Stratia

Stratia is an American skincare brand that exists in direct opposition to most of the clean beauty market, and it is entirely upfront about it. Its own guidance to customers is to ditch the clean-washing, and its operating principle is stated just as bluntly: at Stratia, science rules all. Founded in May 2016 by Alli Reed, who taught herself formulation by obsessively reading dermatology journals and made eight bottles each of Liquid Gold and Rewind in her own kitchen, the brand has grown without ever outsourcing. Products are formulated and manufactured in house in Los Angeles and hand-bottled, which the brand describes as ethical, small-batch skincare from ingredient to bottle. The range covers barrier repair, exfoliation, hydration and cleansing, built for anyone with skin: the brand describes its products as genderless and hyper-effective, formulated for all skin types, tones, genders and ages. Everything is completely fragrance-free, with no essential oils and no fragrant compounds such as limonene or linalool, and the range is gluten and dairy free. Stratia is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, testing only on human volunteers. Most products are vegan, with Lipid Gold and its eye cream containing cruelty-free lanolin-derived cholesterol, stated openly. Sustainability is quantified: bottles contain thirty to one hundred percent recycled content, saving over a thousand pounds of virgin plastic annually, and the brand works with Bluebird Climate. Priced affordably, Stratia is outstanding for vegan, cruelty-free, minimalist American skincare made genuinely locally.