Partners in Clean Beauty: Costa Brazil and Amyris.

June 24, 2021

Costa Brazil was founded with a simple belief—that the spirit of beauty is inseparable from the health of the earth. The inception of the brand started with Costa Brazil founder, Francisco Costa’s first trip to the Amazon, an illuminating journey that introduced him to the wonderful indigenous people of the region, but also to a bounty of raw ingredients including Breu, a natural resin that comes from the Almacega tree, one of the tallest species you can find in the jungle. Later on, when we sent Breu to be analyzed, we found out that it has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties—it’s a super ingredient and has the most amazing scent that has become a signature of Costa Brazil products.

Since launching in 2019, the Costa Brazil team has taken great care to prioritize clean and efficacious ingredients, and guided by a partnership with Conservation International, we committed to sustainable sourcing through a collective of indigenous communities in the Amazon.

“Planet-positive design is something that has always followed me, from my youth in Brazil where it was essential in culture, and even during my years as Creative Director at Calvin Klein. I had collections that were completely upcycled, and I never talked about it. At the time, no one really talked about it. Sustainability has always been inherent for me,” said Francisco Costa, founder of Costa Brazil and Chief Creative Officer of Amyris.

Costa Brazil was inspired by two fundamental questions: How do we grow our business without compromising our ability to source ingredients, while putting the needs of the planet first? How does a sustainable business grow sustainably?

We have chosen a new family to help Costa Brazil continue on this journey: Amyris, a cutting-edge biotechnology company that reproduces natural ingredients without stripping the earth of its resources. The company is led by CEO and President John Melo, who shares in the Costa Brazil vision to produce beautiful, clean, and planet-positive products. At the heart of what Amyris does is clean chemistry. For instance, by engineering yeast strains and fermenting them in sugarcane syrup, Amyris pioneered the process to convert basic plant sugars to hydrocarbon molecules. This technology produces rare molecules that are integral to a number of innovative products, from anti-malarial treatments to delicious, zero-calorie sweeteners that are diabetic-friendly.Amyris is wholly committed to doing good in the world, starting at the molecular level.

Francisco Costa will help build a deep integration between science, sustainability, and beauty. And there is plenty of opportunity to do so, with a growing number of consumers reporting that they’ve attempted to reduce their environmental impact through lifestyle changes, even going out of their way to buy products with more sustainable packaging.

We are taking the road less traveled toward longevity, one paved by science without any compromises on our values. This next chapter holds exciting promise for the future of Costa Brazil to expand the network of local communities we work with and grow sustainably.

Learn more about Costa Brazil’s ingredients.