The beauty industry often resists trends. From campaigns on aging to home LED masks, consumers have encountered a range of innovations. However, one particularly enduring trend over the last decade is the shift towards “natural” or “organic” beauty products.

At first glance, this sounds appealing: fewer plant ingredients, minimal processing, and no synthetic pesticides. What could be wrong with that? The reality is more complex.

Choosing “natural” beauty products may feel like a wise choice when considering our planet.

Yet, as the beauty industry comes under scrutiny for its environmental impact, we must move beyond greenwashing and evaluate whether relying on naturally grown resources is truly sustainable within a billion-dollar industry.

Growth Market

The global natural and organic beauty sector is currently seeing robust growth driven by heightened consumer interest, with projections estimating gross revenues of approximately £11.3 billion ($14.9 billion) by 2025.

In the UK alone, the natural cosmetics market is expected to reach around £210 million ($278 million) in 2025, with annual growth rates of about 2.74% over the next five years.

From ingredient-light serums to zero-waste shampoo bars, the diversity and volume of products available have never been greater. While this thriving market is exciting, it also presents challenges.

More products lead to increased material extraction, mining, and synthesis, as well as greater packaging and emissions throughout the supply chain.

This intricate situation can easily confuse well-meaning consumers, who may get caught up in labels like “natural” or “organic” without fully understanding their implications.

There’s a common belief that if something is labeled “natural,” it must be beneficial for the environment. However, whether it’s Moroccan argan oil or Mexican aloe vera, obtaining natural ingredients often comes at a high price.

Crops require extensive land, water, and energy for cultivation.

Many high-demand crops are susceptible to climate change and, regrettably, are often linked to unethical labor practices. While we aspire for organic farming to represent a more sustainable approach, it can also lead to unintended negative outcomes.

For instance, many organic agricultural practices may yield lower crop outputs while occupying more land. This can result in deforestation as farmers seek additional land to maximize production of slowly-growing crops.

Naturally derived pesticides used in organic agriculture can also harm the soil.

Copper sulfate, commonly used in the wine industry’s “Bordeaux mixture,” has long been approved for use in organic farming but has recently faced regulation due to its negative effects on soil microbiomes and potential threats to local insect populations.

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Lab-grown Materials

This is where biotechnology enters the conversation. While it may not have the allure of “Wild Harvest Lavender,” biotechnology could ultimately prove to be one of the planet’s most eco-friendly resources.

In simple terms, biotechnology utilizes scientific methods (often involving fermentation with yeast, plant sugars, or bacteria) to cultivate ingredients in laboratories, as opposed to sourcing them from nature. Think of it like brewing beer, but instead of a refreshing pint, you yield powerful active ingredients for moisturizers and shampoos.

These lab-generated components are molecularly identical to their natural counterparts and can be produced without ecosystem emissions, using significantly less water, land, and energy.

This highly controlled process can also be scaled efficiently while maintaining consistent quality.

For example, swapping “wild harvested lavender” for biotechnologically produced lavender essential oils can lead to substantial reductions in energy and water usage.

Producing 1g (0.04oz) of natural lavender oil requires about 20L (approximately 5 gallons) of water and about 4 megajoules of energy—roughly equivalent to watching TV for 20 hours.

In contrast, if biotechnologically produced, the same 1g can potentially require just 2-5L (0.5-1.3 gallons) of water and 1 megajoule of energy (the equivalent needed to boil a kettle).

Biotechnology has advanced significantly in recent years, although companies have yet to replicate every component of these unique essential oils.

One ingredient successfully replicated is bisabolol, known for its soothing properties in the cosmetics field. It’s utilized in a diverse range of products, from hormone-related creams to sun care and baby products.

To extract natural bisabolol, it must be derived from Candea trees native to Brazil. This cultivation can lead to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem strain, with natural harvest quality varying based on weather conditions.

To obtain 1kg (2.2 pounds) of natural bisabolol, cutting down around 1-3 trees is necessary, with each tree taking 10-15 years to mature.

To create one ton (2,204 pounds) of bisabolol, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 trees are needed—a staggering statistic given the global demand is around 16 tons (35,000 pounds) annually.

Each tree consumes about 36,000 liters (9,500 gallons) of water over its lifetime (equivalent to 72,000 500ml bottles) and 75 megajoules of energy (approximately analogous to charging a smartphone 2,500 times).

Givaudan, a Swiss ingredient manufacturer, has already developed bisabolol through biotechnological means, resulting in a much higher specification than what natural agriculture can achieve.

Comparatively, biotechnological yields of bisabolol can utilize 90-95% less water and 50-60% less energy than natural Candeia tree yields, not to mention the hectares saved from potential deforestation.

Brands like Boots and Estée Lauder are investing in biotechnology.

Even smaller indie brands are beginning to highlight fermented or lab-grown ingredients. Eco Brand Biossance uses a similar moisturizing ingredient to squalene, but instead of harvesting it from shark fins, they derive it from sugarcane, claiming to save an estimated 20-30 million sharks each year.

Moreover, biotechnology ingredients tend to be purer, more stable, and often more effective than their natural counterparts, meaning your product will last longer, perform better, and evoke less guilt regarding the environment.

What Should I Look For?

For consumers, all this information can feel daunting, especially with packaging filled with misleading marketing buzzwords. However, here are a few straightforward tips for choosing cosmetic products that align with your values.

• Seek out biotechnology or lab-grown ingredients, often labeled as “fermented origin,” “biodesign,” or “bioidentical” on ingredient lists.
• Be cautious of common marketing greenwash terms like “eco-friendly,” “clean beauty,” “sustainable,” and “biodegradable.” Look for tangible values, timelines, or explanations backing these claims.
• Avoid brands that shift their focus away from sustainability to other concerns, such as “opposing animal testing,” which has been banned by the EU since 1998 for British cosmetics.

While the notion that beauty should be “natural” is comforting, this approach isn’t necessarily the most sustainable choice, especially as the UK lacks a legal definition of what “natural” cosmetics entail.

If you genuinely want to protect the planet for future generations, it’s essential to move past the notion of nature as an infinite resource and start supporting smarter scientific innovations that collaborate with nature rather than oppose it.

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