Is Sunday Riley Really Sustainable? A Luxury Skincare Review

Meet Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley is one of the most talked-about luxury skincare brands on the market. With their trendy packaging, potent formulations, and cult-adored products like Good Genes and the CEO Vitamin C Serum, they’ve earned a top spot on vanities across the globe.

But for those of us who want our skincare to be as kind to the planet as it is to our skin, the question remains: is Sunday Riley truly sustainable, or just riding the green beauty wave?

In this post, I’ll break down their sustainability claims, examine the packaging and ingredients, explore brand ethics, and share my personal experience with their products.

Brand Overview

Founded in 2009 by cosmetic chemist Sunday Riley herself, the brand is known for pairing botanicals with high-performance actives. They call themselves “clean, clinical, and luxurious”—a heaven-made match for those consumers who want to see a difference without questionable ingredients.

Sunday Riley claims to be cruelty-free, and the large portion of their products just so happen to be vegan. They also publicly discuss sustainability efforts such as reducing their carbon footprint and using recyclable packaging. Sunday Riley is also a certified B Corporation—a designation that means they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

That said, B Corp certification has not been without its detractors. Some critics argue that the standards can be unevenly applied, and that companies with questionable practices in certain areas can still be certified. B Corp status is a positive step, but it cannot be the sole measure of a company’s sustainability or ethics.

Packaging & Ingredients

Sunday Riley packaging is undoubtedly beautiful—glass bottles with bold labels, topped off with stylish pumps or droppers. Glass is more sustainable than plastic because it’s inert, recyclable, and more likely to be reused. Most of their glass bottles are curbside recyclable, but components like plastic pumps, droppers, and metalized caps have a tendency to make recycling more difficult. In the majority of municipalities, these multi-material pieces must be separated or disposed of altogether, reducing the overall recyclability of the package. The brand does not yet have a take-back program, which would truly improve the lifecycle of their products.

They’ve taken steps to reduce packaging waste by removing secondary packaging and excess inserts on some products, and they say their outer cartons are made from FSC-certified materials. However, there is little transparency or third-party verification to back up more comprehensive packaging sustainability claims.

Ingredient-wise, Sunday Riley is a clean beauty brand that avoids parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. It focuses on effective, science-backed actives like lactic acid, vitamin C, and retinoids, typically mixed with plant-derived ingredients like blue tansy, turmeric, and green tea. This natural-meets-clinical methodology is the foundation for both performance and product safety.

That said, they don’t offer comprehensive sourcing details. It’s unclear whether their botanicals are certified organic, fair trade, or sustainably harvested. In the world of clean beauty, ingredient traceability matters—not just what’s in the bottle, but where it comes from and who’s impacted in the process. Greater transparency here would be a major win for their credibility.

We have to remember that “clean” is not necessarily a scientific term but should be seen as a marketing tool companies use to position themselves in a certain way. That said, this label is self imposed and should be taken with a grain of salt. It should be taken in combination with other measures of sustainability including full sourcing information, when analyzing companies we’re going to support.

Brand Ethics & Transparency

Sunday Riley is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, a trustworthy third-party certification. They’ve also made public statements about reducing their carbon footprint and increasing supply chain sustainability.

However, their transparency has been previously questioned. They were involved in a scandal in 2018 involving workers posting fake reviews on Sephora. While the company owned up and settled with the FTC, the episode raised questions about honesty in marketing.

Additionally, the brand does not presently publish detailed sustainability or impact reports. This makes it difficult to track their progress or hold them to their expressed aspirations.

While their B Corp certification suggests a baseline commitment to ethics, most industry insiders feel that it doesn’t go nearly far enough. But it’s important to remember a brand can be B Corp certified and still be behind the curve on issues like labor rights, supply chain traceability, and environmental accountability. The certification is a good starting point, but again, it must be combined with other sustainability measures.

Sunday Riley’s website contains blanket statements about ethical sourcing and being environmentally conscious, but without tangible figures, third-party audits, or publicly disclosed timelines for change, it’s difficult for consumers to gain a full understanding of the brand’s integrity.

Product Performance

I tested two of their top-sellers for three weeks:

Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment: This did live up to the hype. After a week’s use, my skin was smoother and looked much brighter. It is slightly creamy in texture with a citrus scent that soon fades after application. I used it at night, and in the morning, my skin felt replenished—almost as if I’d had a gentle facial. It handled the texture well with a subtle exfoliation and didn’t aggravate my skin. Also, my pores were literally gone.

C.E.O. Vitamin C Brightening Serum: Rich and silky without greasiness, this serum was an instant favorite in my morning routine. It wore well under sunscreen and makeup (very minimal, fyi), imparted an instant brightness to my skin, and after two weeks’ use, I noticed an overall evening of my skin tone and radiance. The 15% THD Ascorbate is a stable derivative of vitamin C, which is ideal for those who want the outcome without the stinging or instability that may sometimes be associated with L-Ascorbic Acid products.

