Over the last couple of years, we have seen beauty companies radically scale up sustainable action and pledges, shifting from linear to circular ways of working. While the push for circularity is stronger than ever, there remains a host of challenges...
Customers are increasingly looking to consumer brands to bring them more eco and socially responsible products, but most of that work has to be done much earlier in the supply chain.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from October 2021 shows interest in beauty ‘personas’ to watch, the big-brand push towards an environmental impact system, and scientific frustration around the future of animal-free chemical testing.
Emma Lewisham has laid out targets to reduce its product carbon footprint as “close to zero as possible” by 2030 after achieving its goal of becoming a carbon positive beauty brand with a 100% circular designed business model.
Special Edition: CIRCULAR BEAUTY – SUSTAINABLE SOURCING, GREEN CHEMISTRY AND ECO-DESIGN
Nanoparticles made using natural polymers and ingredients from waste materials offer the cosmetics industry great promise in developing active beauty products for skin health that align with green economy goals, say researchers.
WWP Beauty is zeroing in on beauty trends by helping brands deliver clean, inclusive and multi-tasking waterless products in plastic-free, plant-based packaging.
Natura &Co says its partnership with Dutch eco video streaming platform WaterBear will help emphasise the seriousness of the climate crisis and shift perceptions around traditional communities to spotlight them as biodiversity guardians.
As beauty edges out of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands and retailers must take the opportunity to reset and recreate an industry that is more ethical, inclusive and sustainable, says a WGSN exec.
Henkel, L’Oréal, LVMH, Natura &Co and Unilever are forming a global beauty consortium to co-develop an industry-wide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics.
E-commerce companies such as Shopee and Lazada are being urged to lead the fight against the sale of adulterated whitening products and the problem of plastic waste pollution.
Engaging content that tells a character-led story is the future for beauty brands looking to engage better with consumers around sustainability, says Dutch eco video streaming service WaterBear.
UK retail giant Tesco has extended its partnership with TerraCycle spin-off Loop to roll out in-store dedicated fixtures offering a range of consumer goods in durable, waste-free packaging designed to be returned, industrially cleaned and reused.
Health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett has stopped selling single-use beauty sheet masks across all UK stores and online and hinted at a future free of any single-use beauty item – a movement it says other retailers should follow.
Green beauty is evolving fast but there is so much more industry can do around transparency and communication on sustainability, especially backing up claims, says the CEO of sustainable communications software specialist Provenance.
The British Beauty Council has launched its Sustainable Beauty Coalition to spearhead fast and effective change in response to the ongoing climate crisis, and it is calling on industry to join.
Circular beauty startup Honestly it’s has developed a waterless, upcycled coffee scrub and is working on an orange peel waste variant to launch next year – products it wants to take mainstream and inspire other brands with.
UK indie brand Beauty Kitchen has unveiled its latest business venture Vitamin Kitchen – a vegan vitamin gummies brand that it will soon expand to include products containing microalgae and marine extracts; part of a larger goal to offer complementary...
UK startup Soap2o has developed a line of powdered soap sachets that dissolve in water, enabling significant transport savings and eliminating plastic entirely for large-scale commercial businesses.
Upcoming beauty brand MONO Skincare has developed a range of microbiome-friendly skin care tablets that are activated by dissolving them in room-temperature water.
The Body Shop has begun rolling out in-store refill services in Singapore where it believes the reuse and refill habit will become mainstream among beauty consumers.
As COVID and climate crisis-shaken consumers demand more from beauty, experts believe there remain hurdles in packaging, brand communication and supply chain logistics before industry reaches the zero-waste dream.
Personal care major Unilever is ramping up its refill and reuse trials in UK retailers, adding a ‘return on the go’ system for convenient in-store collection and return of pre-filled stainless-steel bottles across key brands.
Finland-based fermented skin care brand Circulove has developed a range of products it says fit into the wider trend towards sustainable holistic living – a rising area of opportunity for beauty, its CEO says.
Australian personal and home care manufacturer Natures Organics has launched a range of refillable hair care products as sustainable packaging is rapidly becoming an “expectation” from Australian consumers.
The beauty maker is among the Foundation’s 10 newest Network members, businesses and institutions tasked with leading the change to a circular economy.
The University of Manchester’s biotech spin-out Holiferm is ready to scale-up production of its biosurfactants made from virgin rapeseed oil and glucose – an alternative that holds huge potential in cosmetics and personal care, its MD says.
Shiseido-owned ELIXIR is targeting to convert all of the brand’s flagship products into a refillable format by 2025 as part of the multinational’s sustainability goals.
Reusable and refillable concepts are an area the L’Oréal Group has pinpointed for development as it works towards its ambitious sustainability goals, according to a leading regional exec.
Sustainable agendas have surged in beauty, with circular business models, carbon capture, green sciences and the reuse movement gaining serious ground. And whilst there remains plenty to be done, the push for consumer engagement has been unprecedented...
