Clean beauty backed by clean data: making sustainability measurable
Sustainability
Explore how the beauty industry is evolving with data-driven sustainability measures, ensuring transparency and accountability in eco-friendly practices.
The beauty industry is at a turning point, driven by consumers demanding transparency and eco-consciousness. Here's what you need to know:
What is Clean Beauty? Products made with safe, non-toxic, ethically sourced ingredients and eco-friendly packaging.
Why It Matters: 76% of consumers want brands to take responsibility for their environmental impact, but 40–70% of sustainability claims are often misleading.
How Brands Are Proving It: Companies are using data-driven tools like Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and carbon tracking to measure and validate their environmental impact.
Regulations Are Tightening: New EU rules require verified claims and third-party certifications, banning vague terms like "climate neutral" without proof.
Innovations in Ingredients and Packaging: From upcycled materials to biodegradable solutions, brands are using measurable data to improve sustainability.
The Bottom Line: Clean beauty is no longer just a trend - it's about proving sustainability with hard data. Brands must back up their claims with transparency, measurable results, and compliance with stricter regulations.
EP204. Greenhouse Gloss - The Carbon Trust unmasks the ...
Measuring Product Impact with Data
Beauty brands are increasingly turning to data to validate claims and identify areas for improving environmental practices. This shift has paved the way for methods like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and carbon tracking, which provide detailed insights.
Product Life Cycle Analysis
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) examines a product's entire journey - from raw material extraction to disposal. It identifies inefficiencies across five stages:
Raw material extraction
Manufacturing
Transportation
Consumer use
End-of-life disposal
To perform an effective LCA, brands start by setting clear goals and defining the scope of their analysis. The process involves gathering detailed data on energy use, resource consumption, and waste generation at each stage.
Carbon Emission Tracking
Carbon tracking relies on accurate supply chain data to verify emissions and meet regulatory requirements. This approach aligns with updated regulations that ban claims like "climate neutral" or "CO2 neutral" unless backed by verified data.
Meeting Standards and Regulations
Regulatory frameworks now demand higher standards for environmental claims. The EU Directive 2024/825 outlines specific requirements for the beauty industry:
Standard | Description |
|---|---|
Environmental claims must be backed by equivalent data and detailed documentation. | |
Label Certification | Self-created sustainability labels are not allowed; third-party verification is mandatory. |
Specific Claims | Generalized claims are prohibited - statements must be clear and precise. |
Documentation | Brands must maintain thorough records of environmental impact data. |
These rules, effective as of March 26, 2024, must be fully implemented by March 27, 2026. The goal is to ensure transparent and reliable sustainability reporting, reducing the risk of greenwashing.
To comply, companies are prioritizing the collection and analysis of environmental data. Metrics like energy use, emissions, waste output, and resource depletion are being monitored throughout the production process.
New Developments in Clean Beauty
Data-focused advancements are transforming eco-conscious beauty, focusing on measurable progress in ingredients, packaging, and formulations.
Natural Ingredient Selection
The market for natural ingredients is expected to grow from $642 million in 2022 to $1,095 million by 2030, with over 40% of consumers prioritizing products made with natural components.
New technologies now allow for precise evaluation of natural ingredient impacts:
Innovation Type | Impact on Environment | Validation Methods |
|---|---|---|
Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents | Cuts chemical waste | Biodegradability metrics |
Upcycled Materials | Reduces waste | Resource efficiency data |
Bio-based Alternatives | Lowers carbon footprint | Emissions tracking |
Major companies are already using verified natural solutions. For example, BASF SE's Verdessence RiceTouch incorporates upcycled, non-GMO rice, derived entirely from renewable feedstocks, with biodegradability backed by data.
These ingredient innovations pave the way for equally data-driven advancements in packaging.
Better Packaging Options
Packaging improvements are increasingly grounded in measurable outcomes. Companies are focusing on combining environmental benefits with detailed impact tracking:
Renewable Materials
Dow Inc. introduced bio-based emulsifiers made from sugars and fatty alcohols, with full supply chain tracking to support environmental claims.Waste Reduction
The wine industry's 14.5 million tons of annual European effluents are being repurposed into beauty packaging materials, with clear metrics showing reduced waste.
These packaging developments align with broader efforts to enhance product formulas.
Eco-Friendly Formulas
Green chemistry is revolutionizing product formulations by leveraging biotechnology and fermentation to create ingredients with quantifiable sustainability benefits.
Key advancements include:
Solvay's introduction of Naternal, a bio-based polymer that is both biodegradable and supported by environmental data.
