The dispute between the manufacturers of organic cosmetics and cosmetics using chemistry at one time did not lead to anything. The former argued that natural formulas for creams, shampoos, and shower gels can be very effective. The latter refuted claims such as the fact that the beneficial substances of conditional plantain can penetrate the natural barrier of the skin without the help of transport molecules and have a beneficial effect on the processes taking place inside. Everyone in this dispute remained with his own.
Meanwhile, the realities of today have turned the issue of ecology in the cosmetics industry in the other direction. Now the responsible consumer is interested not only in the effect of cosmetic formulas on his own body, but also in how cosmetics affect the environment. The logic is simple: if you are trying to sort your trash, go shopping with a canvas bag instead of plastic bags, use household appliances in energy-saving modes, and keep an eye on water consumption while brushing your teeth, you should also be wiser with cosmetics.
According to the 2019 World Economic Forum speakers, humanity produces more than 300 million tons of plastic annually, of which about 8 million tons end up in the oceans. Moreover, over 95% of all PET packaging is used only once and only 2% of the world's plastic is recycled. The cosmetics industry, along with the fashion industry, are considered the next most harmful to the planet after the oil industry, and given the fact that the vast majority of cosmetics are packaged in plastic, the trend of sustainability, which is popular today, cannot be imagined without the responsible consumption of cosmetics.
Even luxury cosmetics manufacturers have listened to the trend. For example, the Mugler perfume house launched the # ЯЗаRefilling initiative. The brand offered the buyer a refilling: filling of used vials using the Mugler Source service. Reusing the container can save up to 40% of the cost of the scent, depending on its size. There are two obvious benefits: economic and environmental. Moreover, the bottle can be filled countless times. Today, 15% of the brand's sales are made up of fragrances through the Mugler Source program.
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Since the topic of mindfulness in the use of plastic is quite new for the Russian consumer, some brands are launching local campaigns to draw attention to the problem of excessive use of plastic in everyday life and the need to recycle it. For example, in September, hair care brand Kevin. Murphy will turn its key beauty salons across Russia into collection points for used plastic cans and bottles from their products.
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Anyone can bring empty plastic to the salon and receive a "letter of happiness" with personal thanks from Kevin Murphy, founder of the company. Since August, the Authentica Love store at Arma has become a key collection point for used bottles. But that's not all. The brand promises that by the end of 2020, all packaging for products with the Kevin. Murphy logo will be made from ocean-mined plastic. Sales of products in updated packaging have already started.
The Russian campaign was also launched by the L'Oréal Professionnel brand. Until the end of August, the Source Essentielle x Botanea pop-up will be open in the Khlebozavod No. 9 urban space. This is the first stop of the so-called green van, which the brand plans to send on a trip to other Moscow sites, as well as other cities. During the promotion, customers will not only be able to purchase L'Oréal Professionnel products, but also return empty bottles of shampoos and hair care products. The surrendered plastic will be subsequently sorted and recycled.
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Not so long ago, the brand launched the Source Essentielle hair care line, which contains at least 80% natural ingredients, and the Botanea range of herbal dyes, suitable for owners of sensitive scalp prone to allergic reactions. Source Essentielle products are produced in Burgos, Spain, in L'Oréal's first “dry” plant: all the water used to make cosmetics goes through a full cycle of recycling and purification to prevent environmental pollution.
For a long time, it was believed that maintaining the trend towards environmental friendliness in cosmetics was the prerogative of wealthy customers, but this year the situation is changing dramatically thanks to two giants of the mass market.
Head & Shoulders took a step towards responsible consumption in the middle of this year. The brand announced the start of sales of shampoo in Russia in a new package, which is 20% plastic collected on the beaches of the Atlantic coast, and is fully recyclable.
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For the first time, the company presented its eco-friendly initiative in 2018 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in June 2019 it began supplying shampoo in a new bottle exclusively in Magnit stores. For this project, the American brand received the UN environmental award "Momentum of Change". Moreover, since this year, Head & Shoulders shampoos in Russia are sold in bottles made of 100% recyclable plastic and 25% recycled.
The sheer scale of the brand inspires hope that the company's initiative will lead to real change. “Today, P&G products help 5 billion people with household chores, and we have a unique opportunity to play an active role in the development of responsible consumption,” says Elena Gorozhanina, commercial director and head of marketing for Procter & Gamble in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “We decided to join forces with leading recycling companies to ensure that plastic collected from beaches around the world can be recycled and given new life in our packaging.” She is echoed by Tom Szaki, head of innovative recycling company TerraCycle, a global partner of Head & Shoulders: “Today, almost everything is made of plastic. According to our data, only 2% of the world's plastic is recycled,and 25% ends up in the ocean. I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to work with Head & Shoulders. I consider this decision to be historically significant in the fight against ocean pollution."
Another giant that has taken an environmental initiative is Garnier. The brand announced a global strategy for plastics, according to which all its products will be sold in recyclable packaging in the very near future. The brand is currently actively working on a global project to clean up the islands from plastic in conjunction with the non-profit Ocean Conservancy, which helps protect wildlife in the ocean and preserve the diversity of ecosystems.
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Concern for the ecology of water bodies can be manifested not only in the control over the production and collection of plastic. Millions of people dip into the oceans every day using sunscreens, sprays and lotions. Are all of these products made from organic ingredients? It's easier to talk about exceptions. So, the Biotherm brandtakes care of the water space of the Earth within the framework of the Water Lovers program, according to which not only creates environmentally friendly packaging, but also seeks to reduce the negative impact of rinsed cosmetics on the aquatic environment. It took the brand seven years of research to create the Ocean 5 platform for environmental testing. It allows you to study the properties of each formula in both fresh and seawater. This technique was developed in collaboration with the Science Center of Monaco (CSM) and is now being used to assess the effects of sunscreens on corals.
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The technique was immediately recognized by the scientific community, an article about it appeared on the pages of the magazine Coral Reefs ("Coral reefs"). All in all, thanks to this technology, all sunscreens used in the Water Lovers range are coral-friendly.
Coral reefs play a key role in maintaining the biodiversity of the oceans. They are quite vulnerable and, although they only cover 0.2% of the total area of the oceans, serve as a refuge for more than a third of marine species, plus help contain coastal erosion. In January 2018, Prince Albert II of Monaco awarded Dr. Olivier Courten-Clarence, CEO of the Clarins Groupand the son of the company's founder, the Order of St. Charles for the Clarins Group's contribution to protecting the oceans. It included, among other things, reef research carried out by the company in collaboration with the same with the Monaco Science Center in order to study the genetic structure of corals and their protection. Thus, the brand can claim that the sunscreen formulas under the Clarins logo are safe not only for humans, but also for corals.
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Marks, far from the problems of the World Ocean, often choose forests, which are considered the lungs of the planet, as the goal of their eco-care. For example, French brand Caudalie is bottling its bestseller Divine Oil for body, face and hair in glass vials with a cap made of oak wood from renewable forests and certified by the Program of Recognition of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). For each bottle of this product sold, the brand undertakes to plant one tree in the Amazon.
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And the Spanish brand Naobay, which produces environmentally friendly products for men, women and children (certified by Ecocert), works with the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization that consists of representatives of industry companies from many countries of the world, including Russia.
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The prospects for the cosmetic market in relation to sustainable initiatives would look even more convincing if it were not for one thing: the decorative cosmetics segment is still listed as far behind. It gives us hope that in terms of the volume of plastic used, it occupies no more than 10% of the cosmetic market. In the meantime, it is worth remembering that, with the exception of makeup products, eco-friendly products can be found in almost any category and in any price segment.>