Natural and Sustainable Raw Ingredients for the Personal Care Market

Consumers want to do something good for themselves and the environment, and are therefore considering more natural and environmentally sound alternatives to the products they buy. Little by little, manufacturers are following. Today, there are hardly any industry sectors that are not actively involved in the sustainability trend. Manufacturers of personal care products are among those who can profit the most from sustainable solutions.

In a recent Datamonitor survey, “Wellness Trends in Personal Care,” more than 50 percent of respondents agreed skin care products based on natural raw materials were "healthier, safer and more trustworthy." To realize the potential of the "green" cosmetics market, manufacturers have to find the right balance between sustainability and high performance—while maintaining a reasonable cost. While this new trend has taken some chemical companies by surprise, other companies are reaping the benefits of corporate sustainable strategies.

The global trend for sustainable and green products has had an impact on formulation in the personal care industry like no other trend before. According to Organic Monitor, worldwide sales for natural cosmetics are still growing at an encouraging rate of 10 percent a year and reached $7.3 billion in 2007. Another survey by Euromonitor showed the natural personal care market continued to increase in size by an average of 9 percent a year from 2003 to 2008.

While a green trend has been observable for some years, recently there has been a change in the consumers' motivations. Whereas in the past, going "green" meant making sacrifices in lifestyle, today it is regarded as something that actually enriches people's lives, without forcing them to compromise on convenience, personal well-being, or product performance.

The green trend has dramatically changed the way formulators view raw materials, production processes, and packaging. In 1998, Paul Anastas and John Warner established the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. This philosophy of green chemistry focuses on minimizing the hazards and maximizing the efficiency of all chemicals used in industrial applications. For example, the 12 principles include the use of renewable feedstock and the design of chemicals and products which degrade after use. They can be applied to each of the main phases of the chemical product life cycle: design, manufacture, use and end-of-life.

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