In a world that is increasingly sensitive and aware of the environmental issues, a new trend that embraces this philosophy of life has emerged in the cosmetics sector: clean beauty.
It is a broad concept that involves not only the research for natural and organic ingredients – a theme increasingly important for consumers – but also a sustainable lifestyle, mindful of the environment and committed to reducing waste.
In a cosmetic industry that no longer has a silo mentality, but that involves the entire supply chain, the concept of “less is more” can be expressed in different ways, from the selection of raw materials to their processing, from the choice of packaging materials up to the message of awareness to the final consumer.
Clean beauty ingredients and their characteristics
The ingredients play a decisive role in the clean beauty: to join this new concept of skincare it is essential to free the cosmetics from all the “not-clean” ingredients, such as SLES, mineral oils, artificial fragrances, synthetic dyes, allergens and everything that is considered useless for the beauty and well-being of the skin.
The selection of sustainable ingredients obtained with production processes that respect the environment is therefore a key requirement to embrace this new cosmetic trend, in line with the needs of consumers and with the sensitive topics in today’s society. The focus is on the search for native raw materials that favour local companies or the fair trade circuit, encouraging the use of plant-based ingredients, bio-fermented extracts, of natural or biotechnological origin, and obtained with processes that reduce emissions into the atmosphere.
Concerning sunscreen products, the attention is focused on selected ingredients that do not cause damage to the flora and fauna in order to protect the biodiversity of the environment.
The market of clean beauty in the cosmetic landscape
The advantage of Clean Beauty is not only in environmental terms, as it represents a growing market with high potential for cosmetic companies.
The emphasis on researching recyclable packaging with high performance – such as airless bottles that reduce the chance of microbial contamination and at the same time allow to lower the usage of preservatives – enable companies to gain advantages in terms of brand image, and also reduce the use of raw materials. For carton packaging, which is greatly preferred where possible, the choice lands on FSC paper from responsibly managed forest sources.
Clean Beauty offers an all-round chance of enhancing a cosmetic company from the ethical and environmental points of view, safeguarding the quality of products and respecting the needs of conscious consumers. All with a reduction in waste to support the environment and to protect the individual.