Greener Cosmetic formulations

"It’s no coincidence that the waterless beauty trend is gaining traction, with sales of such personal care products booming."

When it comes to cosmetics, there is no doubt that they should be safe, effective and easy to use but, increasingly, consumers are demanding greater transparency with regards to the environmental impact of their beauty buys. Yet many cosmetic products still come with quite a high carbon footprint as they are produced with a high percentage of solvents and frequently wrapped in single use packaging.

Increasingly, then, shoppers want to be informed about the environmental credentials of the products they use, and are keen to understand the importance of protecting natural resources and adopting a sustainable beauty routine. As a result, they are seeking out brands and products that align with those values. However, such products should also be innovative in order to make them desirable and positively impact consumer purchasing decisions.

Proactive approach

Clean beauty is a term that’s been around for a while now, as evidenced by the use of sustainable packaging and clean ingredients, as well as marketing campaigns or products that promote the responsible use of the earth’s precious natural resources, such as water. 

This is important because the beauty and personal care industry is often listed among the top contributors to water use, water pollution and wastewater. 

And while it may seem that the planet has an abundant supply of water, less than one per cent is available for human use, according to the US EPA¹ . The rest is either salt water found in oceans, fresh water frozen in the polar ice caps or too inaccessible for practical usage. Furthermore, water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population, according to World Bank Group.²

With water security high on the corporate sustainability agenda, there is growing pressure on beauty and personal care companies to take a proactive approach to water-related sustainability initiatives, according to the findings of a recent Euromonitor International sustainability survey³. 

So it’s no coincidence that the waterless beauty trend is gaining traction, with sales of such personal care products booming. Manufacturing these cosmetics reduces water use and wastage, as well as the need for preservatives – all key factors enabling market growth, according to Future Market Insights⁴.

Technically Challenging

Waterless formulas also create less packaging waste due to less volume. In turn, manufacturers can benefit from reduced transportation and packing costs and, in the end, the environment profits from a smaller CO2 footprint.

So far, so good. Yet while waterless beauty products promise a multi-sensory experience, creating such formulations can be technically challenging. That’s because water is an inexpensive but highly effective solvent, and is generally the biggest component by volume in personal care products, particularly in those that are liquid-based. A water-based cosmetic product can contain up to 90% water, and its inclusion helps with application, hydration, texture and the dispersion or dissolution of ingredients.Therefore, eliminating water from formulations is not an easy task. But it’s one in which the company’s technical team has invested considerable time and expertise. 

The result is innovative waterless concepts based on calcium carbonate and related minerals, which include face masks, lip balms, soap/shampoo/shave bars and dry powder shampoo, as well as tooth powder and toothtabs. 

Thanks to their high purity and controlled low microbiology, the mineral particles support a long shelf life without the use of harsh preservatives. The products are easy to use and offer consumers an attractive sensory experience in addition to high efficacy. In combination with Omya’s broad distribution portfolio of complementary ingredients, manufacturers can develop functional products quickly and cost-effectively, all of which bring multiple benefits for processing and consumers alike.

The minerals are highly dispersible and, depending on origin, particle size, external or internal structure, can make numerous and varied positive contributions to formulations. In oral care products, such as toothtabs or powders, the relevant product ranges improve compactability, provide tooth surface cleaning particles, and have remineralisation or desensitisation capabilities. In skin care, select particles can scatter light and even out skin imperfections, help increase foaming performance and promote smoothness.

Prototypes

Omya’s portfolio of waterless prototypes includes a solid make-up remover created from natural ingredients in sustainable packaging. Furthermore, it has no preservatives.

Dry shampoo, meanwhile, has been brought right up to date with the same natural ingredients. Again, it contains no preservatives.

Another prototype is a detox, waterless face mask concept with natural, shelf-stable ingredients.

There is further potential to develop innovative new anhydrous formulations, too, such as serums, cleansers and oral care solutions.

For the waterless trend in oral care, toothtabs with an ultrafast disintegrating and highly stable formulation are an ideal solution. Despite a minimalist INCI list, hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate particles are scientifically proven remineralisation agents, ideal for fluoride-free products. Additionally, enamel safe abrasiveness can be customised by selecting calcium carbonate of different origin and particle size distribution.

How companies should develop

It’s important to actively work towards continuous improvement in environmental, social and economic performance. Companies should take a full life-cycle approach to their products and services, and their contribution to society. They should translate their customers’ requirements into sustainable solutions with added value and should be committed to sustainable business principles throughout the entire organisational structure – from mining and processing to distribution and management. With combining experience with innovation the environmental impact could be minimised, logistics could be optimised and a safe and stable work environment for employees could be ensured.

References:

 1 www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water 

 2 www.worldbank.org/en/topic/waterresourcesmanagement 

 3 www.euromonitor.com/article/waterless-beauty-opportunities-beyond-compliance 

 4 www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/waterless-cosmetic-market