Clean beauty. Cosmetic chemists hate the term; unfortunately, startups and a growing number of consumers love the idea. That love/hate relationship was evident last month during a New York Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists seminar.

Glow Recipe’s Mallory Goldberg highlighted the company’s use of carbon credits as a way to improve a product’s environmental profile. But some in attendance weren’t buying into the scheme. In fact, it was humorously compared to confession practiced by Catholics—buying carbon credits to absolve one’s pollution sins.

Now, I’m no chemist, but I am a Catholic…and a sinner. Once I’m out of that confessional, it’s 10 Hail Marys and back to my sinful ways. The beauty industry—and every other industry—dithers about the environment while churning out more plastic than ever. As TerraCycle Founder Tom Szaky noted, the only way to reduce packaging is to make less of it! 

Still, companies seek answers. Last month, Estée Lauder Companies joined the International Space Station National Laboratory panel discussion on plastic alternatives. The ISS Sustainability Challenge seeks novel plastics alternatives.

Researchers utilize the space’s station’s unique environment to investigate environmentally responsible biopolymers or plastics alternatives. Will ELC find an answer through the ISS? Probably not. After all, as Shakespeare wrote, and as Father Gillick pointed out to me so many years ago, “The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

This issue of Happi is mostly focused on what’s inside that beauty product package. Our coverage of the skin care market can be found here. Our coverage of hair color trends starts here.

Reading Happi may not be good for the soul, but it could give you some NPD ideas. Just remember: Thou Shalt Not Steal!

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]