Nature above all in cosmetics: There are so many challenges - CosmEthically ACTIVE certificate
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Nature above all in cosmetics:
There are so many challenges
Anja Presern, M. Pharm.
Modern CosmEthics, Velenje, Slovenia
anja@cosmethicallyactive.com
ABSTRACT
The global cosmetics market is growing steadily. From the aspect of both consumers and manufacturers, focus
is shifting towards identifying and solving the issues of eco-friendliness and sustainability without compromising
performance. Natural cosmetics and certification institutions strive to achieve the best possible impacts, with the
CosmEthically ACTIVE certificate representing a new, science-based, integral approach to the evaluation of nat-
ural cosmetics. Finally, we as individuals have the choice of changing our habits and educating ourselves. For the
benefit of our future.
Keywords: certificate, cosmethically active, natural cosmetics, sustainability
Article category: Professional article
Presern A. Nature above all in cosmetics: There are so many challenges. Cos ACTIVE J. 2021;1:7–10 7
THE TIMELESS QUEST FOR BEAUTY… of natural origin are better for the skin or hair simply
because they come from nature has no scientific ra-
... is driving the global cosmetics market to grow tionale.
steadily, with estimated sales of more than €200 bil-
lion in 2019 (1). As a result of an ever-wider selec- Finally, transparency is expected for what is in a for-
tion of cosmetic products, which are defined by the mulation and also where it came from.
European Commission as ‘any substance or mixture
intended to be placed in contact with the external parts
of the human body or with the teeth and the mucous
membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively FORMULATING NATURAL COSMETICS…
or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing
their appearance, protecting them, keeping them in … becomes even more challenging when taking into
good condition or correcting body odours’ (2), today’s account that consumers also expect quality, excellent
consumers (rightfully) have higher expectations and and attractive sensory properties, and the best cos-
more demands than ever. metic activity of a product. This is not easy to accom-
plish. The replacement of unsustainable ingredients
(synthetic or natural) with sustainable ingredients
with better skin and environment compatibility re-
SUSTAINABILITY, RUDANDANCY AND quires a great amount of knowledge, investigation
TRANSPARENCY and testing.
Increasing concerns about the safety of products and Even with all of these difficulties, the shelves are al-
their environmental and social impacts have brought ready full of products labelled ‘natural’ and ‘organic’,
attention to sustainability in the cosmetic industry. yet how can we be sure they are trustworthy in this
How can we meet the needs of our population with- era of misinformation?
out threatening future generations? An increasing
number of educated consumers with easier access to There are no harmonised definitions or criteria for
scientific literature are becoming fonder of ingredi- natural and organic products, and this lack of regula-
ents of natural origin, and are pushing companies to tion in the industry provides a major opening for mar-
become ‘greener’ and consider sustainability through ket manipulation. A system of certification institu-
a cosmetic product’s entire life cycle, i.e. from the tions for natural cosmetics has evolved as a response
selection and sourcing of raw materials, processing, and has become important, particularly from the per-
manufacturing, packaging and distribution, to use and spective of consumers. Certification institutions have
disposal, and post-consumer use (3–6). set their own parameters for the evaluation of cos-
metics for the purpose of labelling them ‘natural’ and
Simple formulations without redundant ingredi- ‘organic’, where generally their criteria differ mainly
ents are desired, where each is added with a known, through the percentages of minimum and maximum
evidence-based purpose (7). When choosing ingredi- content of ingredients that are defined as natural and
ents, those that are of natural origin or highly degra- organic, and processed or derivatised. They also have
dable and sustainable are preferred. They should also different lists of chemical reactions that are permit-
be responsibly sourced, ensuring that workers and ted for the derivatisation of natural substances.
communities involved in cultivation are treated fairly,
both financially and ethically. Heavier focus must be We must keep in mind, however, that natural does not
placed on safety, both for the consumer, who expects necessarily mean sustainable, as it does not imply any
safe, non-irritating products, and nature, which means ethical, social, economic or environmental responsi-
the inclusion of ingredients that are organically culti- bility. Generally, natural describes the origin of ingre-
vated, do not persist in the environment and are safe dients, while organic describes agricultural methods
to all life forms. In terms of product safety, please be used for cultivation. The sustainability of cosmetic
aware that generalising the concept that ingredients ingredients encompasses a wider concept. Not only
8 Nature above all in cosmetics: There are so many challenges | Cos ACTIVE J. 2021;1:7–10
the natural source and destiny after release into the ented towards the healthy and ethical future of our
environment, but also the way an ingredient was ex- planet.
tracted, purified or processed should follow rules
of sustainability, including a high level of (bio)degra- To explain in greater detail, CosmEthically ACTIVE
dability into non-toxic and environmentally friendly criteria are not based on percentages of substances.
compounds. We should also not forget that natural Ingredients are not explicitly categorised into natural
material is limited and should therefore be responsi- and processed or derivatised ingredients, but into in-
bly sourced. gredients that are permitted and those that are not
permitted. Consequently, the CosmEthically ACTIVE
logo does not distinguish between different ‘natural’
or ‘organic’ categories. The focus is based on the in-
COSMETHICALLY ACTIVE tersection of cosmetic activity/performance, the nat-
uralness and environmental impacts of ingredients,
Through the CosmEthically ACTIVE certificate, our and dermal compatibility. We follow five main rules:
aim is to contribute significantly to the awareness and nature above all when selecting ingredients; the use
resolution of the aforementioned issues (8). CosmE- of ingredients in cosmetically active concentrations;
thically ACTIVE follows a completely different ap- rational formulations with no redundant ingredients;
proach of cosmetics evaluation because a shift has a high level of skin compatibility; and the pursuit of
been made from assessing solely the naturalness of ethical principles with no animal testing. We are es-
ingredients to assessing the activity and a cosmet- tablishing the concept of active cosmetic products
ic formulation itself, but without making significant that contain the right ingredients in suitable concen-
compromises with regard to environmental aspects. trations to deliver the desired skin effects, but what is
We strongly believe that such a concept is based on more, only physiologically and ecologically acceptable
a rational understanding of modern cosmetology cosmetic ingredients that are highly biodegradable
and the principles of sustainability, and makes the are allowed, to not only provide the best for the con-
CosmEthically ACTIVE certificate one of the strictest sumer, but also for the planet and future generations.
certification systems at the global level, strongly ori-
Nature above all in cosmetics: There are so many challenges | Cos ACTIVE J. 2021;1:7–10 9
YOUR CHOICE IS YOUR VOICE
In the end, how can we as consumers contribute REFERENCES
to greater sustainability in the cosmetics industry?
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cessible, we should educate ourselves, properly re- 2. EUR-Lex. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the Europe-
view the ingredients of the products we use and then an Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009
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trends. In addition, sorting and recycling cosmetics [Internet]. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the Euro-
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