WITH SUSTAINABILITY NOW PART OF THE MAINSTREAM CONVERSATION, MAKEUP AND SKINCARE BRANDS HAVE INCREASINGLY BEEN SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THEIR OPERATIONAL PROCESSES THAT WERE ONCE HIDDEN AT “THE BACK END”.
WITH SUSTAINABILITY NOW PART OF THE MAINSTREAM CONVERSATION, MAKEUP AND SKINCARE BRANDS HAVE INCREASINGLY BEEN SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THEIR OPERATIONAL PROCESSES THAT WERE ONCE HIDDEN AT “THE BACK END”. MOH SHUYING SINGLES OUT THE YEAR’S MOST NOTEWORTHY LAUNCHES SO FAR THAT BRING NEW MEANING TO THE TERM “TRANSPARENCY” IN BEAUTY.
ETHICAL SOURCING
When it’s not good enough to know that the ingredients that go into a product are clean, but that obtaining them was an equally mindful process socially and environmentally
Clarins Bright Plus Advanced Brightening Dark Spot-Targeting Serum Meant to work like an oxygen shot that gives skin a fair, healthy glow, it boasts two organically cultivated ingredients: sea lily and elderflower. Bonus: Its bottle is made from 20 to 25 per cent recycled glass while its carton was made from materials sourced from sustainably managed forests.
Lancome Clarifique Dual Essence The star ingredient in this essence-infused toner is French beech bud extract, a power player of sorts that promises to lighten pigmentation, boost epidermal regeneration, hydrate and gently exfoliate. To harvest it, the beauty giant relies on a co-operative of 70 families living in the Ardeche Mountains Regional National Park in the south-eastern part of France who specifically select buds from the lower branches to respect the trees’ natural balance and avoid impacting their development. In addition, the trees from which the selected buds come from are rotated every four years to prevent exhaustion.
Circumference, www.net-a-porter.com A newcomer to the online multi-label retailer, this plant-based skincare brand from New York is focused on creating a positive impact on the environment as well as your skin. All its natural ingredients are sourced from native soil, a process said to allow their ecosystems to thrive without unnecessary intervention. Meanwhile its high-powered formulas are housed in repurposable glass vessels and FSCcertified recycled paper boxes.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
Besides using fewer materials for packaging, many industry players are upping their recycling game.
Sigi Skin Mini Dream Capsule
The entire packaging of this antioxidant-rich sleeping mask is made out of d2w, a biodegradable material that can be bio-assimilated (aka used as a food source) by bacteria and fungi. If it ever ends up as litter on land or sea, it would naturally degrade and feed nature.
YSL Pure Shots Night Reboot Serum
Sold in a bottle specifically designed to be refillable to help reduce waste, this formula is made of one-third oil and two-thirds exfoliating agents. It will also help you wake up to a softer, smoother and more radiant complexion.
Dior Capture Totale C.E.L.L Energy range
All outer packaging for this anti-ageing, skin-energising collection is made with recyclable paper with its dimensions reduced to achieve a 25 per cent decrease in cardboard weight. The bottles are meanwhile made exclusively from recyclable glass while the ink used for printing is of plant origin.
Skin Inc My Daily Dose Custom Blended Serum
Did you know that all of the bottles used for the brand’s signature serums are made of environmentally sustainable glass? The Singapore company also has an empty glass bottle recycling programme, which encourages customers to drop off their empty bottles at any of its concept stores here in exchange for a $5 rebate with every one.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
From the proper reprocessing of discarded materials to using waste as an energy source, conservation is the key.
RE:ERTH
This local brand collaborates with the pro-sustainability waste management company. Environmental Solutions (Asia) to turn all its trash into treasure. Using a unique chemical process that’s done locally to reduce carbon costs, all its plastic packaging can be recycled without having to first be washed, dismantled or cleaned, in turn reducing the amount of energy used and waste generated. The plastic is then converted into a form of fuel that’s non-fossil derived and used to offset carbon emissions from logistics, operations, transport and more.
Shiseido Global Suncare The Perfect Protector SPF50+/PA++++
The beauty giant says the water-resistant formula of this sunblock means that less product runs off one’s skin and enters the ocean while you’re at the beach. If you don’t buy that, know that its carton packaging is made of 100 per cent recycled paper and there’s no information leaflet included because #savepaper.
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer
The star ingredient of this lightweight, anti-ageing cream that reportedly helps to neutralise free radical damage, combat visible signs of ageing and calm inflammation is sustainably sourced lotus. The brand makes sure that the entire plant is used and any by-products are planted back into the soil to help maintain ecological balance with minimal impact on the environment.
COMMUNITY WELFARE
Giving back lies at the very heart of sustainability, whether it’s to the environment or community.
Chantecaille Lip Chic
There’s a reason why the pretty packaging of this limited-edition gloss-lipstick hybrid sports images of the hummingbird, a symbol of the thriving Amazon: 5 per cent of sales will be donated to the Amazon Conservation Team to support its work in preserving the hummingbird’s rainforest habitat.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate
HAIR & MAKEUP MANI SA TAN / PALETTEINC, ASSISTED BY ZIWEI YANG MODEL KIM WESSENDROP/MANNE QUIN
PHOTOGRAPHY VEECHIN STYLING IMRAN JALAL
