Eco boost: Five recent developments in sustainable beauty across APAC

1 – TerraCycle CEO: Circular beauty is about ‘honouring the molecules’ of a product and giving them a long life

Giving the longest life possible to molecules that make up a product is what circularity is all about, and the reuse movement in beauty is a particularly exciting and innovative path forward​, says the CEO and founder of US recycling major TerraCycle.

The circular economy shot to the front of political, business and consumer agendas recently after the European Commission (EC) declared its goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Part of its European Green Deal, president of the EC Ursula von der Leyen said the region would do “whatever it takes” to unlock the investment, innovation and creativity needed to achieve this goal. And a big part of this, she said, would be achieved by shifting towards circular business models and clean technologies.

So, what did this circular model shift look like for beauty? How could circularity be defined and shaped in beauty and personal care supply chains?

2 – PODCAST – I predict a riot: Founder of Organic Riot on the hard truths around sustainability

In this episode of Indie Pioneers we chat with the founder of New Zealand brand Organic Riot about his valiant efforts in furthering the sustainable beauty movement​ and discuss some hard truths about what it means to be a sustainable and ethical beauty brand.

Organic Riot debut on the since in 2019 after four years in development. Founder Siddharth Somaiya, who was formerly working in the speciality chemicals line, decided to start his own brand to champion his vision of sustainable beauty.

“I wanted to make sure that I could give millions of people in the world access to safe and effective skin care that is, most importantly, accessibly priced. The only way you can really make a change is if you have millions of people buying your products,” ​said Somaiya.

He told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the journey to launching Organic Riot was arduous but taught him a lot about what it means to be a sustainable and ethical brand.

3 – Pedal power: Low-waste beauty brand Oasis to pilot zero-carbon delivery option

Singapore-based low-waste beauty brand Oasis Skincare will be launching a delivery option with bicycle couriers​ for customers within a two- or three-kilometre radius in an attempt to reduce its carbon impact.

Founded in 2018, Oasis Skin is a local manufacturer of organic personal care products that advocates a zero-to-low-waste beauty concept with solid beauty products and a refill-and-reuse concept.

In 2019, it opened the doors to its first retail outlet located on the city fringe. This April, it unveiled a second in a more residential neighbourhood to be closer to its consumers.

“Our first location was more focused as a production space and now we want to give people a proper retail experience. Being in this neighbourhood as well, it’s just more convenient for people to come by and check us out or refill their products,”​ said founder Hildra Gwee.

Gwee told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that another reason she pushed for a store in a residential district was to launch a zero-carbon delivery service.

4 – Purposeful beauty: asa Beauty marries sustainability and luxury with refillable make-up concept

Newly launched Indian make-up brand asa Beauty has developed a range of refillable make-up products​ with meticulously designed aluminium packaging to offer consumers a luxurious experience without compromising on sustainability.

The brand launched in January this year with a product range including lipsticks, concealer, powders, and cheek tints.

Most notably, the brand uses a smart refillable and reusable system to minimise wastage and reduce plastic consumption.

The brand was founded by Asha Jindal Khaitan and her daughter-in-law Sukriti Jindal Khaitan.

Asha is a veteran in the health and beauty industry, who co-founded the nutraceutical brand Pure Nutrition. The family is also closely associated with the Jindal Naturecure Institute in Bangalore.

5 – Conscious creation: Sigi Skin on how the need to raise its sustainability standards will impact future product development

The drive to increase its sustainability standards is pushing Singapore-based skin care brand Sigi Skin to rethink the formulation, packaging and the overall product portfolio​ of the brand.

Sigi Skin debuted in November 2018 with a line of superfood-infused skin care products. The brand transitioned into a fully vegan brand as of February this year.

Recently, the brand launched Idyllic Fields Day-Time Moisturiser, a 100% waterless moisturiser that is described as having a ‘soft souffle texture’.

This is not the brand’s first time launching a waterless product. In 2019, the company launched Dew Potion, a facial essence mist that contains three extracts – chamomile, Aqua 3G and maqui berry – and no fresh water at all.