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Beauty is often thought of as surface-deep. But what we put on our skin and how it’s made has ripple effects beyond just our skin. At Credo Beauty, we’ve been thinking about beauty in the context of climate, sustainability, and science for over a decade, and we’re always looking for the next opportunity to push our industry forward.
Today we’re seeing that biotechnology, using nature’s own processes, like microbes, enzymes, or plant cells, to create new solutions is emerging as a powerful tool to do that.
Most (74%) of consumers say it’s important that personal care products use organic ingredients with 45% reporting they are willing to willing to pay more for beauty products made with organic ingredients. For young shoppers (ages 18 to 29) more than half (62%) would spend more on personal care products made with natural ingredients.
Sugar kelp is one example of a natural ingredient that is good for consumers, the environment, and the bottom line. On its own, kelp is already remarkable: It can nourish and hydrate the skin, and it also absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows. But when we cultivate it with biotechnology and fermentation, we can scale production more sustainably, protect natural ecosystems, and increase its benefits. We’re getting more of what’s good for people and the planet while causing less harm to the ecosystem.
Palm oil is also a natural ingredient but tells a more complicated story. It’s everywhere in personal care, from shampoos and soaps to creams, because it’s versatile and affordable. But that scale has come at a huge ecological cost: deforestation, carbon emissions, and loss of biodiversity. What’s changing now is how the industry is rethinking its dependence on palm oil. Some brands are sourcing fully traceable, certified palm oil; others are starting to use lab-grown lipids that mimic its texture and function without the link to deforestation.
In addition to seeking products made with natural ingredients, consumers are choosing beauty products with sustainable packaging over those that are not—59% of Millennials and 56% of Gen Z shoppers say they specifically bought products with sustainable packaging.
Biotechnology can be used in the packaging of beauty products and has a significant sustainability impact that is good for the environment and speaks to consumer preferences for environmentally friendly packaging.
Lab-grown materials, bio-based resins, also with recycled systems helps us lessen the beauty industry’s dependence on petrochemical feedstocks. As a result, it helps lower our emissions and waste without undermining performance. So, the same tools that have allowed us to grow kelp sustainably can also let us rethink how products arrive on shelves that can leave behind less of a footprint.
Innovation is only meaningful if it’s guided responsibly. That’s why it is essential that the beauty industry unites around safety, sustainability, and ingredient science. By collectively asking the right questions, we can better assess whether new technologies are truly good for consumers, for workers, and for the planet. We can look at whether a breakthrough ingredient can be made with safer, lower-impact processes, if workers are protected in the process, and if the end product is safe and sustainable.
Businesses have both a responsibility and a real opportunity to use innovation for impact. Beauty brands can show what it looks like when science and sustainability intersect and how that can support running successful businesses.
Consumers are paying attention. In fact, according to a 2023 global survey by McKinsey & Company of beauty consumers, 38% of U.S. respondents ranked “ingredients that do not harm the environment” as one of the most important attributes of a sustainable beauty product. Now the industry and brands need to use these technologies to scale impact across the industry, so it’s raising the bar for how we all source, formulate, and design.
Biotechnology can be a tool for doing better but so many others exist. These climate-focused innovations are exactly the kind of beauty we want to offer and the kind of future we want to build.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annie Jackson is the CEO of Credo Beauty.