London – The upcoming Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will cast the spotlight on blue beauty, green materials, and sustainability schemes. The European edition will take place in Paris on 23-25th October.

Blue Beauty
For the first time, the summit will feature blue beauty: personal care products designed to be safe for both human health and marine life. Industry experts will delve into creating and marketing cosmetics that are friendly to marine ecosystems.
Awareness is rising about the detrimental effects beauty products have on marine environments. Approximately 4,000 tonnes of sunscreen enter the oceans annually, harming coral reefs and marine life. Sol de Ibiza, a leading organic sun care brand, will share its experience in developing ocean-friendly sunscreens. It has a range of certified organic mineral sunscreens that are housed in plastic-free packaging. A pioneering French brand will discuss the potential of waterless beauty products, while another speaker will highlight green packaging materials that can replace plastics.
Marine ingredients, such as seaweed and algae, are also a source of inspiration in the cosmetics industry. UK-based Beauty Kitchen is innovating with microalgae. Founder Jo Chidley will explain how the company uses sustainably sourced microalgae in its Pure Source Collagen Collection, which claims to boost the body’s own collagen production. Another speaker will explain how marine ingredients can create innovative products.

Green Materials
Green ingredients are derived from traditional sources like plants as well as new technologies. Kew Royal Gardens will show how botanical sources continue to provide active ingredients. Gabbi Loedolff from Lush, arguably one of the most sustainable brands in the cosmetics industry, will detail its ethical sourcing projects. Lush is working directly with producers in various parts of the world to source natural ingredients, such as cocoa butter, shea butter, and sandalwood oil. Lars Zirpins from Weleda will explain how the company has a vertically integrated supply chain for some of its raw materials. Weleda, the world’s premier organic cosmetics brand, grows many of its ingredients on its biodynamic farms.
The role of new technologies like fermentation techniques to produce green materials will also be explored. A pioneering French company will explain how biotechnology is enabling the company to produce plant-based ingredients in refineries. Another speaker will discuss the opportunities presented by upcycling; many cosmetic and ingredient firms are using agricultural side streams to create new materials. Jolene Maloney from Croda Beauty will explain why biodegradable ingredients are needed if the cosmetics industry is to move towards circularity. Some insights will be given into how the biodegradability of cosmetic ingredients can be determined.

Moving to Circularity
Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, a visionary thinker on circularity, will deliver a keynote on creating positive impacts. Braungart advocates that cosmetic and ingredient firms should move beyond merely reducing environmental impacts to creating positive value. He will discuss the Cradle-To-Cradle design approach, which aims for cosmetic ingredients and packaging to be reused, recycled, or biodegraded at the end of their lifecycle.
Braungart is the founder and scientific CEO of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), co-founder of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), and a professor for Eco-Design at Leuphana University of Lüneburg.

Sustainability Schemes
With the growing emphasis on sustainability, ethical labels and sustainability schemes in the cosmetics industry are increasing. Iveta Kovacova from Ecovia Intelligence will introduce this trend, highlight key developments, and provide growth projections.
Natural and organic labels are the leading ethical labels in the cosmetics industry. Mark Smith from Natrue and Xanthe Galanis-Hancox from COSMOS-Standard ASBL will give an update on the natural and organic cosmetics market. Natrue and COSMOS are the most widely adopted standards for such products.
Lise Frank Axelsen from Ecolabelling Denmark will speak about the Nordic Swan and EU Eco-Flower schemes, which are the most popular for lower environmental impacts. Other speakers will discuss carbon labelling and fair trade sourcing. Dirk-Jan Oudshoorn from Forestwise will share the company’s experience with sustainability schemes. The Indonesian-Dutch start-up sources wild-harvested ingredients from the Borneo rainforest. These ingredients are certified organic, fair trade and / or Halal.

About the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit
The Sustainable Cosmetics Summit has been covering sustainability issues in the cosmetic & personal care industry since 2009. This 16th European edition will be hosted at the Crowne-Plaza – Republique Paris on 23-25th October 2024. More information is available from
https://www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com/Europe/

About Ecovia Intelligence
Ecovia Intelligence is a London-based specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on global ethical product industries. Since 2001, we have been encouraging sustainable development via our services portfolio: market research publications, business & sustainability consulting, technical research, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits.
Visit us at www.ecoviaint.com