Overall, both products delivered: visible results, lush textures, and no adverse reactions. The sensory experience—the packaging, the scents, the feel on my skin—added to the feeling of indulgence. While I wish there were refills offered or more sustainability features attached to product delivery, I cannot dispute that user experience was excellent.

That said, they are on the pricier side. You’re definitely paying for the branding, formulation quality, and luxury positioning. If you’re looking for results and the occasional treat-yourself moment, these products won’t disappoint.

The Verdict: Is Sunday Riley Worth It?

Having thoroughly examined Sunday Riley’s product effectiveness, sustainability efforts, and ethical transparency, it’s clear that the brand occupies a unique position in the luxury skincare market. But, is it worth spending your money on? Let’s balance the facts.

Pros:

• High-Performance Formulas:
  • Sunday Riley products are backed by science. They blend potent actives like lactic acid, vitamin C, and retinoids with botanicals, which makes their skincare products effective and result-oriented, with visible benefits. Their Good Genes treatment, for example, is renowned for having the ability to exfoliate and brighten the skin without any irritation and is ideal for sensitive skin types that require a boost. This marriage of clean ingredients with clinical efficacy is one of the strengths of the brand.
• Cruelty-Free:
  • Sunday Riley is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, which is important to those who want to make ethical choices on the brands they spend money on. The guarantee under this certification is that their products are never tested on animals, and it’s thus alright to consider them if you are an animal-conscious consumer. Plus, they claim most of their products are vegan and all are vegetarian.
• Majority Recyclable Packaging:
  • The brand’s simple glass bottles are recyclable, which is an improvement over many plastic packaging materials in the beauty industry. That said, as mentioned previously, mixed materials like pumps and droppers can make recycling difficult, so while it’s a move in the right direction, there’s certainly more to be done in terms of ensuring the packaging is more broadly recyclable.
• B Corp Certified:
  • As a B Corp certified business, Sunday Riley holds high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This informs us that the brand has taken steps towards incorporating sustainability and responsible business practices into its business, a victory for conscious consumers who wish to buy from brands that share their values.
• Luxurious User Experience:
  • Sunday Riley excels at making skincare a sensory experience that feels like a treat. The luxe textures, pleasant scents, and high-quality packaging make the daily skincare routine feel like a luxurious ritual. Their product aesthetics are definitely one of the reasons that their brand is so cult-like.

Cons:

• Limited Transparency Regarding Ingredient Sourcing:
  • Though Sunday Riley excels at offering effective, clean formulations, they lag behind in offering complete transparency around sourcing information. It’s not known if their botanical ingredients are sustainably sourced, organic, or fair trade-certified. For shoppers who value ethical sourcing of ingredients and complete traceability, this is a significant area where the brand’s transparency is lacking.
• No Published Sustainability Reports:
  • While Sunday Riley is B Corp certified, they do not provide comprehensive sustainability or impact reports that track their progress on their key environmental and social goals. Without these reports, it’s hard to measure how committed they are to improving their sustainability efforts over time. For consumers who like to see hard data and third-party auditing, this is a significant disadvantage.
• Past Ethical Controversy:
  • Sunday Riley’s image was marred by the 2018 scandal of posting artificial online reviews. Though the company admitted and settled with the FTC, this incident is definitely a valid concern about their marketing morals. For some shoppers, this could blemish the confidence they have in the genuity of the brand.
• B Corp Certification Isn’t a Perfect Seal of Approval:
  • While B Corp certification is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t guarantee that a brand is perfect in every aspect.
  • As discussed earlier, B Corp certification does have its drawbacks, and certain B Corp-certified brands may continue to fall short in areas like labor rights, supply chain traceability, or overall environmental impact. For the shopper who wants brands that have a more extreme, comprehensive approach to sustainability, B Corp may not be the final measure of excellence.
• High Price Point:
  • Sunday Riley products are definitely luxury, and they come with a luxury price point to match. While the performance and experience can be worth the cost to many, others will likely find that the more premium pricing is not met by the sustainability features offered. Other products on the market have the ability to offer similar results at a more affordable price.

Final Thoughts:

Sunday Riley is somewhat of a mixed bag when it comes to sustainability.

The brand excels in product performance and creating a luxury skincare experience, which is why they’ve garnered a strong following among beauty enthusiasts.

Their use of effective, high-quality ingredients is evident in the results their products deliver. However, when it comes to the deeper, more holistic aspects of sustainability—such as ingredient sourcing transparency, environmental impact, and long-term commitment to change—there is still work to be done. If you’re someone who likes high-end skincare with tangible results and aren’t bothered about being a guilty pleasure every now and then, Sunday Riley is worth an experience. However, if complete transparency and sustainability are your top priorities, you would do well to look at other brands that give you a clearer picture of where they are and how they are getting better. In the end, Sunday Riley is worth it for anybody who wants effective, high-end skincare. For the eco-conscious consumer, though, there is still a little room for them to grow in terms of sustainability.