The words 'handmade beauty' likely conjure up images of chintzy craft fairs or handicraft bar soap sold at a rickety stall. But in 2018, the concept is much cooler.

The conscious consumption movement is growing, which means small-batch and handmade beauty brands are booming, and their offerings should be taken seriously. "More and more people are leaving their jobs to become small business owners," Jillian Wright, founder of the Indie Beauty Expo, told us, "and as the demand for independent and niche brands grows, many people look to the beauty industry." The best part? "Many of these beauty brands want to use their businesses to give back or provide a better future, whether it is educational or environmental," added Jillian.

Working on a small scale means these brands have much greater control of their environmental impact at every stage of the production process. "These brands think about the entire lifecycle of a product including the farming, fertilisation, harvesting, fair trade, cruelty-free extracting, production, waste, packaging, fulfilment, transport, usage, and disposal," Jillian explained.

Kate Protopapas, founder of Isla Apothecary, expanded: "Small-batch production means we can source packaging from local suppliers rather than buying huge bulk quantities from somewhere like China. This keeps our carbon footprint significantly lower, while also supporting the local economy." Beyond packaging, the ingredients themselves are green-approved too. "We choose to use no synthetics or plastics in our products, thus minimising the impact on the environment," Kate added.

While this approach certainly appeals to those concerned about their plastic waste, this new breed of small-batch brands proves that results-driven formulas needn’t be compromised. Brands that hand-make their products in small batches tend to do so out of a necessity around longevity, and more often than not, they use natural ingredients and forgo chemical preservatives. "We make our products more or less to order so that they go out fresh to consumers and retailers," Kate said. Although the shelf life is shorter, you’re getting high quality ingredients at their most potent, which means they work better.

In the increasingly overwhelming world of beauty, these brands strip it back to the basics and offer customers carefully considered INCI (ingredients) lists that feature hardworking components and no fillers. This streamlined approach makes it easier to understand what’s in your product (a dream scenario for those who suffer with skin sensitivities), and subsequently offers more bang for your buck.

Click through for seven small-batch beauty picks...