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September 14th, 2025

How a DIY Lip Balm Idea Became a Zero Waste Makeup Brand

  1. How a DIY Lip Balm Idea Became a Zero Waste Makeup Brand Ian Peterman 33:13

Can an eco-friendly beauty brand compete with mainstream makeup brands? Corinne Lefebvre, founder of River Organics, shares how she built a vegan, zero-waste beauty brand that challenges big cosmetics while staying true to sustainable values.

In this episode of the Conscious Design Podcast, host Ian Peterman uncovers the journey behind River Organics, from paper packaging innovations to creating high-performance makeup without compromising the planet.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀:

  • Sustainable beauty & vegan cosmetics

  • Zero waste makeup packaging innovations

  • Competing with big brands like Sephora without VC funding

  • How to grow a profitable sustainable business

  • River Organics founder story

⏩ 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀:

00:00 Intro

00:36 Founding River Organics: The Origin Story

02:04 Sustainable Packaging Innovations

04:21 Challenges and Growth in the Beauty Industry

05:22 The Importance of Sustainable Business Practices

08:32 Packaging Details and Customer Feedback

18:34 Expanding Product Lines: From Lip Balm to Mascara

24:21 Future Innovations and Customer Loyalty

31:22 Conclusion and Contact Information

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗯𝘃𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀

Corinne Lefebvre is the Owner and Founder of River Organics, a vegan and sustainable beauty brand. River Organics is a thoughtfully crafted zero-waste makeup line that prioritizes transparency in both ingredients and packaging, while working to reduce its environmental footprint and yours.

🔗𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗯𝘃𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀

Website : www.riverorganics.org

Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@RiverOrganicsBeauty

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/riverorganics/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/riverorganicsbeauty/

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻” 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KNMN9BT

 Learn more: https://www.consciousdesignhaus.com/

Want to turn visionary ideas into market-ready, sustainable products? 👉 https://www.petermanfirm.com/

🤝 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁:

 Instagram:   / cdesignhaus  

 TikTok:   / consciousdesign  

 LinkedIn:   / conscious-designhaus  

 X (Twitter): https://x.com/CDesignHaus

💄 What’s the #1 thing you look for in a sustainable beauty brand: performance, price, or packaging?

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Ian Peterman is leading the way for conscious design thinking through his book, podcast, and public appearances. His methods for prioritizing restorative, sustainable, and inclusive values to build a legacy of positive impact for his client’s brands have offered an exciting and rewarding approach to the future of good business. The Peterman Design Firm specializes in developing and commercializing products and offers branding and marketing for the missions its clients create. Ian also builds teams and catalyzes growth via fractional COO and CMO services. Ian is passionate about green tech, space exploration, and creating meaningful connections through human-centered planet friendly brands. When he’s not teaching and implementing conscious design he enjoys family, food, and watching the night sky. To learn more about Ian and Conscious Design you can check out @Petermanfirm for the latest podcasts, projects, and events, or find the book on Amazon.