Ethos and Co

Values

Our Story

ETHOS and Co’s origin story lies in a beautiful, remote part of Cambodia, where Kiwi couple Gerard and Hana volunteered back in 2009.

Confronted by the rampant poverty and modern slavery they witnessed in the area, the couple decided to stay and do what they can to make a difference.

“For 7 years, we’ve worked in the village of Kampot, helping local families sustainably produce food and increase their incomes.”

Last year, they set up ETHOS & Co skincare with the purpose of helping Kampot’s coconut-growing families.

Coconut growers are some of the poorest people in the world, barely seeing any of the global coconut industry’s multi-million dollar profit.

Meanwhile, Cambodia is one of the top ten worst affected countries by climate change. Worsening droughts cause massive problems for local growers who depend on the annual monsoon to make a living.

To help build climate resiliency and support local farmers, ETHOS & Co started a coconut tree nursery and replanting scheme to capture carbon and create future income opportunities for the villagers. To make their skincare, ETHOS & Co buy coconuts from the local farmers, purchasing them for twice the price that they would otherwise get.

The coconuts are then lovingly turned into hand-squeezed coconut oil, the star ingredient in ETHOS & Co’s nourishing skincare range.

Back in NZ, the coconut oil is handcrafted into premium body moisturisers and handwash, and bottled into 100% recyclable glass bottles.

As a company, ETHOS & Co are committed to ensuring that all suppliers have minimum social and environmental responsibility standards and monitoring in place for their own company and their suppliers.

Their shea butter is sourced from Fair for Life, a socially responsible supplier that sources from a female growers’ collective in Burkina Faso.

Their mango butter is sourced from a socially responsible supplier in Costa Rica - a member of the Sedex ethical trade organization.

100% of the profits from all ETHOS & Co products are reinvested back into sustainable development projects in Cambodia.