Sustainability Calculator: A Tool to Assess Sustainability in Cosmetic Products

Abstract

Assessing sustainability is extremely necessary and appears as an industrial need and requirement in order to facilitate decision making and to evaluate the impacts of existing strategies, products and technologies. Thus, the main goal of this research was to develop a sustainability calculator based on the opinion of experts that work in the different branches of the cosmetic industry, in order to cover the entire life cycle of a cosmetic product. A detailed survey in which all the steps of a cosmetic product life cycle were addressed, was designed and applied to cosmetic professionals. The data obtained with the survey was statistically analysed for the positive and negative impacts of each parameter on sustainability. The analysed data allowed the creation of a Microsoft Excel tool that mirrors the experts’ opinion. A proof of concept was also designed in order to prove the usefulness of the tool. The results show that there are no raw materials and/or packaging materials and practices, that can be considered 100% sustainable. However, with the appropriate strategies, it is possible to drastically decrease the impacts of any type of cosmetic product on sustainability. This is a promising tool that includes the three dimensions of sustainability in a simple, fast, objective and interactive way for the user. Its application will facilitate the work of the formulators and reduce the time of analysis and decision.

Replacing Synthetic Ingredients by Sustainable Natural Alternatives: A Case Study Using Topical O/W Emulsions

“…Considering the life cycle of a cosmetic product, the design and selection of raw materials are considered the phases with the highest impacts on sustainability, as previously described by our group [2]. Furthermore, and considering the high-quality standards, selecting raw materials with physicochemical properties similar to those of conventional synthetic ingredients is preferable for an effective replacement process [1].…”

“…Lately, there is also a notorious concern regarding the responsible and ethical supply of raw materials, the practice of fair trade, control of emissions and waste, use of recycled and/or recyclable packaging, as well as the increase of the biodegradable content of the formulas. In the short term, the main goal of any corporation that is trying to implement the concept of sustainability across the product life cycle is the reduction of the environmental, social, and economic impacts while strengthening its position in the market [1,2].…”

“…A raw material can only be considered sustainable if it has environmentally preferable attributes that meet ethical, social, and economic responsibilities, as previously described [1]. Accordingly, there are five key points that should be considered when selecting sustainable raw materials: (i) the biodegradability pattern and the bio-based composition of the ingredients; (ii) the origin and the source of the raw material, which is as important as the way it was synthesized, extracted, and/or purified; (iii) a natural, green, and/or organic ingredient cannot automatically be classified as sustainable; (iv) a synthetic raw material can be considered sustainable when compared to other options in the market; and (v) sustainability does not only pertain to environmental impact but, also, to economic and social domains [2]. Considering the last key point, it is also necessary to consider the quality of the final product, as this will have a considerable impact on the economic and social domains.…”

“…Thus, understanding the chemical and physicochemical properties of these compounds plays a crucial role in the formulation process, since it allows predicting stability, performance, and aesthetic matters [1,13]. Alongside, formulators are continuously searching for instrumental methodologies and tools to evaluate the sustainable performance of raw materials and final products [2]. However, there is a lack of comparative studies between conventional ingredients and sustainable alternatives.…”

“…For the replacement of synthetic preservatives, natural and nature-identical substances can be used, as well as self-preservation techniques or "booster" ingredients. Among the several preservation systems available to substitute the conventional ones, the choice of the most sustainable option is not consensual due to environmental, health, and/or formulation limitation issues associated with this type of ingredient [2].…”