Ethical Valentine’s Day gift guide 2023

We love that more than ever, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romance in all its forms. It’s an excuse to spoil your partner, if you’re in a relationship, but also anyone and everyone who pours love and joy into your life. 

The “someone special” you choose to romance can, of course, be yourself too. Most of us are probably guilty of neglecting ourselves more than we should, prioritising loved ones, work and never-ending to-do lists. If that rings true, why not dedicate Valentine’s Day 2023 to dialling up the self-love? 

However you’ll be spending it – on a date night with your partner, celebrating Galentine’s Day with the best pal who’s stuck limpet-like by your side, or carving out time for epic self-care rituals – we’ve got gifts to complement your plans. 

These ethical Valentine’s Day gifts show you care in more ways than one. Made by social enterprise brands, they make the world a better place with every sale, giving back to good causes and crafted in a planet-friendly way. It’s an easy way to spread the love even further.

Ethical food & drink gifts for Valentine’s Day

The Valentine’s Day Treats Gift Box

 

Choose a stash of rose-coloured goodies for a cosy night on the sofa. Say cheers to the two of you with Sea Change’s summery rosé prosecco, which helps marine life thrive. And share snacks like the more-ish Cayenne and Rosemary Seed and Nut Mix from Boundless Activated Snacking that funds clean water projects. 

Miss Macaroon Valentine’s Day Hamper

Set the mood for a totally chilled weekend ahead of Valentine’s Day with some seriously sweet treats from Miss Macaroon, who create employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people. The patisserie brand has teamed up with self-care champions LoveWell, ocean-loving winemakers Sea Change and legendary Fairtrade chocolate makers Divine to spread the love and positive impact even further. The resulting hamper has everything you need for the ultimate self-care Sunday: delectable macaroons and chocolate enjoyed with pink prosecco by the candlelight of a soy wax candle. 

Grace Chocolates Changing Lives’ Valentine’s Day Truffle Selection Box

An irresistible selection of romantic treats made from the finest Belgian chocolate. These are full of heart – both in shape and in the mission of social empowerment behind them. Grace Chocolates Changing Lives give women who’ve touched the criminal justice system the chance to build a brighter future through their employment programme. 

Chocolate & Love Pomegranate Chocolate Vegan Box

As the name suggests, there’s a love story behind this brand, which makes their luxurious chocolate a fitting Valentine’s Day gift. Founded by couple Richard and Birgitte O’Connor, your chocolate-loving better half will fall hard for their elegant, rich dark bars. Each one showcases sustainably sourced ingredients from small family-run farms. 

Coming soon: Sea Change Prosecco Rosé & Love Cocoa Pink Gin Truffles Gift 

Would they prefer prosecco or gin? Hedge your bets with this gift set in romantic rosy hues and packaged sustainably in a wooden wine box. The delicate rosé fizz funds grassroots, community-led marine conservation projects by Sea Change’s charity partners. Only the best (and most ethical) ingredients go into Love Cocoa’s truffles, which combine creamy white chocolate ganache and gin. 

Ethical Valentine’s Day gifts for your partner

Megzi Pearls Heart-Shaped Box of Roses

 

You can’t beat a classic rose bouquet on Valentine’s Day, right? Well, actually you can, by picking Megzi Pearls’ Heart-Shaped Box of Roses. These blooms help disadvantaged women connect through floristry and begin new friendships, a romantic story in itself.   

While Londoners and those based in Essex (check the product page for exact postcodes) can enjoy last-minute delivery by ordering on 13th February, for the rest of the UK you’ll need to order by 12th February.

Page and Bloom flower

For an alternative to the usual bouquets, pick a sustainable floral keepsake they can hold on to. Page and Bloom’s roses are handmade from the pages of old books, maps, sheet music and comic books. 

As well as their uniqueness and eco-friendliness, these charming blooms have a social purpose. The brand trains and employs survivors of domestic abuse, helping them rebuild their lives. So there’s an extra layer of meaning and hope folded into each design.

bird Luna sunglasses

If your beau is hot on sustainable accessories, they’ll be enamoured with Bird’s thoughtfully made glasses. These specs are the work of green designers and also support the charity SolarAid on their mission to combat poverty through access to solar lights. We love the golden round-framed Luna design, made from recycled aerospace alloy no less! 

BEEN London bag

Wow them with a keepsake that matches their eco-friendly values. The recycled coin purse from London-based sustainable accessories brand BEEN London comes in a range of colours, but we think their red wine hue is the most romantic. BEEN traces every material that goes into their minimalist accessories, so your beau can be sure that they’re carrying their heart in their pocket, so to speak.

SO JUST SHOP jewellery

All of the jewellery (and everything else, for that matter) in SO JUST SHOP’s collection is ethically sourced. Pick from pieces in diverse styles, handcrafted by female artisans in vulnerable and marginalised communities around the world. These Mena Heart Studs are perfect for showing a little love on Valentine’s Day. The dainty hearts are shaped from recycled nickel-free brass. 

