Real Purity

Real Purity is an American family-owned natural cosmetics company based in Evansville, Indiana. It makes makeup, skincare, hair care and body care products, positioning itself around non-toxic, plant-derived formulations for people with sensitive skin. The company traces its origins to a clinic for chemically sensitive women run by its founder, Virginia Easterling, and has stayed in the Easterling family across four generations.

Sources disagree on exactly when the brand began. The company's own account dates the founding to 1982 [1], a year echoed by the independent review site BrandRated [7]. The regional magazine Evansville Living instead reports that Real Purity "was launched in 1986" [6]. All accounts agree on the founder, the Michigan origin and the move to Indiana; only the starting year is contested.

⚑ Thinner sourcing. The article relies largely on the brand's own statements (T2–T3). Glowpedia is seeking independent sources.

Before Real Purity existed, Virginia Easterling ran a clinic for women with chemical sensitivities. The company records this as the J-Rich Clinic, established in 1971 [1]; recognising a need for cosmetics such clients could tolerate, she went on to develop her own formulations, many of which the company says remain in its range today [1].

Easterling's background is described in some detail by Evansville Living, which profiled the brand under the title "Naturally Good." According to that account she was a licensed cosmetologist, registered nurse, esthetician, aromatherapist and trichologist, whose clients included the comedian Phyllis Diller, and who tested products for the hair-care company Redken during the 1970s [6]. The same profile places her original clinic in Ypsilanti, Michigan; some other listings instead cite Jackson, Michigan, though the sources agree on a Michigan starting point.

Real Purity has passed down the Easterling family rather than through outside acquisition. After Virginia Easterling's death in 1995, her son Dr. Rich Easterling, a naturopath, and his wife Karen took over the company [6]. Under their ownership the business relocated to Tennessee, where Dr. Easterling ran a naturopathic practice and developed the brand's shampoo and body-care lines.

In 2012 the company moved its headquarters to Evansville, Indiana, and a third generation joined when Rich's son RJ came into the business and launched Real Purity's first website and email program. The company describes a fourth generation now involved in day-to-day operations, product development and logistics, and its homepage marks the milestone of "45 years in business."

Real Purity's stated guiding principle is "to create products that do no harm—to you, your skin, or the world around us" [1]. The company frames its mission as offering natural and organic alternatives for people with sensitive skin who want a "greener, simpler lifestyle," and its target audience is described elsewhere as women interested in health and beauty, particularly those with chemical sensitivities or allergies [7].

The brand emphasises United States manufacturing "with globally sourced ingredients" and describes its formulations as non-toxic, hypoallergenic, non-GMO and cruelty-free [1]. Third-party coverage additionally characterises the products as vegan, paraben-free and gluten-free [7], and the deodorant specifically as aluminium-free.

On its dedicated ingredients page the company adopts a more cautious, compliance-minded tone. Rather than blanket "free-from" promises, it states that particular exclusions such as certain preservatives and artificial colourants are product-dependent and directs customers to individual labels [3]. The company favours "ingredients with a long history of cosmetic use" and follows INCI labelling standards. It lists no third-party certifications of its own.

The range spans several categories: colour cosmetics such as foundation, blush, bronzer, concealer, mascara and lip products; skincare including cleansers, toners, moisturisers, serums and masks; hair care; and bath and body items such as deodorant, toothpaste and body wash. Evansville Living reports that products are made in the United States across two laboratories, in California and Michigan, using wild-crafted botanicals and earth-derived pigments in place of synthetic dyes.

Real Purity sells directly through its own online store and, for shoppers outside the United States, through a partnership with the retailer iHerb, which the company says it uses "to make international shipping easier" [5]. This third-party route is how the US brand reaches markets beyond North America.

The brand remains active. It operates a regularly updated store and blog, and a brand-run Instagram account carried a promotional post dated to 2025 [9]. Its independent-review coverage notes customer criticism of slow customer-service responses and of a policy that does not offer refunds or exchanges on international orders [7].