Sustainable formulation Innovations: Brands
This report showcases all the latest beauty launches in 2023 - from luxury to mass brands in the sustainability space - with a focus on “green” formulations.
We have split the report into the following sections:
1. RECREATE: lab-grown ingredients using biotechnology
2. REDUCE: waterless beauty products and single-dose skincare formulations.
3. REPURPOSE: from carbon captive and regenerative farming to upcycling waste into new beauty ingredients.
RECREATE: Lab-Grown Ingredients
Mother Science
Mother Science is a biotech beauty brand that creates next-generation skincare solutions using cutting edge science and innovation.
Why it’s interesting? The brand has created a unique and patented ingredient called Malassezin, which is created by biotechnology. The ingredient is said to be 10x more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C to tackle dark spots and pigmentation. The Molecular Hero Serum targets dark spots and sun damage.
Market: US
Launch: May 2023
Haeckels Lab
Haeckels’ Lab Skincare harnesses the power of biotech and lab-grown ingredients to develop three skincare formulations - Hydrating Toner, EGF Serum and Cleansing Milk.
Why it’s interesting? A high performance range of skincare products that has been developed in-house using ingredients grown with the brand’s own bioreactors.
Market: UK
Launch: March 2023
Palmless
Palmless’ first consumer product, F#$%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil, is a dual-purpose skin and hair care product that features the brand’s Torula Oil.
Why it’s interesting? Torula oil was bio-designed by the scientists and innovators at C16 Biosciences and comes from a natural yeast.
Market: Global
Launch: February 2023
REDUCE: Single-Dose Capsules
Seadrop Skincare
Seadrop Skincare’s “just add water” beads offer a more sustainable facial cleansing experience. The waterless beads also cuts down on surplus weight during shipping, which reduces carbon footprint during transportation.
Why it’s interesting? A waterless, powder-based, pre-dosed bead transforms into a luxurious skincare product with a drop of water. The Hydrating Seafoam Cleanser comes with a reusable container called the Eternal Jar, which is made of glass. Consumers can easily refill the cleanser, with each refill tube containing 60 beads. The tube is made from FSC-certified paper tubes, printed with soy-based inks for easy recycling.
Market: Global
Launch: July 2023
Onelogy
Megadose is a tablet-to-gel serum. It comes in a “convenient, dissolvable tablet format that delivers potency with minimum waste - in every application”. It is offered in four variations: alpha arbutin 2%, niacinamide 2%, HPR retinoid 0.3%, and peptides-cu 0.6%.
Why it’s interesting? The dissolvable single-dose format skincare comes in a pill packet. The product is made using freeze-dried technology to maximise the potency of the active ingredients. Users add a drop of water to the tablet, which transforms into a gel consistency that can be applied onto the skin.
Market: US
Launch: May 2023
Tru Hyal 100
The Advanced Night Repair Capsule won the Cosmoprof Awards 2023. The products simplifies the beauty routine with freeze-dried capsules that are waterless.
Why it’s interesting? Features only four ingredients: a patented dual molecular hyaluronic acid, a hydrating boosting sugar molecule, sodium DNA from eco-sourced salmon and squalene. Provides 100 hours of moisture in one application.
Market: South Korea
Launch: March 2023
est.lab
The LumiGlow Enzyme Cleansing Pods are waterless and provide 3-in-1 benefits - it works as a makeup remover, cleansing foam and enzymatic peel. Formulated with pineapple extract, mango extract, Georgia peach extract and lemon extract to melt away make-up, sunscreen and impurities without stripping the skin.
Why it’s interesting? Manufactured using a freeze-drying methods - a low-temperature dehydration process that removes moisture from the formulations to keep preserve the freshness and potency. Freeze-drying also reduced carbon footprint during shipping as it decreases the molecular weight of the cleansing pods.
Market: Singapore
Launch: December 2022
REDUCE: Zero Water
Ember Wellness
The brand’s Sculpt & Glow Highlighting Moisture Bar is a solid moisturiser shaped like a gua sha tool and is water-free. It is available in three shades: Rose Quartz, Sunstone and Bronze.
