DTC channels, often cited alongside Ethique in shampoo bar industry reports.
• Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve: US-based natural soap and shampoo bar maker with similar focus on plant-derived ingredients and plastic-free packaging. Frequently listed alongside Ethique in shampoo bar market reports as a comparable small-batch, natural-ingredient competitor.
• The Earthling Co. Solid shampoo and conditioner bar brand with a similar sustainability-driven value proposition. Competes for the same environmentally conscious haircare consumer through DTC and natural product retailers.

Emerging players

• OWA Haircare: Waterless haircare brand cited alongside Ethique in waterless cosmetic market analyses. Shares the powder-to-water-activated haircare thesis with a focus on sustainability, addressing a similar consumer but with a different delivery format.
• One Ocean Beauty: Sustainable beauty brand featured in the same waterless cosmetic market reports as Ethique. Overlaps in environmental positioning and premium natural-ingredient ethos, with broader skincare exposure.

Regional players

• ecostore: New Zealand-based sustainable household and personal care brand, identified alongside Ethique in the NZ natural personal care market. Comparable ingredient ethos and New Zealand origin, though it operates a broader cleaning and body care portfolio rather than specializing in solid bars.
• Trilogy (Trilogy Natural Products): New Zealand natural skincare brand named alongside Ethique as a key competitor in the NZ natural personal care market. Comparable home-market footprint and sustainability positioning, with a focus on facial skincare rather than solid haircare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ethiquenz
• Facebookfacebook.com/ethiquenz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sorbetcosmetics

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ethique