Sustainable cosmetic products are designed to minimally impact the environment; however, their development requires a broader vision of the production chain. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), for example, is a tool that provides information about the sustainability of each product, measuring its possible environmental impacts. It considers the extraction of natural resources as well as a product’s formulation, manufacturing, use and final disposal. One of the fundamental steps in the LCA process is formula design, as it considerably influences the other phases.
This article provides an overview of the fundamental aspects of formulating sustainable cosmetics. It also highlights the challenges manufacturers face when developing products for this scrutinizing market, along with tips and ideas to meet these challenges.
Aspects of Sustainable Cosmetics
Minimalism:
Minimalism is the first aspect to consider in the creation of sustainable cosmetic products. As one of the biggest trends in 2023, skin minimalism, or skinimalism, came about associating the sustainability of skin care routines with the promotion of more natural beauty. The objective of this movement is to use fewer products during skin care routines by choosing multifunctional options that achieve the same benefits.
Similarly, the cosmetic formulator must choose formula ingredients strategically to reduce the number of components as much as possible while still maintaining the effectiveness and attributes of the product. Minimalist formulas also have shorter production processes and require less energy; in some cases, cold processing is also an option, which is even better. In addition, simplified formulas can save on cost since the portfolio of raw materials to be managed is reduced.
Good examples of minimalist products are solids. These help to save water, which can also reduce cost since water may correspond to 60-80% of a product’s composition, generating a greater volume of product to be transported. Minimalist thinking also applies to packaging, with solutions using less material and a simpler design.
Raw material origins:
A second aspect is the origin of raw materials, which must prioritize renewable sources and protect animal welfare. Sustainable products often incorporate natural, organic and vegan ingredients, many of which have been previously evaluated and certified for their origin, toxicity and/or biodegradability. Currently, there are several certifying agencies for natural and organic materials, such as Cosmos, Natrue, Ecocert and IBD, and each one establishes specific criteria for certification. As such, it is important to pay attention to labeling, as many ingredients are identified with a seal to prove their certification6 and indicate which guidelines they follow.
Different sustainable labels include:
- Natural cosmetics: In general, these are products composed of natural materials or naturally sourced and processed materials. Natural ingredients are harvested, extracted or collected and processed without chemical reactions to produce the raw material. Naturally sourced ingredients involve processing natural ingredients using chemical reactions.
- Organic cosmetics: These consist of natural ingredients from organic agriculture where the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and additives is not allowed. The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and radiation also is prohibited.
- Vegan cosmetics: Vegan products omit ingredients of animal origin and are not tested on animals. Here again, labeling identifies these aspects. For example, in 2013, the Brazilian Vegetarian Society (SVB) created a seal that identifies commercially available vegan products. To develop vegan products, it is also essential that the manufacturer obtain proof from suppliers that ingredients have not been tested on animals.
Sustainable Alternatives
The replacement of certain traditional ingredients used in cosmetics for more sustainable alternatives is urgent and can be achieved through research and innovation. Microplastics provide one example. Normally, these are water insoluble particles, smaller than 5 mm and used as exfoliants in cosmetics or teeth polishers in oral hygiene products. Due to their small size, they can easily accumulate in rivers and oceans, posing a potential threat to the environment and health. A such, many brands are replacing microplastics with inorganic minerals or vegetable derivatives, such as cellulose beads and seeds.
However, microplastics may not only be solid particles. Liquid and semi-solid polymers in cosmetics such as rheological agents, film formers and emollients may also be considered as such. This is a highly debated issue but it opens opportunities to innovate technologies that offer these functions more naturally.
In the growing search for sustainable alternatives for cosmetic formulations, partnerships between companies are encouraged, as is the case of Henkel, which signed a five-year partnership with Shell to replace the fossil raw materials used to manufacture surfactants with others from renewable sources.
Biotechnology processes are widely being used to obtain sustainable ingredients, as they provide good production capacity and use low energy. Through biotechnology, traditional synthetic raw materials can now be created as natural derivatives. One recent example is a retinol launched by Givaudan that, according to the company, is the first on the market to be 100% natural. The ingredient is produced through fermentation and then combined with natural antioxidants to ensure its stability.
Upcycling is another process worth pursuing in the search for more sustainable raw materials. The use of ingredients derived from discarded natural materials, such as fruit peels, seeds and coffee grounds, supports circular beauty and makes the most of available resources. This path affords many opportunities for innovation since cosmetic products must not only be sustainable, but also maintain their performance and safety.
Upcycling has been adopted by several companies such as the British UpCircle. This brand is present in 40 countries and uses 20 recycled ingredients in its portfolio for face, body and, more recently, hair care.
