Life is not just about soap for Oregon Soap Company’s founder Gregg Arnell of Portland. It’s about being a responsible environmental steward and producing soap in the cleanest, most renewable way possible, and the ethos of his company reflects this stewardship. Maker of organic soaps for nearly 30 years, Oregon Soap Company uses primarily organic vegetable oils and natural ingredients, Oregon Tilth-certified, to produce its bar, liquid and castile soaps. These soaps are also Carbonfund-certified carbon neutral: For every 10 bars of soap sold or 5 gallons of liquid soap sold, a native plant or tree is planted in partnership with Friends of Trees and Trees for the Future. Since 2007, more than 750,000 native plants and trees have been planted. Carbonfund also supports third-party and verified renewable energy, including wind farms and solar power, to replace reliance on fossil fuels. Using renewable energy is another cornerstone of Oregon Soap Company’s mission.

Essance Skincare has a mission to source only the best organic, sustainable and fair-trade ingredients to make its natural skincare products. Each of these products is free of artificial color, artificial fragrance, and harmful sulfates and phthalates. That’s by design, says owner Jasmine Tran of her Portland-based business. “Each product is a powerhouse of organic and medicinal plant ingredients intended to revitalize, heal and protect the skin,” she says. Essance Skincare’s unique herbal formulations contain chaga mushrooms, rooibos teas, ginseng, dragon’s blood, frankincense and much more, says Jasmine, whose mother taught her at a young age about Chinese medicine benefits and remedies.