Taking steps towards a sustainable future: The world of cosmetics
Miquel Boix Tomas, Special Projects Director, Earthoil
Rising consumer demand for consumer goods, food and energy, coupled with a population that will increase from around 7.2 billion in 2014 to 9.0 billion by 2040, is accelerating the strain on global resources. Humans are starting to fully understand the detrimental impact they are having on the world and are beginning to take action on a cause that so desperately needs to be addressed. Decades ago, such concerns were seen as the province of a vocal minority on the periphery of public opinion. Nowadays, issues such as climate change, leading to rising temperatures, strain on agricultural land, extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels, together with the depletion of natural resources, such as minerals and fossil fuels, are the subject of mainstream concern.
Sustainability - the name behind the game
So, why does sustainability matter to personal care manufacturers? Consumers and corporations alike are more aware of the need for eco-friendly products and manufacturing processes in order to create a greener world. This all means that manufacturers can simply not afford to ignore the concept of sustainability. To provide a context, it is estimated that sustainable business spend in the US will grow from $34.6 billion in 2012 to $43.6 billion in 2017, creating a perfect backdrop for those involved in supplying ethically viable products. Global commitments to sustainability have been made through high profile responses from brand owners and regulatory bodies to encourage the production of environmentally friendly products. For example, the Personal Care Products Sustainability Summit, which will take place in Chicago, USA in September, aims to influence wide-reaching change and accelerate conversation around product sustainability in the personal care and beauty industry. Additionally, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has criticised the South East Asian palm industry where a mono-crop culture led to deforestation and threatened orangutans. As such, further initiatives are being announced amongst suppliers to the industry to encourage innovation and provide safer, more sustainable products industry-wide.
Building on reputation
It is clear that sustainability positively enhances the value of a brand. Generally, the more sustainable the process, the more transparent the practice. If possible, manufacturers should illustrate their product’s story from plantation to purchase, granting consumers the opportunity to follow the product’s entire lifecycle and observe all elements integral to the production process. This builds on a brand’s credibility and showcases the company as being active in the field of sustainability.
While ‘ethical’, ‘natural’ and ‘sustainable’ all vary from a regulatory perspective, there is an intrinsic link in the eyes of consumers. Manufacturers must take all of these aspects into consideration when developing new products. However, embracing all that is ‘green’ is not without its challenges and it is important to understand the ways in which factors, such as the use of different ingredients, can affect the general performance of a product. A sustainable process is not always an easy process, but the value added can dwarf any obstacles encountered.
Interesting ingredients
Alongside the sustainability trend, there is also heightened demand for new ingredients from across the world with demonstrable provenance and performance. To marry the trends, sustainable and ethical sourcing is important and this means that new opportunities are opening up for rural populations from across the globe - with a fair deal for all involved. Argan oil is starting to appear on supermarket shelves worldwide. The oil is sustainably extracted from the kernels of the argan tree native to North Africa by all female co-operatives, offering social and economic opportunities across the region. Rich in unsaturated and essential fatty acids, argan oil contains in excess of 70 per cent oleic and linoleic acids, making it ideal for use as a skin moisturiser and nail strengthening solution.
Yet another ingredient taking to the cosmetics stage is moringa oil. Native to the Himalayan foothills, the moringa tree grants poorer communities the opportunity to use what grows naturally in their environment to prosper economically. Found in the seeds of the tree, moringa oil is moisturising to skin and hair alike, enhancing appearance and radiance. Rich in anti-oxidants, the oil is highly stable and can help to defend the body against free radicals.
Ylang ylang oil is an additional ingredient to watch out for in 2015. With a subtle signature scent, ylang ylang oil has many uses, including perfumes, cosmetic products and aromatherapy. However, as with the rest of the essential oil industry, concerns are growing over the purity of ylang ylang oil. Adulteration has historically been commonplace in its production and suppliers are now looking to address these problems by implementing new, sustainable measures to ensure its continued purity. To enable manufacturers to position their ylang ylang oil as certified, the flowers must be grown in the Nosy Be and Comores areas of Madagascar. If grown outside this location, the ylang ylang oil is sold as conventional, even if it has been grown organically and this has less consumer appeal.
Warranted certification
When embracing all that is sustainable, manufacturers must take a variety of factors into consideration. Producers must primarily establish whether the product is already certified to a recognised sustainability standard. Organic certification, for example, can provide proof of whether environmental practices are sustainably sound and organically stable. In this sense, products are monitored to ascertain whether they are free from the likes of chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Further elements analysed include biodiversity conservation, traceability to the source, good record maintenance, farmer training, and many more. The organic certification is awarded by an accredited certification body, such as the Soil Association or Institute for Marketecology (IMO), according to a recognised organic standard, including regulations set by EU organic, the National Organic Program (NOP) or COSMOS standards.
Additionally, the Fair Trade certification monitors fair prices for producers, as well as safe working conditions, fair wages, social funding, good waste management, environmental impact and much more. This certification, therefore, audits how ‘fair’ a manufacturer is being when cultivating their products. There are several highly commended Fair Trade standards regulators, however the main players include Fair for Life by IMO, FairTrade (FLO) and Ecocert Fair Trade.
Clearly, provenance is key, but there is no ignoring the fact that the overall performance of an ingredient cannot be compromised. It is generally believed that the more natural a product, the less stability is expected. However, it is this perception that needs to be altered. An example relevant to Earthoil products is that unrefined vegetable oils retain the unsaponifiable fraction which can confer oxidative stability on the ingredient. Knowledge of the product, technical expertise, good communication and support are essential factors in identifying and solving issues pertaining to performance.
Ethics on the rise
The concept of sustainability is still fairly new to the cosmetics and personal care industry but a growing number of personal care formulators create products that are both ethical and green in origin. From tracing an ingredient to its grass roots, all the way to the shopping aisles of major cities, consumers are now sustainably in-tune and seek ethically certified products. Succinctly put, it is about supporting communities to provide safer working environments while producing ingredients that are less harmful to both personal and global welfare.
For a product to be considered completely ecologically sound, manufacturers also need to develop sustainable packaging to complement their ethically sourced ingredients. Over half of consumers across 20 nations consider grocery products to be over-packaged. Although this sentiment varies depending on product sector, it is symptomatic of intensifying pressure for the packaging industry to develop more sustainable solutions across the supply chain. In short, sustainability and recyclability remain industry defining issues for packagers and their customers. Furthermore, companies now seek to decrease energy consumption to enjoy improved profitability and manufacture products that meet their customers’ expectations in both cost and performance.
Earthoil specialises in smallholder producer projects in remote areas across the world. The company is committed to providing organic and ethically-sourced ingredients from 100 per cent traceable sources, which benefit the lives of the people that produce them, as well as consumers.
