The upcoming Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, taking place in Paris on 23-25 October, will cast the spotlight on blue beauty, green materials, and sustainability schemes.
Blue Beauty
Awareness is rising about the detrimental effects beauty products have on marine environments, so much so that Blue beauty will be featured at the summit for the first time. These are personal care products designed to be safe for both human health and marine life.
Industry experts will delve into creating and marketing cosmetics that are friendly to marine ecosystems.
Approximately 4,000 tonnes of sunscreen enters the oceans annually, causing detrimental effects to coral reefs and marine life. The leading organic sun care brand Sol de Ibiza will share its experience of developing ocean-friendly sunscreens.
Marine ingredients, such as seaweed and algae, are also a source of inspiration in the cosmetics industry. Beauty Kitchen founder Jo Chidley will explain how the company is using sustainably sourced algae in its Pure Source Collagen Collection, which claims to boost the body’s own collagen production.
Green Materials
Green ingredients come from both traditional sources like plants and new technologies. Kew Royal Gardens will highlight the continued use of botanical sources for active ingredients. Gabbi Loedolff of Lush, a leader in sustainable cosmetics, will discuss its ethical sourcing, including direct partnerships with global producers for natural ingredients like cocoa butter and sandalwood oil. Lars Zirpins from Weleda will cover the company’s vertically integrated supply chain, where many ingredients are grown on biodynamic farms.
The summit will also explore new technologies, such as fermentation techniques for producing green materials. A French company will showcase how biotechnology aids in creating plant-based ingredients. Upcycling opportunities and the importance of biodegradable ingredients for industry circularity will be discussed, with Jolene Maloney of Croda Beauty providing insights on determining ingredient biodegradability.
Moving to Circularity
Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, a visionary thinker on circularity, will deliver a keynote on creating positive impacts. Braungart advocates that cosmetic and ingredient firms should move beyond merely reducing environmental impacts to creating positive value. He will discuss the Cradle-To-Cradle design approach, which aims for cosmetic ingredients and packaging to be reused, recycled, or biodegraded at the end of their lifecycle.
Braungart is the founder and scientific CEO of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), co-founder of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), and a professor for Eco-Design at Leuphana University of Lüneburg.
Sustainability Schemes
As sustainability gains focus, ethical labels and sustainability schemes in cosmetics are on the rise. Iveta Kovacova from Ecovia Intelligence will discuss this trend, key developments, and growth projections.
Natural and organic labels lead in the cosmetics industry. Mark Smith from Natrue and Xanthe Galanis-Hancox from COSMOS-Standard ASBL will update on this market, with Natrue and COSMOS being the most widely used standards for such products.
Lise Frank Axelsen from Ecolabelling Denmark will cover the Nordic Swan and EU Eco-Flower schemes, known for reducing environmental impact. Other topics include carbon labeling, fair trade sourcing, and Dirk-Jan Oudshoorn from Forestwise will discuss sustainability schemes, highlighting their certified organic, fair trade, and Halal ingredients from Borneo.
More information about the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is available from https://www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com/Europe/