Ethical Valentine’s Day gifts for yourself 

rho loungewear

In our opinion, fresh PJs are one of life’s finest everyday luxuries, making a dreamy treat for yourself. And there’s an extra feel-good factor as you slip on rho’s organic loungewear. The brand donates £5 to a domestic abuse charity for every item they sell, helping survivors access much-needed support like safe accommodation and counselling.

rho’s collections are every bit as beautiful as they are ethical. Pieces are hand block printed using eco-friendly dyes in gorgeous designs like Clay Stripe and Gingko. The perfect attire for an evening of self-care and settling in for a sound night’s sleep. 

Leiho socks

Show your feet some love this Valentine’s Day by replacing one of those holey, thinning pairs of socks lurking in your drawer with a cool and cosy bamboo set from Leiho. You’ll be sharing the benefits: for each pair you buy, the brand donates another specially designed pair to the homeless community, whose need for decent socks is an eternally pressing issue.  

Stand4 Socks,’Only Have Eyes for Theroux’ Socks

If you want to wear your heart on your…socks, then fans of all things novelty, Louis Theroux and investigative journalism will be drawn to these. Stand4 Socks are creators of fun socks that, like Leiho, donate a pair to someone experiencing homelessness for every pair sold. A sure way to bring a smile to your face when you unwrap this gift from you to you.

Flo x Sex Education Period Pants

What better gift of self-care could you give yourself than some hot pink, organic cotton comfortable pants to wear on your period that also celebrate Netflix’s empowering show, Sex Education? If you happen to be menstruating over V Day, pop these on and settle down to rewatch the show safe in the knowledge that your purchase has donated 5% to charities working to end period poverty and female genital mutilation.

UpCircle’s Valentine’s Day Bundle

 

What better gift of self-care could you give yourself than some hot pink, organic cotton comfortable pants to wear on your period that also celebrate Netflix’s empowering show, Sex Education? If you happen to be menstruating over V Day, pop these on and settle down to rewatch the show safe in the knowledge that your purchase has donated 5% to charities working to end period poverty and female genital mutilation.

Ethical Valentine’s Day homewares for setting the scene

 

SO JUST SHOP, Pink Dinner Set

Set a romantic mood with every meal thanks to SO JUST SHOP’s pink dinnerware set, including beautiful stoneware dinner plates, mugs and more. Every piece that SO JUST SHOP source comes from a female artisan keeping a traditional handicraft alive. The purpose-driven brand is on a mission to economically empower women and their families out of poverty.

Designs in Mind homewares

For those who love to create a colourful home, look to Designs in Mind. Their design-led homewares are created by people experiencing mental health challenges, who join their studio, learn art techniques and enjoy the benefits of being creative, ambitious and part of a team. 

Pick something to hang on the wall and strike a romantic mood year-round, like this Japan-inspired Rising Sun print. Or one of the other homewares covered in equally striking patterns, such as a cushion, tea towel or pencil case. They’re all instant eye-catchers, destined to be a talking point.  

CosyPanda His & Hers Hot Water Bottles

 

 

Treat each other to a gift worth cuddling up to – CosyPanda’s luxurious hot water bottles are encased in recycled fabrics that keep materials out of landfill, while donating 10% of profits to wild panda conservation. After all, if you’re going to spend Valentine’s book-ending on the sofa together, you might as well both be warm and happy in the knowledge you’re doing some good for the planet.

Ethical Valentine’s Day gifts for friends

The Bee Mine Always Letterbox Gift

It’s not just romantic relationships that should be celebrated at this time of year. Your most meaningful relationships may be those people that have stood by your side through schooldays and break-ups, promotions and set-backs. Pay tribute to them on Galantine’s Day on 13th February – the platonic equivalent of 14th February for women to celebrate their BFF with this vegan-friendly bee-themed gift. It neatly fits through the letterbox and contains keepsakes like Save the Bee socks donating to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust through to edible treat, Raw Halo’s salted caramel chocolate, which creates employment for people with disabilities, as well as planting a tree.

Scintilla DIY Bath Salts Activity Kit

 

For friends who are constantly crafting and love to get stuck into a project, gift them a hands-on activity kit that will allow them to also dive into some well-earned rest. Scintilla’s new DIY kits include a handmade bath salts kit that they won’t be able to resist using right away. The soothing bath salts kit includes three essential oils for them to make their own aromatherapy blend and they’ll love to know that 10% of the profits from the kit go to a sustainable development charity in Madagascar as well as Mind mental health charity.

Hip Hip Hooray Thank You Cards

Want to send a gesture to a friend for Galentine’s Day without breaking the bank? There’s something romantic about handwritten notes, especially in today’s very online world. For friends who you know would agree, simply send them a note from the heart written inside one of these Hip Hip Hooray marble blush thank you cards. Every pack is uplifting because they actually do empower women. The brand runs a training and employment programme for women rebuilding their lives after addiction, homelessness and/or crime.

Explore more ethical Valentine’s Day gifts they’ll love, as well as Galentine’s Day gifts for your girlfriends.