Why it’s interesting? The formula contains only 12 ingredients, including shea butter, vitamin E, anti-inflammatory chamomile flower, and sustainably sourced mica, which provides a subtle glow. The bar features up to 10 organic ingredients, is vegan-friendly and comes in a refillable aluminium box. This bar is interesting as it not only hydrates but also imparts a hint of colour on the skin for a fresh glow.
Market: US
Launch: September 2023
Bonjout Beauty
Le Balm is solid, waterless serum that offers 8-in-1 benefits. It works as a serum, moisturiser, under-eye cream, night cream, treatment salve, lip care, primer and overnight repairing mask.
Why it’s interesting? Five years in the making, the solid face treatment is powered by 68 highly concentrated actives designed to repair the skin barrier, targets visible ageing and enhance elasticity. French pharmacist Natacha Bonjout has developed the 2.6.60 formulation protocol, which is based on 60+ active ingredients, delivers six key skin actions, and works on two skin levels. Every ingredient has been selected to work in sync with one another to provide skin benefits.
Market: France
Launch: September 2023
Contemplation
“One product. Endless uses” is how the brand describes this product. Contemplation is a low-waste, conscious beauty brand focusing on waterless formulas.
Why it’s interesting? The company has launched one single product that is designed to be multifunctional. The multi-use body oil, called My Only Oil, can be used on the face, body and hair as a moisturiser, cleanser, hair styler, body oil, bath oil etc. It contains zero water and features 60% upcycled ingredients such as avocado, prickly pear and maracuja oils from byproducts of the food sector.
Market: US
Launch: April 2023
We Are Concentrate
New water-conscious beauty brand that has develop a range of essential products using as little water and plastic as possible. It's motto is “Minimal Water. Maximum Results”.
Why it’s interesting? The debut products - a shampoo and conditioner - contains no water in its production process and uses a closed-loop water manufacturing system. Water is replaced with ingredients such as aloe vera, papaya, coconut, shea butter, and guava. 100% natural fragrances and products have at least 88% natural ingredients. The Tube Squeezer ensures products are used to the very last drop.
Market: UK
Launch: October 2022
SKOON
NanoPillow Serum contains 100% active ingredients with no water.
Why it’s interesting? Contains no preservatives and the NanoPillow technology uses a patented SNC BEST Ball Electrospinning Technology that utilises high-voltage electricity to evaporate the serum’s water and stretch it into thread-like fibres that can be pressed into nano-fibre pillows for high-powered active ingredients. The nanofiber format enhances the penetration of skin actives to ensure the ingredients reach deeper into the dermal layers.
Market: South Africa
Launch: June 2023
ReMI Beauty
A plastic-free, condensed and waterless skincare brand. The products are locally sourced and handmade in Melbourne.
Why it’s interesting? Highly concentrated, the multi-functional solid Stones (Day Moisturiser Stone and Night Moisturiser Stone) acts as an eye cream, moisturiser, face oil, and lip conditioner. The products contain Australian botanicals including wattleseed extract, sandalwood oil, blue cypress oil, and rosewood bark oil. Offers a highly sensorial experience.
Market: Australia
Launch: February 2023
Yves Rocher
French beauty brand Yves Rocher has added two new solid products to its line - a face scrub and a conditioner bar.
Why it’s interesting? The solid products are free from plastic - the Conditioner bar is formulated with organic flower oils grown in Brittany, is vegan friendly and does not without silicone. Meanwhile, the new solid face scrub is packed with organic peppermint grown in France and features 100% plant-based grains for gentle exfoliation. Four new solid fragrances will join the line-up. The new range is alcohol-free and made of wax and vegetable oils.
Market: Europe
Launch: June 2023
REPURPOSE: Recycled & Reused
Gucci Beauty
First fragrance from Coty’s Gucci Beauty that is manufactured with alcohol from 100% recycled carbon emissions.
Why it’s interesting? Where My Heart Beats fragrance uses a CarbonSmart alcohol produced by biotech company LanzaTech, which reduces water consumption and need of agricultural land for alcohol production.
Market: Global
Launch: April 2023
Eclo Beauty
French start-up company that focuses on regenerative ingredients and practices. Offers a line of 100% natural makeup products - “one that takes care of you and the planet”. Products are designed to provide “sensory effects” with creamy, melting textures, made from vegetable waxes, that can be applied with fingers. The latest launch is a semi-solid foundation with rye as a key ingredient.
Why it’s interesting? Uses regenerative ingredients such as hemp, rye, seaweed that help to regenerate the soil and seabed, while promoting biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems. For example, Breton hemp helps to decontaminate the soil and Breton brown seaweed to clean the oceans of pollutants.
Market: France
Launch: January 2023
REPURPOSE: Upcycled Ingredients
My Skin Feels
New brand that focuses on skincare that uses upcycled ingredients from the food and drinks industry. Product line includes a foaming face wash and a hydrating moisturiser.
Why it’s interesting? Products contain 99% natural ingredients and the brand uses upcycled ingredients including orange juice, olive oil, tomato ketchup, and breakfast oats.
Market: UK
Launch: March 2023
Aizome
AIZOME, a Japanese-German textile start-up has created a skincare line called Wastecare that features textile dyeing factory wastewater.
Why it’s interesting? The first skincare product made from industrial waste. The brand’s ULTRA methods uses only plant, water, and ultrasound instead of synthetic chemicals. The waste water and textiles have natural health benefits, including anti-inflammation, pain relief and skin rejuvenation.
Market: Japan/Germany
Launch: June 2023
UpCircle
The British brand has expanded into haircare. The Shampoo Creme is packed with upcycled pink berry extract. It is also refillable and housed in a 100% plastic-free packaging.
Why it’s interesting? The product is said to last three times as long as a traditional shampoo. The formula is a hybrid between a solid and a liquid. Designed for all hair types and is a sustainable alternative to the solid bar format.
Market: UK
Launch: May 2023
Nivea
NIVEA has infused recycled coffee grounds into its Naturally Good face cream.
Why it’s interesting? The first time the brand is using upcycled ingredients. NIVEA partnered with Kaffe Bueno, a company that turns coffee from the hotel and catering sectors into cosmetic actives. Globally, billions of kilogrammes of coffee is consumed each year, and the coffee grounds usually end up in landfills, which can be harmful to the environment as when they decompose, it releases methane.
Market: Global
Launch: October 2022
Montinutra x Ole Hyva
Montinutra is a Finnish start-up company that has launched a zero-waste, closed loop beauty ingredient derived from sawdust.
Why it’s interesting? Highly sustainable, it uses a zero-waste closed-loop manufacturing method to extract ingredients from forest waste products such as sawdust and bark for second-life uses. The company has partnered with Ole Hyva, a Finnish producer of natural personal care products, to launch its Boreal Bioproducts SpruceSugar to the consumer market.
Market: Europe
Launch: April 2023
Pai Skincare
The C-2 Believe Vitamin C Brightening Moisturiser features upcycled ingredients.
Why it’s interesting? Packed with a range of by-product ingredients including bilberry, plum and apricot oils, plus zero waste camellia oil, mango butter and cocoa butter.
Market: UK
Launch: September 2022
Amare
Focuses on “functional skincare made from regenerated coffee extracts”. Products are co-developed by the world’s leading experts in coffee and dermatology. The line-up includes a moisturiser, serum and solid cleanser.
Why it’s interesting? The brand’s products are made from regenerated coffee extracts, harnessing the benefits of coffee thanks to its antioxidant properties.
Market: Italy
Launch: December 2022
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Single-dose products are emerging as a strong category in skincare with a plethora of brands offering highly potent formulas. Freeze-drying the formula is key to further maximise the efficacy and performance of the product.
- Solid beauty formulas show no sign of slowing down, driven by demand for waterless beauty trend.
- Brands are getting more creative, and products are becoming hyper-sensorial with transformative textures like SKOON’s NanoPillow Serum, which has been dehydrated using high tech to preserve the active ingredients but changes into a liquid when activated with water.
- Upcycled beauty products are hitting the spotlight with more and more brands transforming by-product waste from the food, drink, industrial and forestry sectors into exciting new cosmetic ingredients for skincare.
- Carbon capture will be the next frontier in sustainable fragrances.
- Regenerative beauty is gaining traction with brands investing in ingredients that actively gives back to the natural ecosystems and soils.
