The beauty industry is turning to sustainable practices

By Dr.Liza Merin Jacob New Delhi Dec 7 (IANSlife).

The world is now seeing the environmental damage that the beauty industry has been ignoring.

Consumers are now more aware of each ingredient than they were before being lured by marketing techniques.They do not want to be piggybacked anymore by the beauty giants that caused this harm.

We are now aware that if we dont get our act together, our planet may not be worth inhabiting anymore.This awareness has led to the rise of the clean beauty movement.

And one of the core principles of the clean beauty movement is sustainabilitySustainability is now slowly turning out to be a key factor in how discerning consumers choose brands they want to associate with.It is not about carelessly throwing words like compostable or recyclable into narratives, but about incorporating humane working conditions, equal pay, a transparent supply chain, and a closed-loop production system.

While glitzy marketing and sensorial had taken prime spot in the last few decades of personal care product popularity, today the clean beauty movement stands on the foundation of honesty and communication.Although sustainability may seem like a form greenwashing, it is much more than that.

It is a cultural shift that is embedded in the culture of the company.It is a value that should be ingrained in the ethos of the brand and not superficially lace the covers.

While each brand has its measure of sustainability, it is good to see that the industry, on the whole, has begun the journey and has started making changes in the last year or so.This call to action has been made possible by smaller brands whose primary mission revolves around this core value.As larger brands acquire smaller brands that are clean, the concept is slowly gaining momentum.

While big brands focus on being more water- and energy-efficient and smaller brands on ingredients per se, adapting the chemistry of cosmetics and making cruelty-free and vegan products, They avoid animal testing, chemicals, sunscreens, silicones and fragrance and dye.They also avoid alcohols, chemical sunscreens and silicones.They stick to ethically sourced, non-GMO, fair trade, aquatic friendly, and biodegradable ingredients.

Using renewable raw material has seen a popular rise, with bio-based oleo chemicals from plant and bacteria sources becoming an integral part of their formulations.Petrochemicals derived from petrol are an economically volatile and non-renewable resource.

Many of the petrochemicals used in cosmetics are harmful to the environment and our bodies.Sustainable brands focus on low-polluting ingredients.

Todays manufacturers realize that consumers arent interested in the product, but in the process.This has led them to use natural and sustainable emulsifiers and thickeners as well as preservatives.

Microbeads are another harmful ingredient found in commercial products.These tiny pieces of plastic can be found in many exfoliating and shower scrubs that pollute the water.

Sustainable brands recommend that you avoid them like the plague.Most packaging includes recyclables, reusable, and vegetable dyes.

While recycling sounds great on paper, some brands in India are keen to reduce waste generation.However, their counterparts around the world have taken a step further and are now looking at biodegradable containers.

Manufacturing in small quantities and fresh batches to avoid wastage due to products reaching expiry in an event of nonselling is another huge risk that they take because their manufacturing costs are more than doubled.They do this to ensure they dont waste any raw material.

Green And Beige, for example, insists that they will not produce watered down products.Some brands look at sustainability as a way of giving back to society, while some take to adapting the process within their business and office environment.

While Indie brands have been pioneers in rewriting the rules of traditional ways of conducting business and manufacturing, it is good to see the trend hitting the doorsteps of the biggies as well.Businesses are forced to change their ways when the consumer is vocal.

This puts enormous pressure on governments to reform their outdated laws.Although brands like Green and Beige are proving popular with conscious consumers, they still have to convince others.

It is difficult to change the environment overnight.But it is possible to start somewhere.W are answerable to our children.(Liza Merin Jacob, Director and Co-Founder of Green And Beige)(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)Dr.

Liza Merin Jacob/lh/t #sustainable #Delhi #Delhi #New Delhi .