Podcast 159: Fossil fuel-free magnificence – a declare too far?

Fossil fuel-free magnificence claims; haven’t we coated this one earlier than on Inexperienced Magnificence Conversations? You’d be proper to ask this as now we have delved into associated claims of carbon-neutral, zero-waste and climate-neutral, together with a number of matters open to greenwashing similar to waterless, inexperienced, clear and blue magnificence.

Nevertheless, fossil fuel-free is yet one more distinct declare we’ve seen popping up on cosmetics’ labels. Whereas it could overlap with these different phrases, we realised that fossil fuel-free magnificence wants its personal episode to ensure that us to unpack its that means.

System Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by College Training Supervisor Ana Inexperienced to make clear precisely what fossil fuel-free magnificence is and why it could be among the many most complicated and deceptive phrases but utilized to magnificence merchandise. Hear in to determine for your self if fossil fuel-free is a declare too far.

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Is fossil fuel-free magnificence the subsequent huge factor? Probably. However is it concerning the components inside or a magnificence enterprise as a complete? @FormulaBotanica podcast clears up the confusion. #beautyclaims #fossilfreebeauty #beautypodcast Click on To Tweet

On this episode on fossil fuel-free magnificence, you’ll hear:

How fossil fuels are large a part of our on a regular basis lives, from powering vehicles and heating properties to manufacturing. We aren’t going to keep away from them any time quickly even with the drive for alternate options and renewable vitality sources.
They’re additionally a significant a part of how the wonder business runs. Fossil fuels and petrochemical derivatives drive agriculture, ingredient processing, transportation, packaging and manufacturing in addition to the disposal and recycling of packaging and wonder merchandise. We’ve already talked concerning the over 120 billion items of plastic packaging per 12 months used within the magnificence business which might be produced from fossil fuels.
The fossil fuel-free declare on cosmetics relates up to now to product components solely. That is fairly doable to assert as pure/natural components can be utilized in place of petrochemical-derived ones. It may be verified by trusted our bodies like Ecocert, Cosmos, the Soil Affiliation and Natrue.
Customers seeing fossil fuel-free in cosmetics’ advertising and marketing could consider that the corporate is claiming this for its whole enterprise or product manufacturing cycle, which, to this point, is solely not going to be true.

Key takeouts embody:

Fossil fuel-free magnificence, which isn’t outlined by any respected third-party accreditation physique, is a misnomer and probably deceptive. It may be thought-about greenwashing, until the cosmetics agency is completely clear about why it makes use of the declare.
Petrochemicals masquerade in all types of components (fragrances particularly, but additionally in practical components like emulsifiers), in addition to “hidden liquid microplastics” in our cosmetics.
It’s doable to formulate cosmetics avoiding petrochemical derivatives as an increasing number of beauty ingredient producers are creating even practical components similar to emulsifiers, surfactants and emollients from plant-based sources.
Fossil fuel-free as a magnificence declare could change into extra prevalent on our cosmetics, however will stay complicated and deceptive. The complexity of the cosmetics business makes it inconceivable immediately to assert a enterprise is fossil fuel-free with the readability customers have a proper to demand.

Additional listening

If you need to listen to extra about among the matters coated on this episode, please do delve again into the podcast archives. We propose listening to:

Episode 87: We interview System Botanica graduates Elsie and Dominika of BYBI Magnificence and ask whether or not it’s doable to sink carbon whereas promoting skincare.Episode 83: during which we cowl the time period waterless magnificence and ask whether it is defining the way forward for cosmetics or simply advertising and marketing hype.Episode 69: Ana and Lorraine unpick the subject of biodegradability in magnificence; an episode which generated a flood of media requests afterwards as a result of nobody else was making any sense on this subject.

Thanks for becoming a member of us for this episode of the System Botanica Inexperienced Magnificence Conversations podcast. If you happen to loved listening, please share, subscribe and evaluation this episode on iTunes, Spotify or Youtube in order that extra individuals can benefit from the present. Don’t overlook to comply with and join with us on Fb, Twitter and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of System Botanica, the award-winning on-line natural beauty science faculty. Learn extra about Lorraine and the System Botanica Staff.