Consumer confidence in the US plunged to an all-time low in March, according to The University of Michigan’s long-running Survey of Consumers. Historically, interest in sustainability wavers during times of economic uncertainty. But you’d never know that judging by the attendance at this week’s Sustainable Cosmetics Through Multiple Lenses event developed by the New York Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

“I am so proud to be a part of the beauty/personal care community as they thoughtfully demonstrate their commitment to the earth, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more,” said NYSCC Chair Anushka Nadkarni in her opening remarks. “The symposium today brings together experts from academia, industry and across the cosmetic value chain.”

The session, held at Liberty House, Jersey City, NJ, attracted more than 150 attendees. It was sponsored by Coast Southwest, Haus of Innovation and Symbiotic Beauty. Developed by program chair Hang Ma, PhD (University of Rhode Island), “Sustainable Cosmetics Through Multiple Lenses” looked at sustainability from all sides, science, technology, regulation and market perspective.

“Our speakers will share insights on emerging technologies, global regulatory trends, and real-world applications, from green chemistry and bioactives to computational modeling and sustainable product design,” explained Ma.

Ma introduced the first speaker, Dr. Haidong Liu, PhD, an application scientist from the materials science group of Schrödinger, by calling him, “my AI guy! He tells me what is possible when it comes to AI.”

Liu noted that artificial intelligence enables researchers to solve formulation problems through molecular simulation and other techniques. AI unlocks new frontiers in predictive stability modeling and accurately predicts and uncovers molecular degradation pathways.

“AI represents a research paradigm shift from traditional trial-and-error R&D to where we are now, a predict-first approach,” explained Liu. “I know it will only get much faster and better.”

He insisted AI helps with predictive preservation. It allows chemists to partake in stability time travel.

“Artificial intelligence is our compatibility compass, provides solubility shortcuts and sourcing simulations,” he concluded.

But before chemists can take advantage of AI, they need data—lots of data. To help get there, Liu suggested researchers partake in physics-based modeling. It enables chemists to solve a variety of research riddles; such as predicting key properties and UV-Vis absorption.

The Regulatory Picture

Maggie Spicer, an attorney and the founder of Source Beauty ESG, thanked Dr. Ma for the invitation to present to cosmetic chemists and marketing executives.

“I am excited to have this conversation. Too often, research, legal and marketing teams operate in silos,” said Spicer. “When we think holistically, real strides can be made in sustainability.”

She noted that 70% of beauty industry waste can be attributed to packaging but asked if the industry is using AI in the R&D phase to help reduce packaging waste. Similarly, beauty products often contain 70-80% water. Solids or concentrates are two solutions, observed Spicer, but consumers often balk at using these product forms. On the regulatory front, FDA has suggested that 50 PFAs ingredients were intentionally added by manufacturers.

“FDA is taking an interesting look at how we talk about chemicals and ingredient safety,” said Spicer. “What consumers say and how they talk about issues impact how regulations are made.”

It is critical for industry to solve some or all of these sustainability issues, or else governments will solve them via regulations. Spicer warned attendees to watch for states establishing unique identities in the regulation of sustainability-related issues like claims and ingredients. Other developments to keep an eye on include increased tracking against European Union sustainability reporting systems; retailers refining and evolving their “clean” and “green” shopping edits to capture value while mitigating risks; and consumers demanding increasingly sophisticated data and validation for sustainability performance (similar to product performance and clinical validation).

“Brands should stay nimble, and engage with regulators,” she suggested.

At the same time, companies must break down those silos. She observed that all the work at the bench can be right, the post-consumer recycling (PCR) calculations can be outstanding, but it can all fall apart if the marketing team gets it wrong.

“That’s why we need cross-functional teams,” she insisted.

The Beauty of Fermentation

Hyaluronic acid is the darling of the beauty industry. But the ingredient has a dark past. For decades, HA was derived from rooster combs. In fact, it takes 200,000 pieces of rooster comb to produce one kilo of hyaluronic acid. Happily, there are sustainable alternatives. Lois Lu, general manager, Bloomage Biotechnology USA, explained how green fermentation enables chemists to sustainably create hyaluronic acid and other active ingredients.

Lu said consumers around the world increasingly prioritize ethical behavior, environmental responsibility and local sourcing in their purchasing decisions. They expect brands to lead in these areas. She pointed out:

• 61% of US adults expect brands to take the lead in addressing environmental issues;
• 78% of Thai adults are opposed to buying from companies that act unethically; i.e., mislead consumers, mistreat employees; and
• 65% of Spanish beauty users shower/bath more frequently when the weather is warmer than usual, a factoid Lu listed under “climate change.”

With consumer attitudes changing, production methods must change with the times.

“Traditional production methods for personal care ingredients are no longer feasible,” she insisted.

