From plastic use to reliance on ingredients like palm oil, the beauty industry has long been plagued by unsustainable manufacturing practices that contribute to climate change and pollution. 

In an effort to combat these issues, actor, producer, author, and longtime Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas launched Anomaly — a sustainable, cruelty-free, and vegan hair care brand. 

Founded in 2021, the brand offers a lineup of shampoos, conditioners, masks, and dry shampoos created with the planet in mind. All Anomaly bottles are made from 100% plastic trash, diverted from oceans and landfills, and all cans are infinitely recyclable.

“The beauty industry is responsible for so much waste, and while I think everyone has definitely made progress, there is still so much more we can do to be more responsible,” Chopra Jonas told Global Citizen.

We spoke with Chopra Jonas about the inspiration behind Anomaly, her commitment to fighting climate change and promoting gender equality, and her upcoming appearance as host of Global Citizen Festival: NYC in Central Park on Sept. 24. 

Read our interview with her below, and take action with us right now to defend the planet and earn a chance to win a gift bundle from Anomaly by Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Global Citizen: Anomaly’s mission is “to leave the world better than how we found it.” How difficult was it to create a beauty brand with a sustainability-first mindset? Can you walk us through the process?

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: It was difficult because we wanted to disrupt the mass hair care category with exceptional formulas for an affordable price, and any time you aim to shatter the glass ceiling, it’s a challenging endeavor. 

Typically, what you get from mass hair care are not formulas that could rival any professional formula, whether that’s efficacy, texture, or scent experience. But Anomaly does. When we got into the logistics of how to make that happen, we knew that our investment in packaging had to be as economical as possible, so we could invest the lion's share of the budget into the formulas. We decided to go with bottles made from recycled plastic trash and our caps are three cents a piece.

Anomaly's clean promise and sustainable practices set it apart from other beauty brands. How can other beauty brands follow your lead?

The beauty industry is responsible for so much waste, and while I think everyone has definitely made progress, there is still so much more we can do to be more responsible. 

I think it starts with brands making tweaks wherever they can — I bought a conventional household name toothpaste the other day, and, for the first time, I saw a huge recycle symbol on the front of the package and text that said “Recycle Me,” both significantly larger than the brand’s logo. It’s small steps like these that help move us in a better direction. 

I also think the consumer has a part to play. That can be something as basic as making better choices when they shop, which pushes brands to do better, and disposing of their empties responsibly (i.e. recycling). With demand comes supply.

Is there anything else you're looking to address in the future to even further increase sustainability efforts?

We have so many amazing ideas and things we would like to achieve for Anomaly, both on the new product development front and also figuring out how we can reduce our footprint even more. Stay tuned.

Climate action and sustainability make up a key pillar of our global campaign this year, which will take center stage at Global Citizen Festival: NYC on Sept. 24 — and we’re so excited for you to be our host! What are you hoping for the most in terms of commitments from world leaders?

The future of our planet for generations to come is in our hands. We need to start taking action today to protect our planet for tomorrow. The temperatures in LA this summer have reached unprecedented highs, and during the most recent heat wave, we received alerts telling us to conserve electricity by shutting off the air conditioning, lights, etc. Living in a city like LA, an alert like that almost seems crazy and unreal, but the temperature in LA over the last few years has gone up significantly. 

Things like climate change and the impact of global warming don’t tend to hit us until it happens at home. Well … it is happening at home. The crisis is now and we need to take action to make changes right away. If we don’t, this will be the beginning of the end.

It’s critical we see ambitious commitments from governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep our planet healthy and safe for future generations, as well as commitments to protect and restore nature, including ending illegal deforestation to ensure the earth’s natural areas remain vibrant. 

Now more than ever before, we need the world’s largest corporations to commit to adopting science-based targets to reduce their carbon footprint and help achieve a net-zero future.

And in terms of performances, who are you most excited about?

We have such an amazing lineup this year in NYC. I’m really looking forward to Metallica, Mariah Carey, Rosalía, and, of course, Jonas Brothers.

You’ve been a dedicated Global Citizen Ambassador since 2016. What does being in that role mean to you?

I am so grateful to have the privilege to use my voice as a Global Citizen Ambassador to help create real change and have an impact on the issues that I care most about. I’ve had the opportunity to host and present Global Citizen Festivals in both New York and Paris; be part of the Activate documentary series to help highlight the importance of girls’ education; join the One World: Together At Home special event in 2020 to raise funds to help the World Health Organization’s work against COVID-19; not to mention being part of Stand Up for Ukraine earlier this year to help mobilize critical funds to support refugees.

The action we take together really can make a difference. By using our voices to call on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to step up and take urgent action, we can impact millions of lives for the better now, not later. So if you're not already a Global Citizen, download the app, sign up now, and start taking action with us.

One of the other key pillars for us this year is empowering girls, which you have been a long-time advocate for — why do you want all Global Citizens to join us in taking action for gender equality?

Girls are arguably the globe’s most vulnerable cohort, and if protected, supported, and empowered, have the most untapped potential for contributing enormously toward poverty reduction and changing systems.

Girls have a right to survive through investments in education, hunger and nutrition, and sanitation. Girls have a right to thrive through economic empowerment, which is why we need to invest in education and hunger efforts, with a focus on teenage girls since they are the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Investing in them will have an outsized impact on the development beyond just girls and their families but also on their wider local communities.

Global Citizen Festival is calling on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to do more than they’ve ever done before to End Extreme Poverty NOW. Through our global campaign and with stages in two iconic locations — NYC’s Central Park and Accra’s Black Star Square — we will unite leaders, artists, activists, and Global Citizens around the world on Sept. 24 to achieve an ambitious policy agenda focused on empowering girls and women, taking climate action, breaking systemic barriers, and lifting up activists and advocates. Wherever you are in the world, you can join the campaign and take action right now by downloading the Global Citizen app.