It is interesting to see how sustainability trends are unfolding and evolving in the cosmetic industry, influenced not only by consumers but also by regulations, events and above all environmental challenges. At the end of 2023, COP28 concluded with the secretary general talking about how science is telling us that limiting global heating to 1.5C will be impossible without phasing out fossil fuels in a time frame that is consistent with the target. I believe this conclusion will further reinforce existing sustainability trends, and possibly add new ones. In this article, I give an overview of what I believe will be the most relevant trends for this year and for the years to come.
Pigments from plants
There is a lot happening in the colour cosmetics sector, and the standout sustainability trend is the one based on using plant-derived pigments. The number of brands riding this trend is growing. Great examples of this are Le Rouge Francais which has several products with Cosmos Organic and Cosmos Natural certification, and Seeds of Colour with its organic superfoods.
Going solid
Solid cosmetics are here to stay, with solid skincare SBTRCT now available in Sephora stores. Haircare-wise, Head and Shoulders shampoo is also in a solid format offering a moisturising anti-dandruff solid shampoo bar, whereas Davines has launched the Love shampoo bar.
Solid formats are increasingly becoming the norm, and it will be interesting to see what the new launches in this trendy format are to be.
Upward and forward with upcycling
Upcycling is a very exciting trend, knowing that waste can be transformed and used again has somewhat of an alchemical quality to it, transforming lead into gold. This trend has become so popular that many brands on the market now claim to have upcycled or zero-waste active ingredients. In 2023 it reached new levels with the launch of Floral Verse by Gucci, a fragrance made with Carbon smart ethanol, which is alcohol produced from captured CO2.
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Farm to face
The origin of plant materials is becoming a source of credible claims, and these narratives add a new depth to natural ingredients. The beauty brand Farmacy claims to work in partnership with farms to monitor the quality and freshness of their produce before they are used in their products. Lush is another example of this growing trend, taking it to a new level by sharing beautiful stories about ingredients with a known origin and altruistic quality, be the hand-harvested sea salt helping local flamingos in Algarve, Portugal, lavender helping pollinators to thrive, or Patchouli oil production that keeps the wild habitat going for orangutans in Sumatra.
Energy conscious cosmetics
The message coming from scientists, that we truly need to phase out fossil fuels means that cosmetics manufacturing needs to go electric and become as both as renewable and as efficient as possible. Great examples of this trend are the Cosmos certified Neils Yard Remedies that use 100% renewable energy, some of which is produced from its own 700 square metres of solar panels. Natrue certified Weleda claims not only that they use 100% solar power at their production facilities but also that this is produced by their own photovoltaic system. The French oil producer Olvea has built an eco-refinery with 1300 square meters of photovoltaic roof panels supplying 50% of their production line, with the rest being purchased from other renewable sources. This trend might not be big news at the moment but as 2030 is approaching it is sure to rise up in consumers’ expectations.
Certification means confirmation.
Several of the brands that have great sustainability credentials have certifications. This is because at present certification is still a good way to confirm the green nature of a product and to enable it to stand out from a greenwashed marketplace. This move is validated by the constant growth of Cosmos and Natrue certified products. Even Amore Pacific has recently gone through the Cosmos certification process for three Camellia derived ingredients, showing how even ingredient certification is an important validation.
New fragrance technology for sustainable tuberose
The production of natural fragrances can be intensive on several resources, but new technology developed by Cosmo is showing a new way to go about making a natural fragrance with a much lighter footprint. This modern technology does not require heat or solvents but simply air to extract the desired volatile components from plant materials. It can also do a second extraction, reducing the amount of waste. The first fragrance to be produced will be from tuberose, which will be launched in a product that has this as it’s floral signature in 2024. This new technology is only available to L’Oreal at present.
No empty promises
The end of 2023 saw Greenpeace exposing Unilever’s failure to meet its promise of “less plastic, better plastic, or no plastic”. This has now led to an investigation into greenwashing by the UK authorities, reviewing not only eco claims but also the imagery used to market products. This is a great example of the new risk of making empty sustainability promises, as well as the costs to business of losing one’s green credibility. We can expect to see more of this trend as the media and authorities become savvier even with the use of AI to monitor the online marketplace.
Conclusions
Sustainability is a great trend and innovation catalyst for the beauty industry; from solid formats to upcycled ingredients, plant pigments, ingredients with supply chains with added value, and even new technologies that produce natural ingredients with less impact. The sustainability trend is also pushing our industry to become more transparent, more accountable, and demanding that it keep to its sustainability promises or get exposed.
To learn more about sustainability trends, I would like to invite you to a new space, the Sustainability Zone Forum, at In-Cosmetics Global in Paris on the 17th of April 2024.
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