European Union (EU) marine research consortium Marisurf has released findings from its five-year project, identifying marine microbes as an important means to develop bio-based replacements for surfactants and emulsifiers in personal care, food and pharmaceutical...
UK beauty consumers pared down skin care routines last year, adopting minimalist, back-to-basics approaches that led to a decline in overall prestige product sales, according to the NPD Group.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from March 2021 shows interest in Colgate-Palmolive’s design-led innovation strategy, Garnier’s Leaping Bunny certification and L’Oréal and Typology’s green beauty objectives.
International beauty major L’Oréal has made a minority investment in Swiss environmental tech startup Gjosa – a move set to advance its ongoing partnership and development of a smart, sustainable hair care system for salons and the home.
International beauty major L’Oréal has kickstarted a company-wide project to transition to green sciences across its entire global portfolio and plans to ramp up communication efforts to ensure consumers fully understand the move.
Personal care giant Colgate-Palmolive is shifting away from traditional line extensions, taking a design-led innovation approach that considers user experience and trends from start-to-finish, with teams focused on opportunities in active oral care, the...
French direct-to-consumer (D2C) startup Typology has achieved B Corp certification just two years after launch – a move of great significance to its founder who wants to carve out a positive impact brand.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from February 2021 shows interest in Unilever’s beauty divestiture plans, the CosIng listing of natural whole-hemp CBD and research into sustainability and active skin care trends amidst COVID-19.
Companies need to rethink how they implement sustainability initiatives and should integrate them it into the ‘heart’ of their business models, a panel of experts at the Global Fragrance Summit organised by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA)...
An increasing emphasis on environmental issues will have a profound effect on the Asia Pacific cosmetics industry, said regulations experts, with the impact of policy changes in Europe likely to filter down to the region.
Consumers continue to show increased interest in sustainability and are placing more importance on individual responsibility – an aspect brands can shift into real action with the right business approach, says a senior partnership manager at the World...
The European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability has the potential to set an example to the world if concrete actions and legislative proposals build it out into something meaningful over the coming years, says the Center for International...
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has accelerated consumer focus on sustainability and planetary change, with a first wave of dominant interest set to splash over the next 18 months and drive sentiments mainstream by 2022, says an expert consultant.
International beauty major L’Oréal has co-developed a smart hair care system with Swiss environmental innovation company Gjosa that blends and distributes product in a way that ensures water savings of up to 80%.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY PART I: REFLECTING ON WHAT’S TO COME IN 2021
The cosmetics and personal care industry must continue its fight to get products recognised as essential to consumer lives in the coming year given ‘essentiality’ governs so many strategies set to be rolled out under the European Green Deal, says the...
Sustainable living and environmental actions are top of the agenda for consumers across the globe in 2021, proving the importance of green beauty offerings, says L’Oréal’s Garnier president.
Personal care major Unilever wants to obtain a non-binding advisory vote on its climate transition action plan from shareholders – a move it says should deepen engagement and transparency on securing a more sustainable future.
Personalised beauty must be inclusive and far-reaching, with tech that provides unrivalled precision, all whilst keeping sustainability front and centre, says the head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator.
Hong Kong beauty packaging firm Meiyume has identified aluminium as a key material as it focuses its efforts on the development of recyclable packaging solutions.
![Register now for a free webinar on circular beauty innovation. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/circular-beauty-how-beauty-is-accelerating-the-transition-in-the-post-pandemic-era/12979272-1-eng-GB/Circular-beauty-How-beauty-is-accelerating-the-transition-in-the-post-pandemic-era.jpg)
![Emma Lewisham lays out targets to reduce its product carbon footprint as “close to zero as possible” by 2030. [Emma Lewisham]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/10/11/emma-lewisham-aiming-to-cut-product-carbon-footprint-close-to-zero-by-2030/12891894-1-eng-GB/Emma-Lewisham-aiming-to-cut-product-carbon-footprint-close-to-zero-by-2030.jpg)
