From fiber to finished product, approximately 100 sets of hands have handled a makeup brush before it reaches a consumer — if it’s been made correctly, says Anisa Telwar Kaicker. She would know. The founder of Anisa International has minted approximately 80 cruelty-free patented designs for both her eponymous line and in support of more than 120 private label brands.

Anisa likens her multiple fiber forms to pasta shapes, and she lights up when describing how an “artistry handle” should feel like “a chopstick” between one’s fingers. But it wasn’t until 1996 when she found herself standing in the chaos of a trade show at Manhattan’s Javits Center that she instantly fell in love with the beauty world. “I never thought I’d be in the beauty industry,” she says. Before entering beauty, she’d barely held a makeup brush. As a teen, Anisa only got into makeup to cover her acne, applying it with sponges, which fortunately did the job. “Thank God, or I don’t think I would have gone to school,” she says.

Anisa, who never finished college, honed her business expertise at her mother’s international trade company from age 17 on, where she did everything from firing off faxes to hiring employees and attending bank meetings. When that company abruptly “fell apart,” she reached out to a makeup brush creator she knew and asked if she could sell for him as a side hustle in import-export. Soon, she found herself immersed in a business that grew more interesting to her by the day. The artisanal nature of brush making was awe-inspiring — but the age-old business also had so much room for improvement, especially in terms of sustainability, which became her passion.

A Kinder Brush from a Cleaner Facility

Years ago, the company’s sustainability focus was eliminating animal hair, creating synthetic fiber that mimicked the different types of animal fur (squirrel, sable, goat, etc.) traditionally used in brushes. “In early 2016, we investigated how many animals were killed,” she explains. “Even though they were killed for food, the way they were killed was very cruel. It was not, to me, something that was acceptable.”

In 2003, Anisa International, which operates out of Atlanta, opened its own manufacturing facilities in China, taking stronger charge of how its products are made. Today, the company boasts both a LEED-certified manufacturing plant and a state-of-the-art anodization facility in the region with more than 400 employees. The LEED certification is more than just using sustainable energy. Typically, coloring the metal portions of a brush is dirty work, creating air pollution, but Anisa International’s automated anodization facility cleans the contaminated air and water. That wastewater is then treated so it doesn’t negatively impact the environment or workers. All of Anisa International’s tricks of the trade are open to everyone. To really impact sustainability, says Anisa, the company must be about awareness and transparency.

“I look to share what we do so it will benefit the whole industry” she says “I could be greedy, but what’s the point? For everybody to get it, that’s how we all might do better.”

Sustainability through Quality

Sustainability also comes into play through the lifespan of Anisa International products. Being built to last — and to be clean — means less waste. “Some people will use a brush for a year, never clean it, throw it away, and buy a new brush. Are you kidding me?” says Anisa. “That’s crazy. It’s almost like not pulling the hair out of your hairbrush. If you take care of a brush, it could last you a lifetime. What I want to convey is that brushes aren’t meant to be disposable.”

Anisa says the 10-for-$5 brush sets trending in today’s “churn and burn” culture don’t appeal to Anisa International’s consumers. “I’m proud that people understand that brushes matter.” Even with its high-tech facilities, there’s a combo punch of tech and handcraftsmanship at play in production. About 70 percent of an Anisa International brush is made by hand, estimates Anisa.  The ferrule — the handle — may be two-thirds of the brush size, but “the head is the most important, the most precious, the most expensive,” she explains, and that is still done by hand.

A Brush That “Changes with You”

So, why might someone replace their makeup brush? While powder brush styles are eternal, foundation brush trends tend to change every couple of years, but moreover, a person’s needs change, says Anisa. A brush and product should be a “one-to-one” pairing, and if you’re switching your makeup or skin care routine, you should consider switching brushes. “When your skin texture starts to change, and you want heavier coverage at times, you need a different kind of brush,” she says. “With fine lines or wrinkles, some brushes are going to embed into the fine lines. This may call for a more flexible brush that’s going to lay on top of the skin.”

Thanks in part to social media, even makeup brush newbies want more than the brush that often comes in a compact, and Anisa International has provided them with as many options as possible. “I’ve always thought brushes are about empowerment and artistry,” says Anisa. “I think about how we look at ourselves more when putting on our makeup or skin care, and to me, having that experience with a good tool can be transformative. It can make you feel more confident.”

More to Learn

In the coming years, what Anisa wants for Anisa International is “more of the same,” she says. “I just want to do it better. I want to do it more.” Bringing “something new to the table” could come in the form of fresh products in both makeup and skin care but must also come through a continued evolution in impactful sustainability. “And again, it’s about awareness and transparency,” she says.

She also plans on spending a little more time perfecting her own brush skills. “I still can’t do a winged liner,” admits Anisa with a laugh.

To learn more about Anisa International visit www.anisa.com.