Upcycled Cosmetic Ingredients: Turning Trash Into Treasure
Upcycled ingredients are changing the cosmetic industry’s approach to sustainability as we know it.
Consumers demand real change, but making an environmentally friendly switch doesn’t always come cheap. Enter upcycling: a cost-effective solution that works even for small brands.
From citrus peels to cedarwood, brands are reusing waste destined for landfills and converting it into innovative cosmetic ingredients, turning trash into treasure.
But how does upcycling work, which brands benefit from it, and how can it transform your small cosmetics business? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Upcycling?
According to product sustainability expert Kyungeun Sung, upcycling is the “process in which waste materials are converted into something of higher value and/or quality in their second life.”
In other words, upcycling involves using waste or the by-products of manufacturing to create a new product.
Eco-entrepreneur Szaky believes upcycling was largely lost to the Industrial Revolution, and has now reemerged due to limited natural resources, potential cost savings for manufacturers, and the marketability of the practice.
The Growth Of Upcycling In The Beauty Industry
Although the spotlight is recent, upcycling is not a new development for the beauty industry. Animal-derived cosmetic ingredients like lanolin and collagen are by-products from other industries.
While brands shied away from drawing attention to these non-vegan upcycled ingredients in the past, the industry’s approach is changing thanks to the rise of plant-based upcycling.
As noted in Cosmetics Business, the pandemic played a role in the rise of upcycling as a core product development strategy: ingredient supply chain shocks forced beauty brands to think outside the box when sourcing their ingredients.
At Genie Supply, we’re experts at formulating innovative, clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable beauty. Book a call to learn more about our latest upcycled ingredients and how they are produced.
Upcycling In Action: How Skincare Brands Benefit From Reused Ingredients
Upcycling in the cosmetics industry is a growing sustainability initiative, with more brands releasing innovative products made from food or plant waste ingredients every year.
Allied Market Research estimates that the market for upcycled cosmetics ingredients will reach $433.5 million by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% from 2022 to 2031.
Some of the most impressive upcycled innovations listed in a report from the University of Lisbon include:
Kadalys uses discarded/unsellable bananas to create bioactive ingredients for skincare - earning the brand the title of Blue Beauty Brand of The Year in 2021.
Circumference’s regenerative gel cleanser features bioactive ingredients extracted from upcycled leaves of the Olea europaea L. olive tree, a byproduct of olive oil production.
Pai Skincare’s vitamin C moisturizer contains upcycled bilberry extract from seeds left as waste by the juicing industry.
Using polyphenol extract waste from the production of avocados, Laboratoires Expanscience developed a new under-eye cream to reduce dark circles and eye bags.
Le Prunier created a plum oil from plum kernel waste to hydrate, brighten, and plump up the skin.
Upcycling is not limited to the skincare industry. Makeup brands are also cleverly using upcycled ingredients, including Bareminerals’ addition of upcycled orange peel fibers in its Maximist mascara.
Have an innovative idea for a product made from upcycled ingredients? Learn more about our R&D and custom formulating services at Genie Supply here.
Reuse For A More Sustainable Production Process
It’s no secret that the cosmetics industry has major waste and sustainability issues.
Activists focus on the impact of plastic packaging, however, the ingredient production process also creates a substantial amount of waste. For example, Euromonitor revealed that the beauty industry consumed 10.4 million tonnes of water globally in 2020 alone.
Young consumers are more aware of the industry’s sustainability problems than ever before. Market research conducted by Provenance found that 44% of Gen Z beauty shoppers consider sustainability and ethics as very important when purchasing new products - double the percentage (22%) of those in the 55+ age category.
At the same time, beauty fans are looking for naturally sourced products, and this demand for natural ingredients enhances sustainability issues. For example, a 2013 study explains that sandalwood is over harvested and endangered, partially due to demand from the cosmetics industry.
This is where upcycling sets a new standard.
Not only can reusing waste save water and nonrenewable resources required to formulate new ingredients, but it also helps meet the demand for natural products without intensifying overharvesting issues. Plus, upcycling results in less water pollution caused by waste.
Upcycled beauty provides a more sustainable approach, and the potential for waste reduction is not limited to just one industry.
For example, many upcycled cosmetic ingredients are made from waste generated by the food industry. To put the potential impact into perspective, according to the EU, one-third of all food produced ends up as waste.
Upcycling: Better For Society, Consumers, And Your Business
The benefits of upcycling go beyond its impact on the environment:
With the right marketing, upcycling reassures consumers about sustainability efforts and relieves spending guilt
Upcycling can increase profits for your business by lowering expenses, facilitating higher prices, and boosting sales
Upcycling As A Business Strategy
Keeping costs low is important for the profitability of your business.
Upcycled ingredients are generally competitively priced, and there’s scope for those prices to drop further in the future. According to a 2024 End Food Waste Australia report, the food upcycling business Hubcycle aims to scale and become 20% cheaper than conventional ingredients.
Upcycling also makes it possible to charge more for your products while staying competitive.
First Insight’s market research revealed Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to purchase and pay up to 10% more for upcycled products relative to other generations. The younger cohorts also believed upcycled products are more valuable and of higher quality relative to non-upcycled alternatives.
In response, brands aimed at the younger generation (including Addison Rae’s fragrance line) are adopting upcycling and heavily promoting their green chemistry credentials across multiple marketing funnels.
Innovative Upcycled Packaging For A More Sustainable Future
Upcycling’s potential extends well beyond just ingredients. This sustainable approach can also transform cosmetic packaging and create a less wasteful future.
Plastic packaging made from petrochemicals is one of the most wasteful parts of the entire cosmetic production process. A report by Clean Hub revealed that the beauty industry alone creates 120 billion units of plastic packaging as waste each year.
The industry is already taking steps to reduce this waste, including developing PCR (post consumer resin) packaging made from recycled plastic.
Newer innovations combine upcycling with biotechnology to create even more sustainable packaging solutions. In 2023, scientists discovered a new method to change plastic packaging waste into valuable chemicals.
Using microbial upcycling, the researchers genetically engineered E. coli to convert waste from PET into adipic acid, a key chemical used in the production of plastic packaging.
Upcycled plastic waste is not limited to making new plastic: it can also recreate other important chemicals.
A 2022 review found the bacteria Pseudomonas, Escherichia, and Bacillus have the potential to convert PET into chemicals like muconic acid (also used to produce plastic), vanillin (used to fragrance cosmetics), and catechol (found in hair dye).
At Genie Supply, our sustainable packaging range includes a series of 50% PCR packaging containers, 100% PCR waste kraft labels, and 50% PCR hemp vellum labels. Check out our clean packaging options and order a sample on our website here.
In sum, upcycling can craft a more sustainable cosmetic future while benefiting your business:
Save on water and nonrenewable resources required to make new ingredients
Help create natural products without overusing limited natural resources
Generate more profit by lowering expenses, facilitating higher prices, and boosting sales
Reduce plastic waste through upcycled PET packaging
Provides a unique selling point and compelling brand story in your promotional campaigns
Ready to create your range of cosmetics with upcycled ingredients? Get in touch to learn more about upcycling with Genie Supply. Simply call: (812) 3291105 or email: customerservice@geniesupply.com for more information.
