Clean & Ethical Beauty

Image: Getty

6 hair care brands focusing on ingredients innovation

By Kirsty Doolan

Hair care is officially the category to watch in 2024, with an increased focus on scalp health, scientific innovation, and cutting-edge ingredients. Take a look at these brands that are innovating in this space...

Sterland said that Weleda is aiming to find packaging that can preserve its products without causing any damage to the planet

Circularity in the beauty industry: Q&A with MD at Weleda UK

By Kirsty Doolan

With a barrage of new regulations and consumer pressure, sustainability and circularity have never been so important for the industry. We spoke to Weleda about its regenerative model and how other companies can become more circular.

Wild has chosen to launch its new hair care range exclusively with the UK supermarket chain

The compostable & refillable brand Tesco is betting on

By Kirsty Doolan

Disruptive UK-based personal care brand Wild has just launched standalone bays at Tesco stores and debuted its move into hair care with the retailer. We spoke to the brand to find out more…

Samaras said that Unilever R&D has around 12,000 microbiome samples from consumers of all ages, from all over the world, to get the fullest understanding of the skin

Innovating for Generation Alpha: Q&A with a Unilever R&D expert

By Kirsty Doolan

While the ‘tweens in Sephora’ headlines have raised a lot of eyebrows and some deeper concerns, it’s clear that Generation Alpha has a thirst for beauty products based on science and can potentially alter the future industry landscape.

Soeder hopes that its practices can showcase how other beauty and personal care brands can start to establish fully circular processes

Start the week with a startup: Soeder

By Kirsty Doolan

Every fortnight we talk to a game-changer startup brand about why it exists and how it plans to change the industry. This week we spoke to founders of the personal care brand Soeder, Hanna and Johan Olzon Åkerström, about its circular business model,...

Could the 'skinification' of hair further combine with the wellness movement this year? (Image: Getty)

What's new in the 'skinification' of hair care?

By Sarah Cohen

Actives traditionally used in skin care, as well as skin care-related regimes and claims are becoming more commonplace in the hair care category, as consumers take more interest in holistic hair wellness.

There has been a resurgence of interest in hair relaxers, which appears to be driven by social media (Image:Getty)

5 Black hair care trends to watch in 2024

By Keysha Davis

Black hair care remains a dynamic sector within the hair category, with styling trends and methods continuing to shapeshift at a rapid pace.

Cox said the company's future goals revolve around developing new sustainable and zero-waste packaging and ecosystems for clients, and swapping as many ingredients as possible with sustainable upcycled counterparts (Image: Getty)

Start the week with a startup: Genie Supply

By Kirsty Doolan

Every fortnight we talk to a game-changer startup business about why it exists and how it plans to transform the industry. This week we spoke to CEO of Genie Supply, Megan Cox, about how her private label business model could be the future of beauty product...

Grooming products designed for men are becoming increasingly sophisticated (Image: Getty)

Is men’s grooming still a lucrative market?

By Bronwyn Hardy

According to market insights company Statista, by 2028, the global male grooming market is estimated to be worth about $115bn (US dollars) – up from nearly $80bn in 2022.

SLS is widely used in shampoos and soaps for its cleansing and foaming properties  (Image: Getty)

Exploring EU regulations: SLS in cosmetics

By Kirsty Doolan

As the final story in our three-part series about regulations for the most misunderstood cosmetics and personal care ingredients, we focus on sodium lauryl sulfate, known as SLS. We explore why this ingredient was in the spotlight, and speak to regulatory...

Beauty Forward 2024: Meet the US Discussion Panel

Beauty Forward 2024: Meet the US Discussion Panel

By Cassandra Stern

Our CosmeticsDesign North America panel will discuss the profile of the next generation of US beauty consumers and includes the VP of Beauty Thought Leadership from NIQ, Head of Global Supply Chain Resources for the Independent Business Association, CEO...

Kaffe Bueno said this investment will help it

Kaffe Bueno prepares for growth with new funding from Borregaard

By Kirsty Doolan

Danish biosciences company Kaffe Bueno, which works with coffee by-products, has secured €6.2m in a series A funding round led by Norwegian biomass refining and eco-friendly biochemicals company, Borregaard, to help grow the business.

Beauty Forward 2024 Europe speakers…

Meet the Beauty Forward 2024 Europe speakers…

By Kirsty Doolan

On Tuesday 30th January at 2.30pm (GMT)/3.30pm (CET), we will air a two-hour broadcast dedicated to uncovering the mindset and values of the ‘next generation consumer’. As we unveil beauty industry trends for 2024 and beyond, we’ll put a special focus...

Image: Luxe Pack

The EMEA beauty events you won’t want to miss

By Kirsty Doolan

Going to trade shows is an essential way to keep up with industry trends, launches and developments. Scroll through our gallery of the key cosmetics events and conferences in the EMEA region in 2024…

Image: Getty

8 plant-based packaging innovations

By Kirsty Doolan

As changing regulations propel beauty brands to find new packaging solutions, bio-based packaging can be an option. Here’s a round-up of some of the latest plant-based packaging innovations…

In Europe, mineral oil is tightly regulated for use in cosmetics (Image: Getty)

Exploring EU regulations: Mineral oil in cosmetics

By Kirsty Doolan

As the second story in our three-part series about regulations for the most misunderstood cosmetic and personal care ingredients, we spoke to regulatory consultant at regulations and testing company CE.Way, Taja Plut, about the current scientific understanding...

Use of plant milking technology is set to be a big trend for the cosmetics industry this year (Image: Clariant)

What you need to know about plant milking for cosmetic ingredients

By Plant milking: what you need to know

Plant milking was pioneered over 15 years ago by French biotech company Plant Advanced Technologies and it’s back on the agenda this year, as the pressure is on to find more sustainable ways to work with plant-based beauty ingredients.

(Image: Getty)

Designing and branding synthesised ‘natural’ beauty products

By Kirsty Doolan

When a cosmetic or personal care product has been created with a biopharmed ‘plant-based’ ingredient rather than one from nature, should traditional design codes for ‘natural’ or ‘clean’ beauty go out of the window? Where do you start with designing and...

Givaudan said PrimalHyal™ 50 Life has “totally reinvented the production method for low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid”

Givaudan reveals precision fermentation hyaluronic acid breakthrough

By Kirsty Doolan

The Swiss manufacturer said it has completely “reinvented its fermentation process for low molecular weight hyaluronic acid” for a more sustainable and affordable product. Plus, it revealed that more ingredients around precision fermentation and the reinvention...

Goodman advised businesses to choose a sustainability accreditation that has a third-party audit for extra transparency (Image Getty)

How to choose a sustainability accreditation

By Kirsty Doolan

As more cosmetics businesses strive to become greener, achieving a sustainability certification can be a great way to differentiate your business and show your customers that you’re an ethical company that prioritises their eco concerns.

It's been a regulations-packed year for the cosmetics and personal care industry (Image: Getty)

Cosmetic regulations round-up: 2023

By Kirsty Doolan

From PPWR to MoCRA, EPR and deforestation laws, it’s been a regulations-heavy time for the cosmetics industry across the globe. We recap some of the most important regulatory updates in 2023 for companies that sell in the EU, UK and beyond...