Thrive is a plant-based skincare brand with a unique approach to restoring ecosystems; the brand’s products feature plants grown with regenerative practices in Costa Rica.

Thrive’s Co-Founder and CEO Alex McIntosh was inspired to create a truly healthy line of natural products after struggling to find skincare products that helped his sensitive skin. He was dismayed by the lack of products that were good for skin and the planet. 

Not only did McIntosh want to create a healthy line of natural products that work better than synthetics, but he also focused on taking sustainability a step further. His mission was to practice a regenerative business model that allows farmers and farmland to flourish, giving back to the ecosystem, while producing a high-quality supply of plant oils for Thrive’s products. 

We caught up with McIntosh to learn more about Thrive’s offerings and how the brand empowers farmers while supporting a positive environmental footprint.

What steps does Thrive take towards being sustainable? What does it mean to have a regenerative business model?

We aim far beyond “sustainable.” Our farms use native plants to improve soil and biodiversity on degraded lands, while boosting farmer incomes and providing a high-quality supply of plant oils for our products. The more we grow, the more we can restore.

A regenerative business model means it intentionally operates in a holistic and positive way across its entire footprint, so that landscapes, communities and living systems become healthier. With our restorative model, the more our business grows the more we are able to restore land and livelihoods along the way.

Is there anything you want customers to know about the ingredients in Thrive’s products and where they come from?

We combine the strength of traditional botanicals from Costa Rica into a powerful natural skincare experience.

These active ingredients are unique to Thrive’s products. And they’re more effective than the synthetic chemicals found in most skincare products. We are plant-powered and science-based effective skincare, we use no synthetics, and your purchase of each product supports rural farmers and restores degraded farmlands.

Our two proprietary ingredients are Juanilama and Fierrillo. Juanilama is used by indigenous people in Central and South America for generations to soothe irritation. The plant oil from the Juanilama leaf, native to our farms in Costa Rica, is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal powerhouse with high levels of antioxidants that protect the skin.

Fierrillo has also been used for generations for it’s healing properties and native to our Costa Rican farms, Fierillo packs a strong antioxidant punch to promote healthy skin and has wound-healing and antibacterial properties that help restore and repair damaged skin.

Both ingredients are vital to the regenerative farms with Juanilama acting as a natural pesticide for harmful insects. While the Fierrillo has vine-boosting soil organic content and provides a habitat to increase biodiversity.

What is your most popular product? 

Our best-selling Daily Defense Sunscreen Balm SPF 30 for face, which launched at #1 on Amazon Beauty and stayed there for 10 weeks! We were even recently awarded one of the first-ever Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grants for this amazing mineral SPF formula and regenerative business model. 

Are there any recent product launches we should check out?

After five years of researching next level packaging options and three years of formulating with our proprietary ingredients, Thrive launched our BodyShield 50 Mineral Sunscreen on April 19th. It contains state of the art non-nano SPF 50 broad-spectrum mineral zinc oxide and applies smoothly and cleanly with virtually no residue. Additionally, the tube is made of 100% plant based material (sustainably sourced sugarcane) and zero virgin petroleum plastic - further driving Thrive's mission to leave it better in every way possible. 

Where can people find you on social media? 

 @thrivenaturalcare 

Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy