Latest Innovations Ingredients in Sustainable Beauty

Here is an in-depth report of the ingredients innovations that have been released over the course of 2024. We only focus on the innovations that have sustainable attributes.

re/sources has identified five trends in the latest Ingredients Innovations:

(This report classifies the innovations according to the current trends.)

Longevity

The longevity trend in beauty revolves around the concept of maintaining healthy, vibrant, and youthful skin for as long as possible. This movement emphasizes proactive care, sustainable solutions, and a shift toward well-ageing rather than anti-ageing.

Key ideas include:

• Well-ageing over anti-ageing,
• Prevention over repair (e.g., through sun protection, hydration, and antioxidants),
• A holistic approach to skincare
• Preservation of skin integrity,
• Skin minimalism and sustainability
• Personalised beauty solution

This trend acknowledges that beauty is not about turning back time but about nurturing skin health and fostering confidence throughout life.

Blue Beauty

The Blue Beauty movement is a sustainability-driven trend in the beauty industry that emphasizes protecting the world’s oceans and aquatic ecosystems. It expands upon the principles of green beauty by focusing specifically on water conservation and reducing environmental harm from beauty products.

Key concepts include:

• Ocean friendly ingredients
• Waterless and Water-Conscious Formulation
• Sustainable sourcing practices
• Marine conservations initiatives
• Circular Beauty Practices
• Sourcing from the Ocean (Algae, Micro-Organisms, etc.)

Blue Beauty positions itself as a proactive, purpose-driven movement that connects personal care with the health of the planet, championing both eco-conscious innovation and marine conservation.

Greener Switch

The Greener Switch in beauty formulation focuses on replacing conventional, non-sustainable ingredients like petrochemicals, silicones, and other synthetic materials with eco-friendly, bio-based, and renewable alternatives. This aligns with the broader sustainability movement and caters to consumers seeking environmentally responsible products.

Key ideas include

• Bio-Based Alternatives to Petrochemicals, with Plant-Derived Ingredients, using biotechnology or upcycled ingredients.
• Silicone-free technologies with plant oils and butters, sugar-Based Polymers.
• Green solvents and excipients with the transition to natural solvents
• Renewable emulsifiers and surfactants using biosurfactants
• Natural film formers and texturizers from starches and polysaccharides, chitosan and algae extracts.
• and more.

This greener switch emphasizes performance parity with traditional ingredients, maintaining high efficacy and luxury while promoting environmental responsibility.

Upcycling

The upcycling trend in cosmetics represents a transformative movement in the beauty industry, where brands prioritize sustainability by repurposing waste materials from other industries—such as food, beverage, and agriculture—into valuable, high-performance ingredients for skincare, haircare, and makeup. This approach aligns with growing consumer demand for eco-conscious and purpose-driven products.

Key ideas:

• Sustainable sourcing and waste reduction
• Circular beauty practices
• Natural and multifunctional actives
• Partnerships with Other Industries

These trends highlight the growing emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and conscious consumerism within the beauty industry.

Biotech Beauty

The biotech revolution in beauty represents a significant and growing trend where cutting-edge science and sustainable practices converge to create innovative, high-performance products. Biotechnology in beauty focuses on harnessing living systems, such as microorganisms and bioengineering processes, to develop ingredients that are sustainable, ethical, and effective.

Key ideas:

• Sustainable ingredient development
• Nature-identical ingredients without overharvesting
• Carbon-capture beauty ingredients
• Biodegradable and circular solutions
• Low impact sourcing with resource efficiency and scalability

Biotechnology is reshaping the beauty industry by offering sustainable, ethical, and scientifically advanced solutions. It positions itself as the future of beauty, merging environmental responsibility with cutting-edge innovation.

INGREDIENTS INNOVATIONS

PRIMALHYAL™ 50 LIFE

About

Givaudan Active Beauty took the challenge to rethink and redesign the whole process of one of its blockbusters, low molecular weight HA. Givaudan Active Beauty combined the power of biotechnology, advanced precision fermentation, synthetic biology, strain engineering, and process optimization.

Why it’s interesting / sustainable?

PrimalHyal™ 50 Life comprises significant improvements across various environmental parameters, as demonstrated by a life cycle analysis, to reach –91% reduction in environmental impact.

Supplier: GIVAUDAN
Location: France, Europe
Release Date: January 2024

HERMETIA ILLUCENS HPI

About

You already know proteins made from insects? Please welcome skincare ingredient made from fly larvae! Hermetia illucens HPI is a cosmetic ingredient derived from the Black Soldier Fly protein. It offers multiple benefits for skin care, including wrinkle improvement, brightening, and anti-inflammatory effects. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, enhances skin radiance, evens out skin tone, and soothes irritated skin.