Clariant strengths sustainable supply chain for Brazil nuts featured in skincare line

05 Oct 2022 --- Clariant is to display its commitment to sustainable sourcing of Brazil nuts as one of the essential components of its Ethience Protect skincare product ingredient to support the important role they play in the economy of the Amazon region.

Brazil nuts are the only globally traded products sourced directly from the wild and not from plantations like most natural ingredients are. 

“Clariant offers a full range of naturals, from oils to high tech actives, for the cosmetic market to support greater sustainability in the industry. We not only apply science to the best nature has to offer, but also increasingly pay attention to how ingredients are sourced, and by whom,” Clariant says in a statement made to PersonalCareInsights.

The skincare product ingredient Ethience Protect – as was on display last month at in-cosmetics Latin America held in São Paulo – serves as an example of how Clariant has successfully integrated Beraca’s expertise in natural ingredients as well as its sustainable sourcing method since acquiring the remaining 70% of the Brazilian company in late 2021.

“We’re continuing and building on Beraca’s ethical sourcing commitments in close collaboration with local communities to make sure natural environments are kept intact, while brands also benefit from the transparency and traceability from plant to ingredient,” comments Samy El-Khoury, head of actives and natural origins at Clariant.

Naturality as priority
The company asserts that an “appreciation for using natural products” and “clean beauty” is growing fast among beauty consumers.

“Clariant offers a full range of naturals, from oils to high-tech actives, for the cosmetic market to support greater sustainability in the industry,” the brand says.Brazilian nut trees – sometimes called the “queen of the Amazon” – drop large, coconut-like pods. Brazil nuts, which are revered around the world for their flavor and the priceless nutritional oils they contain, can be found in each pod in quantities of up to two dozen.

Leveraging the natural oils the nuts produce, Clariant’s new product line boosts access for formulators and brands to responsibly collected and extracted ingredients, offering proven efficacy and science-backed claims for skin, hair and body care.

Clariant incorporates the protective effects of the active into Forest Therapy Essence, one of three Beauty Wizard-inspired well-being rituals with sensory capabilities, to assist the industry in converting the nut extract’s benefits into trend-focused products.

An ethical process 
By valuing a Brazil nut byproduct that would otherwise go to waste, Clariant helps local communities make a living and provides a special method of skin protection while also preserving the Amazon rainforest.

Brazil nut harvesting in the wild is still largely done by hand. When there is no wind and they have a lower chance of being hit by one of the large pods, those who specialize in the extraction prefer to start out early in the morning. Some people also pick them up with special sticks because snakes often hide in the vegetation.

Since only agoutis (a native rodent species) can open them, many of the pods would go unused if they were not collected. These long-legged animals, like squirrels, either consume the nuts inside or bury them in the ground, therefore replanting Brazil nut trees and preserving natural cycles.

The Brazil nut press cake, a byproduct high in strong polyphenols that the locals may now use to generate additional revenue and later even use as fertilizer, is where the extract is derived from.

The circular economy idea is supported by this upcycling of leftovers, which creates a sustainable activity with beneficial effects on the skin’s own natural cycles.

By Mieke Meintjes