![Nanoparticles made from fishery by-product and plant biomass could be used to make emulsions targeting skin ageing from stress and environmental pollution [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/30/green-beauty-promise-with-sustainable-circular-nanoparticles-from-waste-material-for-skin-health/12884477-1-eng-GB/Green-beauty-promise-with-sustainable-circular-nanoparticles-from-waste-material-for-skin-health.jpg)
![Natura &Co also wants to highlight the importance of traditional communities as guardians of global biodiversity [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/business-financial/natura-co-waterbear-channel-to-emphasise-climate-crisis-and-traditional-communities-in-beauty-supply-chains/12852093-1-eng-GB/Natura-Co-WaterBear-channel-to-emphasise-climate-crisis-and-traditional-communities-in-beauty-supply-chains.jpg)
![Push for progress; embracing frugality; mastering wellbeing; tech-ceptance; and intentional community are WGSN's 'big ideas' set to influence beauty over the next two years [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/24/wgsn-2023-beauty-big-ideas-to-shape-industry-include-progress-wellbeing-and-tech/12851202-1-eng-GB/WGSN-2023-beauty-big-ideas-to-shape-industry-include-progress-wellbeing-and-tech.jpg)
![Henkel, L’Oréal, LVMH, Natura &Co and Unilever are leading the charge in the creation of a global beauty consortium to develop a system that provides consumers 'clear, transparent and comparable' information on their cosmetic products [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/20/henkel-l-oreal-lvmh-natura-co-unilever-forming-consortium-for-cosmetics-environmental-impact-system/12835159-1-eng-GB/Henkel-L-Oreal-LVMH-Natura-Co-Unilever-forming-consortium-for-cosmetics-environmental-impact-system.jpg)
![Shopee and Lazada are being urged to lead the fight against the sale of adulterated whitening products and the problem of plastic waste pollution. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/regulation-safety/e-commerce-firms-urged-to-combat-sale-of-mercury-laden-whitening-products-and-plastic-pollution/12830685-1-eng-GB/E-commerce-firms-urged-to-combat-sale-of-mercury-laden-whitening-products-and-plastic-pollution.jpg)
![Telling stories about the people behind sustainable supply chains and production will be key for beauty - and all industries - moving forward, and bringing these voices to the boardroom will prove even more critical [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/15/sustainable-beauty-storytelling-is-the-future-says-eco-video-streaming-platform-waterbear/12823112-1-eng-GB/Sustainable-beauty-storytelling-is-the-future-says-eco-video-streaming-platform-WaterBear.jpg)
![Tesco has now established dedicated reuse fixtures across ten UK stores offering a range of waste-free food, drink and personal care items, designed to be returned in-store [Image: Tesco]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/13/tesco-extends-terracycle-loop-reuse-partnership-to-10-stores-across-uk/12814259-1-eng-GB/Tesco-extends-TerraCycle-Loop-reuse-partnership-to-10-stores-across-UK.jpg)
![With an estimated one million single-use beauty sheet masks thrown away worldwide every day, Holland & Barrett says it is time to act [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/09/06/holland-barrett-bans-single-use-beauty-sheet-masks-in-uk-and-online/12798271-1-eng-GB/Holland-Barrett-bans-single-use-beauty-sheet-masks-in-UK-and-online.jpg)
![Branding is changing and beauty brands must follow the shift in mentality as consumers look for more transparency on every aspect of business, beyond labels [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/08/26/green-beauty-needs-more-transparency-and-substantiation-of-claims-says-provenance-ceo/12768159-1-eng-GB/Green-beauty-needs-more-transparency-and-substantiation-of-claims-says-Provenance-CEO.jpg)
![The British Beauty Council has launched the Sustainable Beauty Coalition, designed to spearhead collaborative green change across the entire UK beauty industry [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/08/17/british-beauty-council-launches-sustainable-beauty-coalition-to-spearhead-climate-crisis-response/12740005-1-eng-GB/British-Beauty-Council-launches-Sustainable-Beauty-Coalition-to-spearhead-climate-crisis-response.jpg)
![The Netherlands-based beauty startup has developed a three-in-one scrub made using upcycled coffee, packaged in 10g single-use compostable sachets [Image: Honestly it's]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/08/16/circular-beauty-startup-honestly-it-s-launches-upcycled-coffee-scrub-developing-waste-orange-peel-variant/12735700-1-eng-GB/Circular-beauty-startup-Honestly-it-s-launches-upcycled-coffee-scrub-developing-waste-orange-peel-variant.jpg)
![Beauty Kitchen has launched a range of three vitamin gummies under a new business Vitamin Kitchen - setting out to bring health, beauty and wellbeing closer together [Image: Beauty Kitchen/Vitamin Kitchen]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/08/11/beauty-kitchen-launches-vitamin-kitchen-and-plans-microalgae-carbon-positive-r-d/12726400-1-eng-GB/Beauty-Kitchen-launches-Vitamin-Kitchen-and-plans-microalgae-carbon-positive-R-D.png)
![The company wants to get its dissolvable, biodegradable soap sachets that can be mixed with water widely used across hotels, offices, schools and all high-footfall businesses [Image: Soap2o]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/07/29/sustainable-soap-startup-soap2o-launches-powdered-dissolvable-sachets-for-commercial-industry/12691172-1-eng-GB/Sustainable-soap-startup-Soap2o-launches-powdered-dissolvable-sachets-for-commercial-industry.jpg)
