What is the brand Raw Sugar Living?

December 23, 2025 •

4 min read

Founded in 2014, Raw Sugar Living is a clean beauty and personal care brand committed to providing affordable, plant-derived products. The brand Raw Sugar is recognized for its eco-conscious philosophy, vegan-friendly formulas, and distinctive white bottles with bamboo caps.

Quick Summary

Raw Sugar Living is a clean beauty and personal care brand that offers an array of plant-based, cruelty-free products, including body wash, hair care, and lotion. The company emphasizes ingredient transparency and sustainability, using recycled plastics in its packaging and supporting humanitarian efforts through its give-back program, the Raw Sugar Initiative.

Key Points

Clean and Plant-Based: The brand Raw Sugar Living offers a wide range of personal care products, including body washes, hair care, and lotions, made with clean, plant-derived ingredients and cold-pressed extracts.
Cruelty-Free Commitment: Raw Sugar is a cruelty-free brand, verified by a third party, and avoids sales in regions like mainland China where animal testing is often required.
Eco-Conscious Packaging: The company is known for its distinctive white bottles with sustainable bamboo caps and uses post-consumer recycled plastic in its packaging, with a goal of reaching 100% PCR content by 2030.
Raw Sugar Initiative: Through its give-back program, the Raw Sugar Initiative, the company donates millions of soap bars and other essentials to communities in need, emphasizing a strong social mission.
Accessible Pricing: Positioned as an affordable alternative in the clean beauty market, Raw Sugar products are widely available at mainstream retailers like Target, CVS, and Walmart.
Broad Product Range: Beyond popular body washes, Raw Sugar Living offers full lines of hair care, lip care, deodorants, and kids' products.
Not Edible Raw Sugar: It is important to distinguish the personal care brand, Raw Sugar Living, from edible raw sugar, which is an unprocessed food product.

Who is Raw Sugar Living?

Raw Sugar Living, often simply referred to as the brand Raw Sugar, is a lifestyle company dedicated to the clean beauty and personal care movement. The brand was co-founded by Ronnie Shugar and Donda Mullis in 2014 with the mission to make 'clean and healthy living accessible' through a range of products that are 'raw, real, good, and clean'.

Unlike the many types of granulated 'raw sugar' used for food and beverages, Raw Sugar Living is a separate entity entirely. The personal care brand builds its ethos around using plant-derived, cold-pressed extracts in its formulas. The products are formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, and the brand is known for its signature eco-friendly packaging featuring bamboo tops and white bottles.

Raw Sugar Living's Product Philosophy

Clean Ingredients: The brand emphasizes a commitment to using plant-based and 'good-for-you' ingredients. Cold-pressed technology is used to extract natural nutrients from fruits and plants, which are then incorporated into their products.
Cruelty-Free and Vegan: With the exception of certain lip balm products that contain beeswax, Raw Sugar's formulas are predominantly vegan. The brand also adheres to cruelty-free practices, with independent third-party verification, and avoids sales in mainland China.
Sustainable Practices: Raw Sugar focuses on eco-friendly packaging, with bottles made from a percentage of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. It has committed to increasing the use of PCR content and utilizes FSC-certified paper for some of its packaging.
Social Impact: The brand is deeply committed to its give-back program, the Raw Sugar Initiative. Through this program, it partners with organizations to donate bars of soap and other clean essentials to families and communities in need around the world.

The Product Lines: More than just body wash

While many consumers might first encounter Raw Sugar through its popular body washes, the brand offers a wide array of personal care products for adults and children. The product line includes:

Hair Care: Shampoos, conditioners, and hair masques formulated to address various hair needs, from adding moisture to controlling unruly curls.
Body Care: Body washes, sugar scrubs, body lotions, and body butters with a variety of unique, uplifting scent combinations.
Deodorant: Aluminum-free deodorants available in eco-conscious, biodegradable packaging.
Lip Care: A range of lip balms designed to nourish and protect lips.
Kids' Products: Gentle and fun-scented products designed specifically for children, including shampoos, conditioners, and bubble baths.

Is Raw Sugar an Eco-Friendly and Ethical Brand? A Closer Look

While Raw Sugar Living markets itself as an ethical and eco-friendly brand, a closer examination reveals both strengths and some identified areas for improvement, as highlighted by independent reviews.

