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Editor’s Note: An edited version of this story appears as a side bar in Happi’s November 2024 issue.

There is no single definition of what it means to be “sustainable” in today’s beauty and personal care market.  ESG goals vary by region and are influenced by category, competitors and customer sentiment. 

“Sustainability, in the many ways that can be defined, is becoming table stakes for any new innovation or formulation,” said Kate Drummond, VP marketing and business development at P2 Science. “Sustainability can be defined as naturality, biodegradability, responsible sourcing, traceability, low carbon footprint and more—and brands decide which of these factors mean ‘sustainability’ to them and expect ingredient suppliers to have solutions.”  

Just five to ten years ago, sustainability was still considered niche; cost and performance were primary criteria for new ingredients. But that has changed, according to leading suppliers.

“Today, brands are setting broad sustainability commitments that translate to strict sourcing criteria. The demands for information from ingredients suppliers have also grown significantly,” said Drummond.

As a global company, Provital is witness to varying and evolving demands.

“In some countries, and for some customers, being sustainable and respectful to people and the planet is essential, it is clearly mandatory for them that all the ingredients they include in the formulas fulfill these requirements. Although this trend has clearly increased in the last few years , there is still a lot to do,” said Anna Balaguer, global beauty trends manager, ProvItal. “In many countries this is not so important, and the education of the customers is really important so that they push the brands to turn greener. It is also true that many customers are not yet willing to pay more if the product is just greener; performance and a balanced ratio quality/price is still key. Provital actives meet all these expectations, using natural sourcing together with all the science and tests so that our customers can claim all these wanted benefits.”

“There has been a growing emphasis on sustainability at every stage, perhaps even an expectation now from the manufacturer and the consumer both wanting to do more— from using biodegradable and plant-sourced ingredients to innovating with more compact formats to reducing water and energy consumption,” noted Jacqueline Scarborough, director, global consumer care at CP Kelco.

“What we see is that sustainability should not mean compromise to the indulgent, luxurious textures and skin-loving aspect of beauty and personal care products that consumers desire,” she said.

“The push for sustainable ingredients is coming from both R&D and marketing, but the dynamics have evolved significantly,” said Nina Esposito, marketing director, Provital USA.

According to Esposito, R&D plays a pivotal role in interacting with suppliers to identify and vet sustainable products.

“R&D teams are increasingly attuned to market demands, understanding the priorities of brands, product developers, and marketers alike. While marketing may highlight sustainability in their briefs, it’s the R&D teams who are leading the charge by exploring innovative raw materials that align with sustainability goals. This collaborative effort reflects a deeper integration of sustainability into product development, signaling that our customers are increasingly prioritizing these values in their offerings,” she said.

According to Drummond of P2, most R&D teams know sustainability is “fundamental requirement.”

“In fact, we have also seen R&D share perspectives on science-backed sustainability criteria with marketing to influence the choice of an ingredient. R&D can teach the brand leads about new ways ingredients can add sustainability claims to a product,” she said.

P2 recently rolled out Citropol DE-4 and Citropol V6. Similar to current Citropol ingredients, these new high-performance polymeric emollients are derived from the same upcyled terpene feedstock, repurposing waste from other industries.  P2 polymerizes the terpene using a waste-free, solvent-free, low-energy production approach—a non-traditional manufacturing process that operates at ambient temperatures, which means the entire process requires less energy than traditional manufacturing.  

“Sustainability goes beyond the feedstock—how the ingredient is manufactured is equally important,” asserted Drummond.  

Provital has a history of making significant strides in the development of sustainable ingredients and ethical sourcing practices. Take, for example, Ethicskin, its  multifunctional ingredient that netted a UN Development Program’s Equator Prize in 2020.

“We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability, including being pioneers in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) policies and the first cosmetic ingredient manufacturer to comply with the Nagoya Protocol,” noted David Manzano, research and innovation manager, Provital.

In addition, Provital  works closely with local farmers to source natural ingredients through upcycling and the use of “km 0”  raw materials. These include Pomarage, an anti-aging ingredient derived from upcycled apple pomace, and Senseryn, a sensory cosmetic ingredient made from organic, locally grown hops. For hair, Provita’s Densinaria (designed to prevent breakage) is sourced from the edible macroalgae Palmaria palmata harvested using sustainable practices, and Sealrose, billed as a liposoluble hair-repairing active, utilizes rosehip grown by a family-owned farm practicing sustainable agriculture.  

In addition, Triplobiome is a new biotechnological platform using plant endophytes (endosymbiotic microbes) to develop natural active ingredients. Provital Shiloxome, an anti-pollution and overall skin restructuring active, is one product from that platform.

Evolved by Nature’s Activated Silk portfolio presents several novel bioactive peptides for cosmetic chemists. Activated Silk 33B-α, for example, supports healthier, younger looking skin for all skin types, and is effective against symptoms associated with eczema-prone skin. Water soluble, it can be used in formulations where synthetic ingredients like petrolatum and ceramides cannot. Activated Silk 27P-α, designed for  visibly plumper, brighter, smoother looking skin, supports the natural production of new collagen Type 1. Activated Silk 8A-α is naturally-derived tone-boosting peptide designed to visibly reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and blemishes and brighten skin.

Upcycling is also gaining ground in beauty—but the principle behind this concept is long-standing. In fact, Seiwa Kasei officials pointed to Japan’s Mottainai philosophy, which translates to: “Don’t waste what is valuable.”

Seiwa Kasei’s Sesaqua skin care ingredient is derived from sesame using wasted pomace from the sesame oil industry. This component can activate cathepsin B which is involved in degradation of old collagen, according to the company. Seiwa Kasei says data indicate the cycle of collagen production can be improved by Sesaqua. Officials also shared that they have obtained new in-vivo data on its skin moisturizing effect as well.

This year, CP Kelco’s Kelcosens Citrus Fiber became the first citrus fiber on the market to attain the “Upcycled Certified” standard from the Upcycled Food Association.

“Our citrus fiber utilizes a circular production process where we start with spent citrus peels, a byproduct of the juice industry, and return leftovers from the process back to nature in the form of fertilizer and animal feed for farmers. This unique ingredient helps formulators to stabilize emulsifier-free skin care products and deliver sensational textures,” said Scarborough.