Natural and organic beauty ingredients meet growing demand for sustainable solutions

17 Sep 2024 --- Stronger demand for natural and organic personal care products has industry players like Givaudan and Monteloeder focusing on sustainability and transparency. Personal Care Insights looks at research reflecting this growing trend and talks to the companies about why environmental concerns are paramount as they create effective and natural ingredients. 

Innova Market Insights data indicates the global trend of natural and organic claims in personal care product launches is surging, with 60% year-over-year growth from April 2022 to March 2024. Skin care led the way, representing 29% of these launches between April 2023 and last March. Natural and organic claims were also highly prominent in shower products.

Yohan Rolland, head of category, Specialties for Givaudan Active Beauty, says the environmental impact is a major concern for consumers, who quite often ask about the use of fossil resources, durability and biodegradability:

“We compared biotech squalane from sugarcane with squalane from olives. Biotech squalane production requires far fewer raw materials than olive squalane, and its environmental footprint is much smaller, particularly in terms of land and water use. This development meets consumer expectations for more sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions.”

Maria Ángeles Gutiérrez Montero, marketing director at Monteloeder by Suannutra, tells us, “Consumers are increasingly educated and given the diverse range of choices, they prefer natural over synthetic options. One of our core values is to offer natural solutions that reconnect consumers with their health and well-being, something that is often neglected in our current, less natural lifestyle.”

“We aim to bridge that gap with our products. Consumers are seeking solutions they can trust. At Monteloeder, we conduct clinical studies that can support multiple skin health, hair care and health benefits. We also take pride in helping local farmers and sharing our specialized methods for sustainably cultivating organic verbena,” she adds.

Givaudan’s high-quality sourcing

Givaudan says it uses natural components for green fractionation and biotech raw materials, and that its Procurement division plays a major role in ensuring a high standard of quality.

Rolland compares sourcing high-quality natural and organic ingredients to preparing a good meal — “it all starts with high-quality raw materials.”

He adds, “Decades of experience in plant cultivation and wild harvesting enable us to cope with seasonal fluctuations in quality and quantity caused by factors such as the weather (rain, drought, wind, frost), thus guaranteeing the availability and reliability of raw materials for further processing.”

Natural sourcing emphasizes sustainability, and Rolland says Active Beauty aligns with the company’s Sourcing4Good corporate initiative, which aims to protect people and the environment.

Rolland says Givaudan uses natural components for green fractionation and biotech raw materials.“We ensure transparency and compliance throughout our supply chain and work with our suppliers on transformational projects in key supply chains. By promoting full traceability, we encourage sustainable farming practices and protect wild harvest sources,” says Rolland. “Our efforts extend to reducing our environmental footprint, enhancing biodiversity and supporting the well-being of workers and farmers, with a focus on improving the communities we source from.”

Certifications and standards

Rolland sees natural and organic ingredients as catalysts for innovation as they encourage the use of green chemistry or biotechnology to “replicate the efficacy of synthetic ingredients while avoiding fossil resources.”

“In addition, we can provide high-performance natural compounds that cannot be synthesized or produced economically, achieving impressive results while remaining true to natural and sustainable principles,” he says.

“In the cosmetics industry, certifications such as Cosmos, Natrue and ISO 16128 are widely recognized for the importance they place on natural origin and processing standards. We also give priority to Bonsucro certification, which guarantees the sustainable cultivation and processing of sugarcane. The Bonsucro certification, supported by the World Wildlife Foundation, guarantees sustainable agriculture and traceability.”

Rolland highlights Neossance Squalane and the Hemisqualane range as having guaranteed transparency and traceability verified by standards (above). He says squalane acts as an emollient that improves cell renewal, brings smoother skin texture, reduces wrinkles, improves active delivery and improves hydration in one hour.

Gutiérrez says its lemon verbena extract is sustainable and ethically sourced (Image credit: Monteloeder).“Hemisqualane, a natural alternative to silicone, delivers exceptional hair care performance, improving dry and wet combing, reducing frizz and enhancing color protection. Both ingredients provide a light, pleasant sensory experience thanks to their rapid absorption.”

Monteloeder meets natural demand

Gutiérrez says Monteloeder’s lemon verbena extract is sustainable and ethically sourced:

“We are proud to be the company that sponsors this plant under the American Botanical Council, and for over 20 years, we have been researching its benefits. We have carefully selected the variety that best aligns with the desired properties, and we have analyzed the optimal growing conditions to ensure a high-quality, fully traceable supply that meets all sustainability standards, both environmental and social. In fact, we are part of an initiative called the ‘Hub of La Vera,’ where all these practices are put into action. This initiative involves repurposing fields historically used for tobacco cultivation, providing a better purpose and more economically viable alternative for local communities.”

Gutiérrez points out there is “no conflict” between product efficacy and natural and organic ingredients — rather, it’s the opposite:

“Lemon verbena leaves have higher concentrations of key active compounds when the cultivation process is more natural. “This is because the plant naturally produces more of these active compounds as a defense mechanism against environmental stressors like drought or pests.”

Natural hair care

More research is targeting natural personal care solutions, including a recent clinical study suggesting that Monteloeder’s botanical formulation, Zeropollution, supports scalp health under environmental stress.

Research in Cosmetics also explored the use of natural ingredients, such as naringin, ferulic acid and mangiferin, in a hair conditioner to protect textured hair from ultraviolet radiation.

Another study in the journal examined the use of resveratrol-rich peanut callus extract to prevent hair loss and promote growth. The bioactive compound is presented as having the potential to be used as an alternative to chemicals in the development of hair care products.

Effective organic cosmetics

The French association for organic cosmetics and label provider Cosmebio says organic cosmetic brands can offer effective products comparable to non-organic brands.

Cosmebio says organic cosmetic brands can offer effective products comparable to non-organic brands.It notes that in the early 2000s, consumers perceived organic cosmetics as not being “ineffective, less pleasant, and with unsuitable scents.” However, modern innovation and green chemistry enable improved formulas and innovation.

Cosmebio’s study tested the best-selling products in pharmacies, assessing their performance in hydrating the skin, reducing wrinkles and consumer satisfaction. Organic and non-organic lotions were found to provide similar levels of hydration, with increased skin hydration by around 13% after eight hours of use. Also, after 56 days of regular use, both products showed improvements in wrinkle reduction.

Participants rated their satisfaction, which included effectiveness and ease of use. The organic lotion received high marks (94.8%), even surpassing the non-organic version in user appreciation (91.2%).

Organic ingredients

Cosmebio also looked at hydrolates (or hydrosols), which are becoming more popular in organic beauty routines. Hydrolate from flowers (floral waters) can serve multiple functions in personal care. Plants are steam-distilled to produce hydrolases, a byproduct that is safe to apply directly to the skin and it is considered to be less concentrated than essential oils.

Meanwhile, Lanam Natural Beauty spotlights its firming eye cream, which contains orchid stem cells and 18 organic plant extracts. The organic and sustainable brand believes orchid stem cells are an important component of firming eye creams and provide solutions for reviving and rejuvenating the eye area as the need for efficient eye care rises.

By Venya Patel