Comparison Table: Raw Sugar vs. Other Clean Brands


Feature	Raw Sugar	Other Leading Clean Brands	Observations
Cruelty-Free	Yes, third-party verified.	Generally, yes, with varying certifications.	Raw Sugar maintains strong ethical standards against animal testing.
Ingredients	Plant-derived, cold-pressed extracts; free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates.	Often similar, but can vary widely based on brand focus.	Raw Sugar's ingredient philosophy aligns with the clean beauty movement.
Packaging Sustainability	Uses 30% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic with a 100% goal by 2030; uses FSC-certified paper.	Varies widely; some brands have more advanced or comprehensive programs.	Raw Sugar has a clear commitment to improving packaging, though some brands may already use higher PCR percentages.
Social Impact	Extensive Raw Sugar Initiative program, donating millions of soap bars globally.	Varies; some have give-back programs, others focus on sourcing.	Raw Sugar's social giving program is a significant and distinguishing feature.
Environmental Stewardship	Limited documented initiatives for climate action, water conservation, or emissions reporting.	Can be more robust, with transparent reporting on climate and resource management.	An area identified for improvement, especially compared to brands with broader environmental commitments.
Pricing	Accessible, sub-$20 price points, available at mass retailers like Target.	Often higher, especially for more niche or prestige clean beauty brands.	Raw Sugar’s affordable pricing makes clean beauty more accessible to mainstream consumers.

Sourcing and Manufacturing Transparency

One aspect where Raw Sugar Living's transparency is sometimes questioned is its supply chain and sourcing practices. While the brand claims to use clean and organic extracts, independent auditors have noted a lack of comprehensive, third-party verified documentation beyond the company's internal code of conduct. For environmentally conscious consumers who prioritize fully transparent sourcing, this is an important factor to consider. However, for many who simply seek affordable, cruelty-free, and plant-based products, Raw Sugar remains an attractive option. The products are made and filled in the United States, which offers a degree of transparency on the manufacturing front.

Conclusion: A clean, accessible brand with room for growth

Ultimately, the brand Raw Sugar Living has carved out a significant space in the personal care market by making clean, plant-based, and cruelty-free products affordable and widely available. Its strong social impact program and dedication to using more sustainable packaging materials are commendable and resonate with a large consumer base. While there is room for greater transparency regarding environmental initiatives and supply chain documentation, Raw Sugar represents a positive movement towards making conscious consumerism more accessible. The brand successfully bridges the gap between boutique clean beauty brands and mainstream personal care products, offering a balance of quality, ethics, and affordability. For shoppers looking to make a more mindful personal care choice without a premium price tag, Raw Sugar Living is a brand worth considering.

Visit Raw Sugar Living to learn more about the brand's products and mission.

Frequently Asked Questions

The brand Raw Sugar, known as Raw Sugar Living, sells a wide range of clean and plant-based personal care products. This includes body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, lip balm, and deodorant for adults, as well as a dedicated product line for kids.

Yes, Raw Sugar is a third-party verified cruelty-free brand. It does not test its products on animals and avoids sales in markets, like mainland China, that require animal testing for imported cosmetics.

The majority of Raw Sugar's products are vegan. The brand offers predominantly vegan formulations, with the primary exception being some lip balms that contain beeswax.

Raw Sugar products are widely available at major retail stores across the United States, including Target, Walmart, and CVS. They are also sold at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

Raw Sugar focuses on eco-friendly practices, including using sustainable packaging materials like bamboo and post-consumer recycled plastic. However, some independent analyses have noted limitations in their environmental transparency, particularly regarding broader climate action initiatives.

The Raw Sugar Initiative is the brand's social give-back program. For every product purchased, the company donates a bar of soap or other clean essentials to families and communities in need globally, in partnership with organizations like Eco-Soap Bank.

Raw Sugar products are known for their fresh and unique scent combinations. The brand uses synthetic fragrances that comply with strict International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and European Union guidelines to create their appealing scents.

No, Raw Sugar Living is a clean beauty and personal care brand and should not be confused with food-grade 'raw sugar'. The company does not produce or sell edible sugar or food products.