Packaging
Karoma’s Natural Tanning Oil comes in frosted glass bottles with renewable bamboo caps. Glass is fully recyclable and helps preserve product integrity without leaching chemicals, unlike plastic.
The frosted glass shields the botanical oils from UV light and heat, prolonging shelf-life naturally.
Karoma avoids single-use plastics in its primary packaging; even the cap is made of bamboo/wood, a fast-growing renewable material. Each bottle is sealed and shipped with minimalist, eco-conscious packaging materials, aligning with the brand’s promise of “elegant, sustainable packaging”
Ingredient Sustainability
All of the oil’s ingredients are naturally derived and renewable in origin.
The formulation is a blend of plant-based oils and extracts; specifically sweet almond oil, avocado oil, argan oil, aloe vera, jojoba oil, plus beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) and a touch of mica mineral for shimmer.
Using botanical ingredients means they are generally biodegradable in the environment and do not accumulate as pollutants. Karoma also emphasizes that each component was chosen to be free from harsh chemicals or synthetic additives, implying the ingredients are minimally processed and naturally obtained. This focus on botanical oils suggests a lower ecological impact in terms of product use and disposal – for example, any residue of these oils on skin that washes off will biodegrade relatively harmlessly compared to persistent synthetic chemicals.
Energy Use & Carbon Footprint
Overall, Karoma’s tanning oil has a relatively small-scale and local carbon footprint.
The brand hasn’t publicized any carbon neutrality or offset measures, so we assume none are in place. The biggest strengths in this category are the local manufacturing (supporting the local economy and avoiding emissions from importing a finished product) and the small-batch process (reducing potential energy overuse and waste). The areas not addressed are the ingredient sourcing and product shipping that could contribute to carbon footprint, but information is lacking.
There are also no known efforts like using low-carbon packaging (aside from glass being chosen for eco reasons) or optimizing logistics for emissions.
Waste Management
Karoma demonstrates a mindful approach to waste, primarily through its packaging choices and production practices.
The product packaging generates minimal waste for the consumer: the main container is a sturdy glass bottle and a bamboo cap, both of which are reusable or recyclable. Once the oil is finished, the bottle can enter the recycling stream – glass is widely recyclable in many markets and can be infinitely recycled into new glass products.
If recycling is not accessible, the bottle could be repurposed by the user.
The bamboo cap is biodegradable and can be composted or at least will decompose much faster than plastic; at worst, if it has an inner plastic lining, that small piece would be the only non-biodegradable remnant. By using these materials, Karoma significantly reduces the packaging waste footprint compared to conventional cosmetics that often use plastic tubes, laminated labels, and non-recyclable pumps.
In terms of post-consumer waste, one could argue that because this oil doesn’t contain synthetic polymers or microbeads, it doesn’t contribute to the kind of environmental pollution some cosmetics do (e.g. sunscreens with microplastics or rinse-off scrubs with plastic beads that wash down drains). Any oil washed off skin will biodegrade, and mica particles are natural minerals that will settle harmlessly. So the formula is essentially zero-waste in use, nothing persistent is left in the environment.
Business Model
Karoma started with a single hero product and continues to elevate its seasonal brand by offering naturally based products. The tanning oil is a seasonally relevant product, but by promoting it as a year-round moisturizer, Karoma is trying to make it less seasonal and more continuously useful. This is smart from both a business and sustainability perspective: it avoids the product being relevant only for a short “trend season” and encourages customers to get full use out of it across the year. This again differs from a fast beauty trend.
They also explicitly mention how “quality will always come before quantity”, and that they want to provide “clean, honest products that customers can trust” rather than a huge array of offerings.
This demonstrates a business model built on sustainable principles.
