The beauty industry is one of the biggest polluters on the planet single-use plastics. Most product packaging can take hundreds of years to decompose, leaving it languishing in landfills, polluting our oceans, and threatening the safety of plants, animals and humans. That’s why the industry — thanks in large part to consumer demands for more environmentally friendly options — has turned its attention to sustainability practices in recent years.
“The definition of sustainable beauty is being questioned and the market is bringing a new acceptance of lab-created ingredients as the future of sustainability,†says Glendean Rehvan, director of skin care at In-Trend Ltd.
From adopting renewable energies to banning microbeads and using recycled packaging, more and more brands are realizing the value and the need for eco-responsible alternatives. Within this global umbrella of sustainability, there is now a range of green beauty micro-trends, including blue beauty, beauty without water, rechargeable beauty, biodegradable beauty (also called zero waste), and more, with biotech beauty becoming one of the latest to take center stage.
What is biotechnological beauty?
“Biotech beauty technically refers to ingredients that are generated with the editing of DNA and the help of organisms like algae, yeast or bacteria,†says Mallory Huron, beauty trend forecaster at Fashion snoops. “However, I have seen the term widely used to describe laboratory-made ingredients that merge natural ingredients with synthetic chemicals or create synthetic, sustainable solutions for natural ingredients.”
To better understand the concept, it helps to start with the process of biosynthesis. “Biosynthesis is an enzyme-catalyzed multistep process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms,†says Sarah Jay, creator of 2019 Toxic beauty documentary and founder of All Terrans, an organization dedicated to improving transparency in cosmetics supply chains.
At the stage of biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted or brought together to form macromolecules. Then the building blocks of organic compounds are isolated, chemical energy is simulated, and cells are fermented, causing them to multiply and grow. While these fermented cells, that is, the biosynthetic ingredients, are bioidentical to ingredients that live in nature, Jay says their sustainability benefits are significant.
Changing the landscape of “green” beauty
“The way we think about our skin care products and define what is natural is changing,†says certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner. More biotechnological beauty means an opportunity to create more effective ingredients that are safer for humans and for the environment, as well as reducing overconsumption and avoiding depleting our resources. Huron believes biotechnology is a win-win because it opens up new avenues for ingredient innovation.
Why? Growing ingredients biosynthetically allows us to source raw materials “without the devastating impacts of agriculture, fishing, mining or the involvement of middlemen that can increase the price and footprint. carbon from raw materials extracted from the earth in long global supply chains â€. Jay said. Yet she argues that just because an ingredient is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe for human consumption. A prime example would be squalene, the focus of All Earthlings research.
Biosance is a skincare brand that uses biotechnology to responsibly produce squalane (as opposed to harvesting olives or shark liver for squalene, practices that date back hundreds of years). “Squalene is considered natural, whether it comes from a shark’s liver, an olive or whether it is cultivated by biosynthesis in the laboratory,” she explains. “These three sources produce bioidentical squalene, but their environmental impacts are totally different. In fact, the cosmetic industry’s persistent and covert use of shark-derived squalene is causing the mass extinction of sharks that support ocean ecosystems.
And because there is little regulation regarding what a “greenâ€, “clean†or “natural†label means for a product, quality control of ingredients, including their origin, continues to be an issue. major problem. According to Jay, “labeling gaps exist to allow brands to formulate products as they see fit, prioritizing profitability over ingredient efficacy and consumer safety.”
Ultimately, biosynthetic ingredients offer the safest and most controlled supply chain, as quality is guaranteed when ingredients are grown in a controlled environment. “Impurities can be avoided. The power is stable. You get consistency in every batch, â€says Jay. “This is not always the case when the ingredients are cultivated, extracted or fished. This makes it much more difficult for brands to manage their supply chains and consider the welfare of all subcontractors and stakeholders when ingredients come from farms, mines or fisheries.
A new opportunity for the industry
With more and more consumers demanding powerful yet safe products and eco-friendly beauty and wellness solutions, K-beauty and other major markets are already looking to biotech companies for new formulations. everything from hyaluronic acid to collagen. “The sweet spot where biotechnological beauty is most valuable is [that it combines] durability, efficiency and safety all at once, â€says Huron.
Large companies are already doing it, which, according to the trend forecaster, shows a real commitment to sustainable development. Recently, L’Oréal signed a rental agreement with Pickups, a biotechnology company specializing in bacteria, and in partnership with the biotechnology brand LanzaTech to create plastic cosmetic bottles derived from captured carbon. Estée Lauder Companies announced a collaboration with Atropos Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, to explore laboratory-made ingredients.
“What makes L’Oréal’s approach unique is that they approach both packaging and formulation with biotech partnerships, and this dual approach is essential to create a comprehensive environmental responsibility strategy”, Huron said. “If a brand offers great, sustainable packaging but a product formulation that uses an ingredient of irresponsible origin, it’s not good for anyone. Conversely, if there was an eco-friendly formula contained in a plastic bottle, its benefits were instantly nullified. She expects biotechnology to develop primarily out of necessity, as the natural resources we have relied on for decades will soon cease to exist, which may seem bleak, but that is exactly why biotechnology is so crucial.
Fortunately, many other companies are already using biotechnology to make their products, including the luxury botanical brand. In fire, which offers balms and oils for the body; multi-purpose anti-aging oil brand The plum tree; Altilis body butters and gel masks; hair care brand Virtue; clean skin care brand Oceanic beauty; and botanical skin care brand Orveda.
While cutting-edge biotech ingredients represent the fusion of science and nature, Huron believes consumers should check out the claims, find out more about these biotech companies, and find out how the ingredients may work for them. Jay says she would encourage brands that use biosynthetic ingredients to disclose them on labels, websites and in their sustainability reports as a source of pride – and a much more tangible marker of a formula and packaging. environmentally friendly than “green” or “clean.” As she puts it, “sustainability starts with transparencyâ€.
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