Want to stay in the know when it comes to cosmetic ingredients? Delve into our bi-weekly round-up of the latest ingredients news and what that might mean for the industry.
Coty commits to sustainable ethanol for fragrances
Coty has signed a letter of intent to partner with LanzaTech, which will allow it to switch to sustainable ethanol made from captured-carbon emissions for its fragrance products.
Coty is one of the world’s largest fragrance brand owners in the world, so the partnership has far-reaching industry implications, while also helping the company to achieve its target that the majority of its fragrance portfolio will be using carbon-captured ethanol by 2023. LanzaTech has emerged as one of the leaders in next-generation green and sustainable ingredient production techniques and
has built on this position by developing the technology to capture industrial emissions and process the waste gases into a more sustainable form of ethanol. For the past two years, the companies have collaborated alongside production partners to develop what the teams say is a high-purity sustainable ethanol that is specifically suitable for fragrances.
“Sustainability is the ultimate driver of innovation and Coty is focused on creating outstanding products that are truly clean and green. Ethanol is the number one ingredient purchased for the fragrance category and over time this partnership with LanzaTech will significantly reduce the environmental impact of our products,” said Sue Y. Nabi, Chief Executive Officer of Coty.
“It’s not only the right thing to do, but it makes commercial sense too – with today’s consumer rightly demanding that their favourite brands share their commitment to sustainability.”
Ethanol has always been a core ingredient and serves to enable the efficient dispersion of scent. Coty has traditionally sourced its ethanol from a range of natural materials, such as sugar cane and sugar beet, but farming these crops utilizes land, fertiliser and water, whereas the new ethanol is 100% derived from waste.
Indeed, Coty worked with sustainability consultancy Quantic, determining that a life cycle assessment of the new ethanol product technique showed a significant reduction in the environmental impact.
Croda strengthens naturals offering with Alban Muller acquisition
Croda International has announced the acquisition of France-based natural active ingredient provider Alban Muller. As one of the biggest ingredient players in the beauty and personal care industry, this acquisition will serve to strengthen its position in the natural and botanicals area, specifically for sustainable active ingredients.
Established in 1978 by Alban Muller, the company has been built into a business with an annual turnover of €18 million and employs 90 people, with a focus on supplying ingredients that have a high sustainability profile, thanks in part to a focus on locally sourced raw materials. Alban Muller has also developed a focused on innovative and technologically advanced natural ingredients, which has been enhanced thanks to the incorporation of Zeodration, a low-energy drying technology that preserves even the most volatile and sensitive of active ingredients.
Croda executives believe the acquisition will help give its customers greater access to a range of high-tech active ingredients, while also serving to enable future growth for the business thanks to Croda’s international sales network and formulation expertise.
“The acquisition of Alban Muller enhances Croda’s position as a world leader in natural and botanical actives, helping us meet the increasing demand from customers looking for ingredients of natural origin to improve the sustainability profile of their products,” said Maarten Heybroek, president of Croda’s Consumer Care sector.
Croda said that the transaction is still subject to pre closing conditions but is expected to close by the end of Q1 2021.
L’Oréal commits to sourcing ingredients based on ‘green sciences’
As part of its aims to increase its sustainability profile, L’Oréal has made a commitment to ‘green sciences’ for its future ingredient and formulation development. The pledge means that, by 2030, 95% of its ingredients will be derived from renewable plant sources, abundant minerals or circular processes, while its entire range of formulas will be respectful of aquatic life.
The news represents a big shift for the industry, as L’Oréal is the world biggest beauty and personal care company, with countless ingredient and raw material suppliers worldwide, all of whom will have to adapt to the new requirements or lose risk losing big business. Executives at the company say that the shift to green sciences will enable the sustainable cultivation of ingredients using the very latest technological processes.
Last year the company hit targets to establish that 80% of its raw materials were easily biodegradable, 59% were renewable and 34% were of natural origin.
“With Green Sciences we are entering a new chapter for L’Oréal Research & Innovation, which has been a key driving force behind the company since its creation,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, the company’s deputy chief executive officer, in charge of division.
“Our ambition is that by 2030 we will be able to offer women and men around the world increasingly effective, safe cosmetics that respect the environment.”
The green sciences focus also comes with a renewed commitment to transparency through its Inside Our Products website, an information campaign on environmental and social impact of cosmetic products highlighted by the Future programme, together with a social media campaign to drive awareness about Inside Our Products.
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