With the current trend for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients, it may seem like there’s no place for chemicals, even green ones. However, green chemistry is more in demand than ever before, and green chemists are bringing fresh ideas to an industry in need.
What chemicals are in cosmetics?
In short, there are a lot of chemicals in cosmetics, and that’s not a bad thing! “Chemical” is a very broad category that can mean basically anything, from water to medicines. Even natural ingredients are chemicals. The list of ingredients in most cosmetic products will include chemical classes like emulsifiers, preservatives, thickeners, moisturisers, colours and fragrances.
The reason there are so many chemicals in cosmetics is because each one adds something to the product’s performance. These ingredients work together to create the main function of a cosmetic product – colour, moisture, sun protection – while also keeping the consumer safe from bacteria that are eager to grow in a nice, moist lotion. Chemical ingredients also add appealing scents and textures, and make sure the product stays stable on the shelf throughout its life.
The most common functions needed in cosmetic and personal care products are listed below, with a few examples of chemical ingredients serving those functions.
| Functional class | What does it do? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Solvent | Dissolves or suspends other formulation ingredients | Water (aqua), propylene, glycol, isopropyl myristate |
| Emulsifier | Keeps ingredients from separating | Cetyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), glyceryl stearate |
| Preservative | Strops growth of harmful microorganisms | Phenoxyethanol, citric acid, vitamin E (tocopherol) |
| Thickener | Change product texture to make it usable or appealing | Stearic acid, guar gum, silica |
| Emollient | Soften user’s skin by reducing water loss | Coconut oil, glycerine, petrolatum |
| Fragrance | Adds appealing scent | Limonene, almond oil, phenyl benzoate |
| Pigment | Adds colour or pearlescence | Titanium oxide, quinoline, mica |
How can we make chemicals in cosmetics greener?
Chemicals are critical, but that doesn’t mean that there are no improvements to be made. Consumers are demanding more and more transparency from cosmetic brands, shopping for labels that create confidence and trust. Meanwhile, green chemists are hard at work coming up with safer, more sustainable replacements for existing chemicals. The challenge for brands is finding the right green chemicals for their formulations and then communicating it to consumers in a transparent way that inspires trust.
Finding the right green chemicals
As any formulator (or home baker, for that matter) knows, substituting one ingredient with another is never easy. It’s even more challenging in green chemistry, where biobased chemicals are often drastically different from their petrochemical counterparts, and the market is constantly changing.
Keeping up with the new green chemistry options, and combing through data to ensure that each option is actually safe, is a full-time job – it’s what we do here at Green Rose Chemistry. If you need an expert to figure out the best choice for your formulation, we can help.
However, hiring a consultant is not your only option! There are a number of databases out there with information about chemical safety and sustainability.
- ECHA Data (REACH registration)
- COSMOS certified ingredients and materials
- EWG Skin Deep
- Pharos Project
These can help you do your research and compare ingredients, but be wary of data gaps. Sometimes an ingredient will show as “safe” because there’s no data available, which just means we don’t know anything about it yet. Adopting ingredients with insufficient safety data can be really damaging to your brand if they are later found to be hazardous.
Green chemistry labels for cosmetics
Making sustainability claims that are not supported with evidence is now a serious liability for brands, risking rapid backlash from an increasingly well-informed consumer base. While labels like “Fair Trade” and “vegan” are well-established and understood in the industry, green chemistry is a relatively new concept that is now gaining traction. How can you communicate your product’s carefully considered green chemical ingredients in a way that builds consumer trust?
There are a number of labels now that are including green chemistry in their certification process, either by name or as individual principles. Have a look at their websites to see if one might be right for your product:
Transparency and trust are key in today’s consumer products market. If you’re not in a position to apply for a pricey certification, you can still be open about the ingredient choices you’re making, and the science behind them. Sharing your reasoning can go a long way towards showing commitment to brand values.
Trends in green cosmetics
As brands compete to stand out in the competitive cosmetics marketplace, we’re seeing some new trends in how they approach sustainability.
Holistic approach
Big brands are taking a holistic approach to sustainability, tackling everything from raw materials through to product packaging. This helps build trust with consumers, who can feel good about purchasing from a brand devoted to green chemistry (L’Oréal) or bee welfare (Garnier). There’s also a side benefit to a transparent supply chain, as marketing where and how ingredients are sourced can make consumers feel more connected to the product.
Sustainable processing
Formulators are going beyond ingredient safety and are now seeking chemicals that are extracted and processed in a sustainable way. With big brands like Unilever committing to eliminate fossil fuels in their products, green chemical processes are becoming trendy upstream. Petrochemical solvents are becoming less popular, and you should expect to see more products advertised with natural and safe extraction methods in the next few years.
High-performance green ingredients
While eco-products in some industries are still fighting off a lingering perception of being less effective, more and more green chemicals are standing out by offering exceptional performance in addition to their sustainability credentials. In cosmetics, this often comes in the form of multifunctional ingredients, which can offer preservative effects in addition to their primary function and reduce the need for added preservatives.
Stepping away from silicones
As demand grows for biobased and biodegradable ingredients, silicones are becoming less popular. Expect to see biobased replacements that serve the same function while being significantly more sustainable.