Natural formulation in the beauty industry has seen a remarkable surge over the past seven years, driven by an increasing demand for natural ingredients.
This trend, a part of the global shift towards eco-consciousness, is revolutionising the way cosmetics are produced.
Continue reading to explore the intricate art of crafting cosmetics using natural materials and its vital role in promoting health and environmental sustainability.
How Did Natural Formulation Begin In the Beauty Industry?
Natural formulation in cosmetics refers to the creation of beauty products using predominantly natural materials.
This approach has gained popularity due to its positive health implications, as our skin absorbs ingredients from various personal care products.
Moreover, the beauty market today is thriving with products that are natural, organic, sustainable, and cruelty-free.
This surge in interest is driven by consumers who favour natural cosmetics over petroleum-based products for their gentleness, safety, and environmental sustainability.
What are Natural Ingredients in Cosmetics?
Modern cosmetics and skincare products increasingly utilise active compounds derived from plant extracts. These natural ingredients are essential for achieving a flawless complexion.
Notable examples include:
- Functional ingredients derived from coconut, palm oil, and other vegetal sources
- Active ingredients with titrated active compounds
- Essential oils that offer various benefits
However, while many natural components are effective, some require enhancement to address specific skin concerns efficiently. Hence, choosing skin care products enriched with beneficial natural elements is crucial.
Let’s explore some of the most active natural extracts you may want to include in your cosmeceutical products.
Read More: Cosmetic Product Development: 6 Fundamental Steps to Conduct
What are the Different Categories of Natural Ingredients
Natural ingredients fall into four main categories:
- Plant extracts (e.g., aloe vera, green tea)
- Essential oils (e.g., tea tree oil, lavender oil)
- Natural waxes (e.g., beeswax, carnauba wax)
- Minerals (e.g., zinc, mica)
Incorporating these natural and organic ingredients into cosmeceutical products ensures that consumers reap the therapeutic benefits of the ingredients, ultimately enhancing the skin’s ability to self-regulate and recover.
The possible benefits of these natural substances include:
- Antioxidant properties
- Water retention
- Soothing effects
Additionally, using antioxidant actives in your manufactured cosmetic products can reduce free radical production, slowing the onset of visible ageing signs.
Botanical ingredients are also becoming increasingly popular in skincare and haircare products.
You might want to consider botanical ingredients, including calming aloe vera, nourishing shea butter, and topical green tea, if suitable, in your products.
Conversely, non-natural ingredients may contain harmful chemicals, leading to inflamed, itchy, and irritating skin conditions.
How to Create Natural Cosmetics
It is important to be aware of how the process involving natural formulations may differ from the traditional non-natural ones. Here’s a look into the process:
1. Extraction Methods
Extraction is the process of isolating the desired natural elements from raw materials. There are several extraction methods, including:
- Solvent extraction
- Distillation
- Pressing
- Sublimation
Among these, solvent extraction is the most commonly used.
2. Testing for Efficacy and Stability
Despite the ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ label, these ingredients can cause trouble in your formulations. The source of ingredients does not validate the product’s stability or efficacy.
Some properties that are inherently variable include natural variations like colour, photostability, and impurities that may impact the final product formulation.
Therefore, formulators should consider these variables when formulating with natural ingredients.
3. Ensure Product Safety
It is required to test the stability of cosmetic products prior to sale since it can impact the safety of a formulation.
Stability includes pH, microbial tests, and accelerated ageing tests to establish the shelf life of a product.
Unstable products not only look less attractive but also cause safety risks for consumers.
What are the Challenges of Natural Formulation Cosmetics
While natural formulation sounds like a great alternative for those with a more ‘organic’ lifestyle, developing natural cosmetic ingredients presents several challenges:
1. Preserving Product Shelf-life Without Synthetic Preservatives
Ensuring product microbial stability is crucial when your product contains many beneficial nutrients for the skin. These are also comfortable environments for unwanted microbe growth.
Many manufacturers can get naturally derived substances that meet their ‘natural’ definition, with some slight modifications in the formulation.
For instance, combinations of naturally derived anti-microbial such as propanediol, hexanediol, and methoxypropanediol can achieve the same microbial stability as synthetic preservatives.
2. Ensuring Consistent Quality
Natural formulation can be tricky due to factors that could impact each product’s quality.
Environmental conditions, ingredient incompatibilities, and natural variations (such as colour and smell) could lead to a greater need for quality control.
3. Achieving Desired Textures and Fragrances
Understanding the relationship between each raw material’s structure, property, and function in a formula is essential for your formulation chemist.
Natural ingredients used can influence the texture, fragrance, stability, and efficacy of a formulation.
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The Link between Natural Formulation and Sustainability
It is best to keep in mind that ‘natural’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘sustainable.’ Indeed, the label doesn’t automatically imply ethical, economic, or environmental responsibility.
In general, ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ refer to the source and cultivation techniques of the ingredients, respectively.
However, the concept of sustainability concerning cosmetic ingredients is much broader and more nuanced.
The Role of Ethical Sourcing and Fair Trade in Natural Cosmetics
In the natural cosmetics industry, extracting, purifying, or processing a substance should comply with sustainability standards.
These standards encompass the (bio)degradability of the substances into harmless and environmentally friendly compounds, their natural source, and their nature after release into the environment.
Furthermore, it’s always important to remember that natural resources are finite and should be sourced ethically.
Read More: Skincare Ingredients 101: A Comprehensive Guide
Avares: Your Reliable Partner in Natural Cosmetic Formulation
The popularity of natural formulations is rising for every cosmetic product. This is especially true among Gen Z and Millennial consumers, who demand sustainability at the core of their beauty products.
As the beauty industry inches closer to its 2025 sustainability goals, capturing a larger consumer share is paramount.
Avares is leading the way in ingredient research and aiding many beauty companies in implementing green chemical techniques.
Our commitment to excellence is unwavering, and we offer a wide range of high-quality, eco-friendly ingredients for your natural cosmetic formulations.
We incorporate cruelty-free, vegan, organic, and halal-certified ingredients, providing safe and effective solutions tailored to your specific needs and preferences.
Our experts are always ready to assist you with our raw material chemicals and active ingredients, offering a wealth of services, including:
- Industry insights
- Distribution services
- Prototype development
- Formulation expertise