Obstacles in Sustainability
Despite advances in the development of more sustainable cosmetic formulations, there are still many challenges to overcome. For some ingredients, such as preservatives, fragrances and chelators, it can be difficult to find natural substitutes that provide the same performance and compatibility with formulations. In addition, natural ingredients may incur higher costs or have lower production capacities than synthetic ingredients, making it difficult for companies to switch.
Another relevant point is that the sensorial benefits of synthetic ingredients can be difficult to replicate with natural ingredients. As such, formulators must create other textures to create a product that is more sustainable. A solid shampoo, for example, does not provide the same sensorial experience for the consumer as a liquid shampoo. Therefore, it can be important to inform and educate the consumer about the same benefits but different textures a more sustainable formula provides.
There are also obstacles to overcome when it comes to packaging sustainable products. Some packaging alternatives are made with less materials and utilize renewable sources to facilitate recycling, in addition to packaging produced using post-consumer resin (PCR). However, as it has less transparency and uniformity than virgin resins, PCR still faces resistance from some brands that are more concerned with the aesthetics and visual impact of the products.
In the case of packaging without an aluminum layer, there is also a concern for lower protection capacity. Formulations with fragrances, sensitive actives and high concentrations of vegetal ingredients (e.g., extracts, essential oils, etc.) can change odor and color and degrade active ingredients more easily, hence, the importance of being stored in inert packaging that protects them from external factors. Packaging made only with polyethylene is already available on the market, which provides protection like that containing an aluminum layer but in a much more sustainable way.
Notably, the substitution of aluminum-containing laminated packaging is necessary and is likely to increase, so it is essential for companies to carry out compatibility, stability and packaging tests to implement such aluminum-free technologies in the launch of cosmetic products. Related to these initiatives, it is also fundamental to communicate and educate the consumer about the new aspects and composition of the packaging to make it more acceptable.
Beauty Movements
Access to sustainability-related information has increased alongside the rise of beauty movements such as green beauty, clean beauty and, more recently, blue beauty. The definition of each may vary and overlap in some respects but in general, green beauty is related to transparency in the cosmetic production chain, taking into account social responsibility in this process. Clean beauty is recognized for avoiding toxic and controversial ingredients, whether natural or synthetic, that could compromise health.
Blue beauty, a term coined by Jeannie Jarnot, has been defined as a movement of brands to return resources to the environment and operate under a sustainable system with minimal impact to the environment. In this way, it focuses heavily on the post-consumption of cosmetic products, examining the final disposal of packaging materials and formulation ingredients to promote higher standards for formulas that are safe and non-toxic to the environment.
Jarnot has further explained that the term blue came to fruition in a post-green beauty phase and is not directly related to the oceans — although one of the most recognized aspects of blue beauty is the protection and regeneration of marine life, upon which many companies are acting. Indeed, microalgae have received much attention from the cosmetic industry in recent years thanks in part to the pigments and polysaccharides it can produce. These substances are being widely used in skin care for antioxidant, moisturizing, anti-aging and soothing properties, in addition to their sustainability and vegan attributes.
However, the cultivation and extraction of microalgae in ponds is not viable, which has led to the development of a system of bioreactors. These systems mimic the conditions of the natural environment of microalgae, enabling a more standardized sustainable production on a larger scale. This technique is used, for example, by the Swiss company Mibelle in the production of snow algae powder, an active recognized for its anti-aging action and incorporated into Botik, a skin care brand by Grupo Boticário.
Related to blue beauty, the sun protection category, although not wholly responsible, is viewed as a threat to marine life, as some sunscreen ingredients are purportedly toxic to corals, causing their bleaching. The replacement of these ingredients will require solutions combining a high protection factor with pleasant sensory effects and good quality. Such an approach was taken in Grupo Boticário’s Australian Gold launch, which was developed in partnership with a French ecotoxicology laboratory to ensure the products pose no threat to corals; the brand was the first in Brazil to obtain a “reef safe” seal.
Concern over the impact of packaging is also a movement in beauty. The priority is to replace plastic by seeking alternatives that are recyclable and biodegradable. Corporate refill strategies and recycling programs with collection points might also be considered for sustainable brands. Even offering products in bulk in stores could be an excellent opportunity, although it will be necessary to address regulatory aspects in some countries to make this consumption alternative viable. The fact is: the less packaging, the better.
Beauty movements reflect both small and large actions within the cosmetic market. More than a trend, they should be interpreted as alerts to monitor actions and incorporate practices that generate less environmental impact and positively influence market dynamics.
Conclusion
To achieve sustainable beauty, one of the biggest challenges is to combine consumer needs with the technical attributes of a product using good sustainability practices. To be successful, research and innovation are essential, whether in products or services. The industry has a long way to go, and both small and large companies play fundamental roles in this evolution. In the end, however, it is not just about promoting good practices in the cosmetic sector, but about being united to protect life and the planet.
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