Sustainability in the beauty industry is possible. Indie brands have an opportunity to pave the way and become industry leaders.
This is the ultimate guide to sustainable beauty for cosmetic brands who want to make a difference by being an ethical and responsible beauty brand.
The beauty industry is a fast-paced, ever-changing industry. Unfortunately, thanks to new brands and new products, there are significant environmental impacts that can’t be ignored.
Unchecked deforestation, water and air pollution, food cycle interruptions, and excessive plastic waste are all ways in which the beauty industry has contributed to irreparable damage to the environment.
So, what does that mean for brands? Is it possible to manage an ethically-responsible beauty brand? What can indie cosmetics manufacturers do to lessen their environmental impact?
Creating an ethical, sustainable beauty brand is absolutely possible. There are many benefits of doing so, including the following:
Not only will cosmetic brands help to look after the environment, but they will continue to prosper.
Any beauty brand can shape the way by following in the footsteps of brands such as Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Credo, and Target. The longevity of these brands show how incorporating transparency and sustainability that are good for the environment and society, can prove to be profitable for cosmetic brands.
Here’s how to make a cosmetics brand more sustainable and responsible:
Sustainability in the beauty industry starts at the design phase.
As a responsible brand, it’s crucial to have visibility into the ingredients that are selected by formulators. Formulators must understand the ingredient’s impact on the product’s profile. That’s why working with trusted formulators and manufacturers is essential.
Any of the following ingredients can harm consumers and the planet:
Here are some ways that brands can develop responsible cosmetic formulas:
Simply put, petrochemicals are often derived from fossil fuels such as petroleum and are prevalent in the industry.
Petrochemicals are typically found in beauty products that contain mineral oil, polyethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. Some examples include moisturizers, face creams, body creams, and ointments.
When products are used and discarded, these chemicals filter into the oceans and contaminate the natural food chain in various environments.
Instead, steer towards bio-based oleochemicals, which originate from agricultural plants and natural oils (coconut oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, sustainable palm oil, etc.).
There are many emerging renewable sources and innovations that can replace these chemicals. Work with a partner, such as Novi, to source these ingredients.
The World Health Organization reports that over 2 billion people live in water-stressed countries. As the demand for water grows, whether for production or consumption, companies damage the environment.
As a responsible beauty brand, the goal is to reduce water wastage and create formulas that won’t negatively impact the environment.
Two possible ways to reduce water usage are:
Monitor water usage: Monitor water usage during the manufacturing process and ensure that production doesn’t harm local habitats. Treat water as a valuable resource and develop a strategy, from intake to discharge, that incorporates reusing and recycling water.
In 2018, 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic waste was used in the beauty industry. With the industry growing yearly, this amount is expected to exceed current estimates.
Cosmetics brands can help reduce packaging waste by adopting sustainable packaging practices. Big brands, such as The L'Oréal Group, plan to source up to 50% of its packaging from recyclable materials by 2025.
While recycling is a valid option, a 2020 study by the Columbia Climate School found that recycling in the US is broken: out of 267.8 million tons, only a mere 94.2 million tons were recycled or composted.
There are several other ways to incorporate sustainable packaging. Some steps that a brand can take include the following:
By adopting sustainable packaging, brands can make an impressive positive impact on the environment. Unfortunately, sustainable packaging remains out of reach for most smaller brands.
Circular economy ensures a product has a value at every stage of its lifecycle. This includes packaging and the final cosmetic products.
Refillable, reparable, and returnable products are all fantastic ideas for creating a circular economy for a cosmetic brand. With a circular economy, the goal is to close the loop and maintain zero-waste.
For instance, big names like Procter & Gamble and Unilever's Dove are making the move over to refillable containers.
To ensure buy-in from consumers, brands could offer them discounts and perks for every container they return. Once returned, the products can be repaired and refilled for further use, eliminating excessive waste.
This also fosters loyalty and ensures that consumers stay in the marketing funnel. It’s an excellent way to provide a steady income for a beauty brand.
Today, some beauty companies like Mob Beauty, Innersense, and Kjaer Weis profit from this cost-effective endeavor while increasing sustainability in the beauty industry.
In ethical sourcing, there are many standards and policies involved, which cover social, cultural, and community-related considerations.
Beauty brands have a responsibility to ensure that ingredients are ethically sourced.
When choosing to work with a specific vendor, consider asking the following questions:
Only utilize sources that can positively affirm their answers to these questions.
Ethical sourcing involves not only social factors but environmental factors too.
For example, consider deforestation. Palm oil is a leading cause of deforestation. As the demand for palm oil grows, more rainforest is cut down for new crops.
If a cosmetics brand must use palm oil, consider using sustainable palm oil instead.
Knowing whether a supplier is ethically sourcing ingredients can be tricky.
With long and often complicated logistic chains, it’s easy for unscrupulous vendors to claim that ingredients are eco-friendly and ethically sourced.
That’s why brands should partner with Novi to take the mystery out of their supply chains. Novi can quickly help verify claims and ensure that the beauty brand only uses ethically-sourced ingredients.
Utilizing natural gas, solar energy, wind power, hydropower, bioenergy, and many other forms of renewable energy are all excellent ways to encourage sustainability within the industry.
However, as a beauty brand, tracking and measuring carbon emissions across the entire value chain is critical. Here are several initiatives that brands could implement:
A significant contributor to a brand’s carbon footprint is in the transportation of products.
Opt for the usage of rail transport and sea transport. If road transport is unavoidable, transitioning to hybrid or electric vehicles would be the next best move.
This reduces the number of journeys trucks make between the manufacturer, distributor, and retail outlets.
Brands could also consider the size of their products. For example, products in aerosol form can be compressed, yielding the same quantity of product, but reducing the weight and number of transport vehicles necessary.
Sustainability in the beauty industry is possible. Beauty brands can work to:
Forbes recently published that Gen Z and millennials are most concerned about negatively impacting the world's future than any other generation. If brands want to appeal to a younger, environmentally-aware generation, they’ll need to adopt these sustainable beauty practices.
Consider working with certification partners to ensure that every step of the process is sustainable, above board, and responsible.
Remember to educate the target audience about the sustainability steps that the brand is taking. This will ensure that they’re aware of sustainability goals and ethics.
Novi is eager to help source innovative, traceable, and sustainable ingredients. We can make it easy to develop a sustainable beauty brand on your terms.
Novi is passionate about furthering sustainable product design that puts human health and the environment first.
We aim to help you create a positive impact on the environment and develop beauty products that are cleaner and safer for your consumers.
If you want to get started with us, now is the time.