![MONO Skincare has developed a range of eco-friendly microbiome-friendly skin care tablets. [MONO Skincare]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/brand-innovation/waterless-beauty-mono-skincare-develops-skin-care-tablets-that-pack-a-punch-with-prebiotic-ingredients/12655934-1-eng-GB/Waterless-beauty-MONO-Skincare-develops-skin-care-tablets-that-pack-a-punch-with-prebiotic-ingredients.jpg)
![The Body Shop has begun rolling out in-store refill services in Singapore. [The Body Shop]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/packaging-design/the-body-shop-believes-reuse-and-refill-habit-will-definitely-become-mainstream-in-singapore/12632449-1-eng-GB/The-Body-Shop-believes-reuse-and-refill-habit-will-definitely-become-mainstream-in-Singapore.jpg)
![From working with more innovative, exclusive materials like wood to pushing forward with circular business models and refill stations, beauty has plenty to focus on as it drives forward the sustainability agenda [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/07/01/sustainable-beauty-post-covid-needs-packaging-communication-and-supply-chain-focus-say-experts/12612989-1-eng-GB/Sustainable-beauty-post-COVID-needs-packaging-communication-and-supply-chain-focus-say-experts.jpg)
![Unilever will continue to upscale its 'refill on the go' trials where consumers can fill up stainless-steel bottles at refill stations but it will also trial in-aisle prefilled bottles to see if uptake is better [Image: Unilever]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/16/unilever-expands-refill-and-reuse-trials-in-uk-in-partnership-with-beauty-kitchen-return.refill.repeat/12569802-1-eng-GB/Unilever-expands-refill-and-reuse-trials-in-UK-in-partnership-with-Beauty-Kitchen-Return.Refill.Repeat.jpg)
![Circulove has a range of four skin care products made using fermented ingredients and byproduct food-grade natural oils, packaged in airless bottles made from 30% of ocean plastic [Image: Circulove]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/14/fermented-beauty-startup-circulove-talks-eu-and-us-expansion-circular-beauty-and-fermentation-power/12562668-1-eng-GB/Fermented-beauty-startup-Circulove-talks-EU-and-US-expansion-circular-beauty-and-fermentation-power.jpg)
![My Soda has launched a range of refillable hair care products. [MySoda]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/06/09/my-soda-aiming-to-fizz-in-sustainable-beauty-space-with-refillable-hair-care-range/12521836-1-eng-GB/My-Soda-aiming-to-fizz-in-sustainable-beauty-space-with-refillable-hair-care-range.jpg)
![Holiferm has developed a high-foaming and low-foaming surfactant from virgin rapeseed oil and glucose - an alternative it now wants to scale-up to commercial levels [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/05/31/biosurfactant-production-startup-holiferm-opens-8m-fundraising-for-commercial-facility/12524610-1-eng-GB/Biosurfactant-production-startup-Holiferm-opens-8m-fundraising-for-commercial-facility.jpg)
![ELIXIR is targeting to convert all of the brand’s flagship products into a refillable format by 2025. [Shiseido / ELIXIR]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/packaging-design/shiseido-s-elixir-aiming-for-all-key-products-to-be-refillable-by-2025/12503918-1-eng-GB/Shiseido-s-ELIXIR-aiming-for-all-key-products-to-be-refillable-by-2025.jpg)
![Kao has announced plans to become carbon negative by 2050. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/brand-innovation/kao-outlines-plans-to-be-carbon-negative-by-2050-and-affirms-commitment-to-use-100-renewable-electricity/12504018-1-eng-GB/Kao-outlines-plans-to-be-carbon-negative-by-2050-and-affirms-commitment-to-use-100-renewable-electricity.jpg)
![Reusable and refillable concepts are an area the L’Oréal Group has pinpointed for development. [L’Oréal Group]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/05/18/l-oreal-sustainability-reuse-and-refillable-concepts-on-the-sustainability-agenda-for/12459728-1-eng-GB/L-Oreal-sustainability-Reuse-and-refillable-concepts-on-the-sustainability-agenda-for.jpg)
![Companies need to rethink how they implement sustainability initiatives and should integrate them it into the ‘heart’ of their business models. [GettyImages]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/regulation-safety/ifra-experts-say-sustainability-must-be-considered-a-cost-of-doing-business/12249781-1-eng-GB/IFRA-experts-say-sustainability-must-be-considered-a-cost-of-doing-business.jpg)
![Impact of policy changes in Europe likely to filter down to APAC. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/regulation-safety/why-european-policy-changes-will-create-challenges-for-apac-s-cosmetics-firms/12243300-1-eng-GB/Why-European-policy-changes-will-create-challenges-for-APAC-s-cosmetics-firms.jpg)
![Meiyume has identified aluminium as a key material for sustainability [Meiyume]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/packaging-design/meiyume-identifies-aluminium-as-key-material-for-sustainable-packaging-solutions/11992958-1-eng-GB/Meiyume-identifies-aluminium-as-key-material-for-sustainable-packaging-solutions.jpg)