Evonik Industries AG's large-scale production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants to meet rising demand for biodegradable ingredients.
Syensqo's $2.1 million investment in Bioeutectics to develop natural, high-performance solvents with measurable sustainability outcomes.
The skin care sector leads the way, accounting for 38.7% of the natural cosmetics ingredient market. Fatty acids, in particular, are predicted to grow at a 5.5% CAGR through 2030. These trends are underpinned by comprehensive tracking systems that validate environmental claims and ensure compliance with regulations.
Common Measurement Hurdles
Even with advancements in data analytics, many brands still struggle to measure their environmental impact accurately. Studies reveal that 40–70% of sustainability claims lack proper verification.
Setting Clear Standards
Some of the biggest sources of emissions include:
Challenge Area | Impact |
|---|---|
Raw Materials | 30–50% of emissions occur during the sourcing of raw materials |
Consumer Usage | 40–80% of emissions stem from how consumers use the products |
Supply Chain | Incomplete data across supply networks remains a major obstacle |
"Not all climate goals are equal in their scientific rigour"
This highlights the urgent need for stricter, data-driven verification methods. At the same time, regulations are becoming stricter to address these inconsistencies.
Preventing False Claims
Beyond the issue of standardization, inaccurate sustainability claims are a growing concern. The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network found that 42% of reviewed sustainability statements were misleading.
"The beauty and wellness industry needs to show their homework and use science-based tools to truly tackle climate change and other pressing sustainability issues."
In response, the U.K. introduced the Green Claims Code in September 2021, holding companies legally accountable for unverified environmental claims. This reflects the increasing demand for reliable sustainability metrics.
Getting Complete Data
Collecting thorough environmental impact data comes with its own set of challenges:
Packaging Complexity: Components like pumps and dispensing units make sustainability metrics harder to track.
Supply Chain Visibility: Achieving full transparency across the supply chain remains a tough task.
Testing Constraints: Validating sustainable packaging often requires significant time and money.
"Sustainability is a journey; you're never 100% sustainable"
"We're all working toward the same Earth deadlines that we cannot afford to miss. … [We need] more pre-competitive collaboration"
These gaps in data collection emphasize the need for stronger and more effective measurement systems.
What's Next for Clean Beauty
Clean beauty is advancing quickly, thanks to new technologies and partnerships that improve how we track, verify, and share information about environmental impact. These developments aim to solve earlier issues with data collection and validation. Here’s a closer look at how technology and teamwork are shaping the future of this space.
AI and Smart Systems
Artificial intelligence is transforming the beauty industry by analyzing massive amounts of data - covering more than 20,000 ingredients and 100,000 products. This helps fine-tune formulations, cut down on waste, improve efficiency, and make supply chains more transparent. For example, Proven Skincare's Skin Genome Project uses millions of customer reviews combined with environmental data to create personalized, eco-conscious formulations.
Clearer Consumer Information
Shoppers are increasingly looking for brands that provide straightforward sustainability details. Research shows that 42% of U.S. consumers prioritize responsibly sourced ingredients, 45% care about sustainable packaging, 36% prefer locally sourced materials, and 35% focus on products with reduced or zero waste.
"Technology democratizes sustainability data, letting brands clearly express their values."
As transparency becomes more common, the industry will need unified standards to back up these claims and ensure consistency.
Collaborating on Standards
Startups in beauty tech are leading the way by using blockchain for ingredient tracking and IoT devices for skin monitoring.
"We're all working toward the same Earth deadlines that we cannot afford to miss. … [We need] more pre-competitive collaboration."
Both small and large companies are joining forces to create standardized measurement systems, share environmental data, and develop unified verification processes.
Conclusion
The clean beauty industry is evolving as data-driven tools and a growing base of eco-conscious consumers - 85% of them - expect brands to back up their sustainability claims. Research shows that 76% of consumers believe brands should take responsibility for their environmental impact, yet 40–70% of sustainability claims are often exaggerated or misleading.
The key to success lies in combining technology with transparent, verified data. Industry experts highlight the importance of bridging the gap in consumer understanding:
"Educating consumers about sustainability should help increase their engagement, as there seems to be a sustainability gap - a striking difference between consumers' experience with the causes of climate change and the reality of where the responsibilities lie. One of the major challenges for brands is effectively closing this understanding gap to better position their products and services as part of the sustainability solution."
Brands like L'Oréal, with detailed ingredient disclosures, and Ellure, using 3D printing for innovative solutions, show how transparency and clear communication foster trust while pushing sustainable practices forward.
