Taking care of the skin consistent with the way of living and thinking is a trend. And the cosmetics industry, accustomed to intuiting and translating how society breathes, has long since stepped in to offer more natural and sustainable products. millennials and Zetas press the accelerator of green change: they reduce meat consumption and make concern for the present and the future of the planet rise like foam. They have become aware of the type of ingredients they apply to their skin and the impact that the products have on the environment.
When there are vegan options even on the plane menu, it is logical that skin care also offers vegan, ecological, natural and more sustainable options. All without giving up science and technology. The younger generations want it all, for a product to be super effective and have assets that make a difference, but also for it to be instagrammable and for its packaging to be recyclable and not generate waste. They look at ingredients and labels looking for transparency, respect for nature, ethics and sustainability.
There is no way back. The slogan of the three Rs –reduce environmental impact, reuse and recycle- is common to all, including luxury and its sophisticated packaging that reduces weight and opts for recycled glass and plastics, cardboard from controlled forests and even biodegradable inks. And they are, of course, refillable. Now, the percentage of ingredients of natural origin in its formulas is highlighted on the label. A few years ago, it occurred to no one that sunscreen formulas had to be controlled so as not to harm corals and, in general, the marine ecosystem. Today it is one of his sales pitches.
Talking about natural cosmetics is a generic and unregulated concept. Indicates that the product is formulated based on natural ingredients; that is, of plants, animals, microorganisms or minerals. Bio, organic or eco cosmetics (the name changes depending on the country), not only ensures that the ingredients are natural, but also that they have been obtained using resources and raw materials in an optimal, sustainable and balanced way. Vegan cosmetics do not contain ingredients from animals or generated by them, such as honey or beeswax.
Without being in the least mandatory, the Ecocert and Cosmos certificates are the most used in Spain to guarantee that a product is organic. They guarantee that the product has at least 95% natural ingredients or of natural origin and that 95% of the vegetable ingredients come from organic farming. A minimum of 10% of the total ingredients must also come from this type of cultivation, which does not use herbicides or synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
In Europe, all cosmetic products are cruelty-free and cannot be tested on animals, so highlighting it is obvious. In other continents the regulations are more lax: the Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free International seal indicates that neither this product nor the ingredients that make it up have been tested on animals.
