18 Year-Old Founder Launches Ethically Conscious Beauty Empire

There are several creators intentionally pouring so much beauty and goodness into the world, whom we admire and are excited to share with you! This is the first post in Creativity for Good, which we’ll dedicate to celebrating creatives and their art, businesses, causes, uplifting platforms and more. 

We’d love to introduce you to Aashna Sharma, 18-year-old founder of Shared Planet, a cosmetic company advocating for clean, cruelty free, talc free, child labor free products. Shared Planet is a combination of Aashna’s two passions, makeup and nature, and has amassed global impact.  

A life-long makeup afficionado, Aashna’s love for animals inspired her creation of makeup shades and styles to mirror the essence of the animals she adored. Just as she saw deep beauty in animals, she wanted people to see the same beauty in themselves, and now aims to help them express themselves in a powerful way.  

Get the full scoop on this nature-lovin’ makeup guru: 

Who do you Serve?

Our customers are those who love all things beauty, while also prioritizing ethics and responsibility. I believe our products perfectly mesh these interests, as we have formulated all of our cosmetics with being ‘eco-friendly’ at the forefront. We strive to do this without compromising on performance or pigmentation.

 What inspired you to start the Shared Planet brand?

I felt that something was missing within the clean beauty space. As brands, we need to be responsible and contribute more to the environment, while actively supporting the causes that we, and our customers, care so much about. 

“I feel that brands should go beyond simply being cruelty-free or “more green”. So I decided that we should give back in a bigger way – by donating to charity partners who are dedicated to saving endangered species and their respective habitats.”

 What drives you to serve your community + give back?

My desire to give back truly stems from my empathetic side, something I have gained from my mother. I have always been an animal lover and the idea of being able to start a business where I can pursue my passion of creating makeup, while also serving an often overlooked and forgotten cause, is a dream come true. This dream, which has become my reality, drives me to keep spreading our message and doing better as a brand and as a person.

What makes your product + packaging special?

All of our products are cruelty-free, vegan, and contain mica that is child-labor free. We have one of the most stringent “black-lists” on the market, meaning we only use ingredients that do not harm people, animals or the environment. Along with our formulations, all of our palettes are made of recyclable materials to ensure that we aren’t contributing to waste, which is often a big issue in the beauty industry.

Tell us about a time when using your creativity for good felt 1000% worth it.

I remember being in our lab working on our first two collections. We had been through so many iterations of our eyeshadows because we wanted to create shades that would look good on every skin tone, without the use of any animal-derived pigments or ingredients. 

When we were finally happy, and approved our final shade lineup for both the Tiger and Polar Bear Collections, I felt so proud because we, as a brand, stuck to our ethics and were able to create two amazingly beautiful eyeshadow pallets. It felt so incredibly worth all the time and effort put in by both myself and my incredible manufacturing team.

Who do you look up to? Why?

Like many people, I would say my parents are my inspiration. They have taught me everything I know when it comes to both how I handle myself personally and professionally. I consistently strive to be as driven and hardworking as my father, and as open-hearted as my mother. Whenever I am questioning a decision or feel confused on what to do, I look to them and ask myself how they both would conduct themselves in that situation.

How do you stay inspired + motivated both as a creative and do good-er? 

From both a creative and ethics standpoint, I am motivated by our customers, followers and supporters. My favorite past time is going through the Shared Planet Instagram feed and looking at the absolutely stunning looks they have created with our cosmetics.  It inspires me to want to develop new and exciting products for them to enjoy. Additionally, seeing them acknowledge and appreciate Shared Planet’s mission to give back to animals, continues to make me want to do more both as a person and as a brand owner. 

What’s your favorite Shared Planet product?

While it’s always a toss-up, I would have to say that currently my favorite product is our new Sea Turtle Highlighter Palette. I am absolutely in love with it and wear it almost every day either with or without any other makeup. It gives that gorgeous pop of sparkle that I always need.

Follow Shared Planet on insta @sharedplanet or visit their website at sharedplanet.com.