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'Natural' beauty products -

You don’t need to be an expert in cosmetics to know that products marketed as ‘natural’ tend to sell better than those that are factory-produced.

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Sales pitch -

For years, if not decades, now, the idea and connotation of nature has been used to sell products in the beauty and wellness industry.

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Common misconception -

And it works, too. Many consumers opt for products that are described as ‘natural,’ because they believe that they are better for both their health and the environment.

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The reality -

In reality, however, the situation is not always clear-cut. It is not always the case that a product labeled ‘natural’ is better for us and our planet.

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Impact on our bodies -

First, let’s consider natural products and our bodies. It is a common misconception that natural products are free of harmful chemicals.

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Harmful side effects -

In fact, some naturally occurring ingredients can have very powerful, harmful, and long-lasting effects on the human body.

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Examples -

Consider tea tree, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils, for example. These can all cause skin irritation or other allergic reactions, and people vary in sensitivity.

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Long-lasting toxins -

Of course, man-made ingredients can have powerful and harmful effects on us, too. Indeed there are some toxins that can stay in the body for decades.

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Not so black and white -

However, it is simply not the case that natural always means "good for you" and synthetic always means "bad."

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Impact on the environment -

Now let’s consider natural products and the environment. Again, we assume that products described as ‘natural’ must be good for the planet.

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Greenwashing -

This is not necessarily true. Indeed, there is so much greenwashing in the beauty industry that consumers are starting to be more discerning with their purchases.

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'Natural' can also be harmful -

The reality is that harvesting natural ingredients to produce cosmetic products can be harmful to the environment in a number of ways.

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Greenhouse gases -

Firstly, it can release carbon that would have otherwise been sequestered back into the atmosphere. In this way, the harvesting contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases.

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Ecosystem services -

The crops that are used for natural ingredients may also provide other ecosystem services, such as supporting biodiversity and filtering water.

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Gone for good -

When the time comes to harvest those crops to produce ingredients for the beauty industry, those benefits to the ecosystem are lost in their entirety.

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Squalene -

Let’s take the two types of squalene (shark liver oil) as an example. The first type is used as an adjuvant to make certain vaccines more effective.

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As an adjuvant -

The second type of squalene is used to make products such as deodorants, skincare items, and sunscreen.

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Threatened populations -

The sourcing of both these ingredients, however valuable, threatens shark populations to the point that alternatives made from olive oil have been developed.

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Alternatives -

Unfortunately, the availability and price of those alternatives fluctuates depending on weather-dependent harvests.

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Bio-identical equivalents -

As a solution to the squalene problem, scientists at the Californian biotech company Amyris have developed a pharmaceutical-grade equivalent from ethically sourced sugar cane.

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Benefits -

Using a fermentation-based process to produce synthetic squalene makes for greater purity, a longer shelf life, and more stable prices than the natural alternative can provide.

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Advances -

According to Mike Rytokoski, president of technology access for Amyris, "The latest advances in biotechnology enable us to meet the growing demand for clean, sustainable ingredients not by depleting scarce natural resources, but through the creation of bio-identical ingredients through clean chemistry.”

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Statistics -

Amyris actually produces more than half the squalene used in beauty products throughout the world.

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Indian sandalwood -

Another example of an inspiring synthetic alternative can be found in Indian sandalwood. Indian sandalwood is a fragrance commonly used in beauty products.

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Possible extinction -

Each Indian sandalwood tree must mature for 30 years before it can be harvested for its oils, and overharvesting will quickly result in extinction.

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Amyris sandalwood -

In its labs, Amyris has developed a more affordable and bio-identical sandalwood molecule. It is made from abundant sugar cane using fermentation technology.

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The status quo -

It would appear, then, that sustainably produced bio-identical alternatives are possible. Unfortunately, they are just not the current status quo.

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Massive emissions -

As it stands, the majority of synthetic chemicals are produced in factories that use fossil fuels and energy intensive processes that create hazardous waste and toxic emissions.

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Holding chemical industry to account -

Currently, the chemical industry is the production sector that uses the most energy in the world. It puts out vast greenhouse gas emissions, fueling the climate crisis.

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All in all -

There is clearly a long way to go with synthetic ingredients for beauty products. But that does not mean to say that ‘natural’ is always better.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: Celebrities who started their own successful beauty brands

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