Brands I Refuse To Support

I am a skincare junkie. As such, I've had the time to "sew my wild oats" to an extent. At least enough to stop myself from slobbering over every new High Active Serum on the market. I've reached a point where I prefer doing a bit of research on the companies churnung out these lovlies before handing over my money. The market is over-saturated with brands and I want to show my support to brands deserving of my hard-earned coin. With deal season upon us and the ever-looming FOMO, I find myself trying to strike a balance between making educated purchases and catching a good deal. Let's face it - most companies suck. They want money. That's it. And though I know my pennies may be insignificant in the grand scheme, I will continue to purchase strategically when possible. I don't mean to instigate an argument. I believe adults should be capable of discussing opposing opinions without stepping on each others feelings. That all said, are there any brands you guys recommend people avoid? If so, it would be helpful to also give a brief explanation as to why these brands should be avoided. Here are my "Refuse to purchase" brands (off the top of my head) - Drunk Elephant - I cannot overlook the way they have treated customers in the past. I don't know if they've improved any. I certainly hope so. But they used to be very anti-consumer and would blame every complaint on user error. Not to mention their products are ridiculously overpriced. Truly - They have bought other companies' products and spruced up the packaging and resold them aa their own in the past. Kylie - whatever products she promotes... no thanks. Ellen Degeneres's new brand. I'm still in shock on that one. I used to love that woman. I thought she was one of those rare genuinely kind souls... oops. She fooled me. Now it seems she plans to dupe everyone again and enter the realm of skincare. Again under the guise of kindness. Perhaps her agent did field research into a bunch of industries to find which conumers still held her in the highest regard and steered her in that direction. Now Tower 28 has entered a sort of purgatory for me. I used to love their SOS spray, but now find myself unsure if I want to support them anymore. The company's ethos was based on the premise of never charging more than $28 per item. When I was first introduced to this philosophy I knew it would not last. As other prices rise, of course the company couldn't withstand a price cap at that level forever. However, make a promise and break it... It's a slippery slope for me. On the flip side, are there any brands that you (so far) 100% recommend? Obviously everyone has differing values when it comes to skincare brands. One company may strive to keep prices low, but sacrifice sustainability in the process. Or vice versa. There will always be scandals and shockers, but at this time I still hold a few brands in high regard. The brand I stand by more than any other is currently Ellis Day Skin Science. Quite some time ago I started to see ads for this company and was immediately intrigued. They set out to tackle acne without causing harm to its users like most other anti-acne treatments do. The Balancing Phage Serum has delivered on its claims, though it is pricey. I always end up going back to this serum for my anti-acne needs. I just try to purchase during sales...Like now lol. Their customer service has been amazing since my first contact with them. I love that Selfless By Hyram took a philosophy and turned it into a brand. Their products haven't wowed me so far but I think they would have if I had been a skincare novice upon their release. Speaking of philosophy... I love the brand Philosophy. I have long struggled with mental health battles. Hence my skincare obsession was compelled lol. Skincare was my way of caring for myself. Though at the time I still lacked the ability to care for my mind, caring for my skin was a stepping stone for me. This is another brand that I don't necessarily reap any rewards from their skincare line. I tend to avoid fragrance in my skincare when possible and this brand is heavily fragranced. Buuuuut... the fragrances are lovely lol.