For example, natural extraction requires long growth cycles and consumes large amounts of energy, water and land resources. Lu added that using large amounts of organic solvents is not economical nor environmentally friendly. Chemical synthesis involves long synthesis paths and increases environmental pollution. Lu said the economics of chemical synthesis methods limit industrial production. In contrast, fermentation is a natural process that delivers breakthrough biological activity and creates ingredients with unique efficacy. Finally, synthetic biology methods are low cost and highly efficient. They enable companies to produce high quality single ingredients of high purity. Large-scale production can be customized and green at the same time.

That’s good news for industry—and roosters. After 20 years of research, the fermentation yield of Bloomage Biotech hyaluronic acid improved from less than 3g/L of extract to 73g/L today. The product quality exceeds the standards of European Pharmacopoeia and Japanese Pharmacopoeia and the impurity levels, such as nucleic acid and endotoxin, are 1/50 and 1/20 of the international standards of European Pharmacopoeia, respectively, according to the company. The technology enables hyaluronic acid to achieve large-scale production and lower prices, which has helped drive demand for HA in the beauty industry.

In addition to hyaluronic acid, Bloomage Biotech has obtained more bioactive substances beneficial to human life and health through synthetic biotechnology and microbial fermentation technology, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, ectoine and ergothioneine. Synthetic biology enabled Bloomage Biotech researchers to construct and optimize the ergothioeine synthesis pathway in the chassis cells, fermentation regulation to achieve high yield, high production intensity and high conversion.

Despite the promise and potential, key challenges remain, warned Lu. Material and production pathways must be assessed for their potential and cost-effectiveness. Efficient commercialization of the technology must be evaluated. Robust application research must be performed to assess potential industrial utility, and AI must be leveraged to enhance operational efficiency.

Despite the challenges, Bloomage Biotech is confident that, in the future, biotechnology will enable researchers to produce high-quality protein without breeding animals such as cattle and sheep, get sialic acid without stealing swiftlet’s nest, and obtain squalane without hunting sharks. Biotechnology can save more lives and resources, and make people live in harmony and symbiosis with nature.

On The Market

While the first three presenters detailed the promise, potential and possible pitfalls of sustainability, the final speaker of the evening explained how biotechnology helped launch her company. Smitha Rao is founder of Parëva Beauty. A chemist by training, Rao created more than 200 products across 15 brands during her career. That experience led to the creation of Parëva, which is a play on the word “parevartan,” which means transformation in Sanskrit. The company, just one year old, is committed to:

• The power of good science
• The spirit of radical transparency
• The joy of transformation

Her company uses the power of good science to address biological aging and deliver exceptional clinical results. Parëva uncovers the root causes of aging on multiple levels, while meeting strict regulatory and global guidelines for safety and tolerability.

That strategy led to the creation of Molecur 3, a non-GMO active that Rao calls “cutting-edge, clean biotechnology.” Molecur 3 combines three plants: goji, sunflower sprouts stem cells and Swiss pincushion flower—a unique superplant, said Rao. Together, they are said to improve the appearance of aging by up to eight years.

“Before there was ‘longevity,’ there was ‘biotechnology,’ noted Rao. “We used it to screen multiple plants and develop an active that doesn’t smell! How many great ingredients smell like wet dog?!”

Molecur 3 targets inflammation, intrinsic aging, stress and UV damage that can lead to premature, visible skin aging. According to Rao, Molecur 3 improves visible lines and wrinkles, sagging and loss of firmness, changes in skin texture, dehydration and loss of moisture, age spots and pigmentation, and barrier leakage.

The Parëva line includes a vitamin C firming glow serum, which was named best vitamin C serum by Women’s Health; a gel/cream moisturizer with peptides; hydrabond primer; and two- and three-step prevention and treatment combinations. Rao is determined to keep formulas and SKUs limited. She told attendees that she hates “13-step” beauty routines.

“It’s so wasteful. It disrupts the barrier,” she insisted. “We will not be a ‘SKU-ful’ brand. We are minimizing the steps to avoid creating waste.”

Formulating a product line is one thing; getting consumers to buy it is another. Rao and her team interviewed 3,400 prestige consumers to find out what makes them buy.

“They want to know what’s in it, does it work and why everything still says ‘anti-aging,’” recalled Rao.

To answer their questions, Parëva is committed to radical transparency via something called The (F)actuals. All products include a document (The (F)actuals) that shares formulation details, product testing and Parëva’s progress as a truly responsible beauty company.

“We are educating consumers, even if they don’t buy our products,” she concluded.

Much More to Come

The evening was made even more special when Ma was honored with the 2025 SCC Literature Award during the event—an incredibly well-deserved recognition, noted Nadkarni.

“For those who couldn’t attend the sustainable cosmetics event, our latest episode of The Science Shaping Beauty podcast features Dr. Ma diving deeper into sustainability topics,” she explained.

Looking ahead, Nadkarni said there’s plenty to be excited about.

“NYSCC Suppliers’ Day will feature a live recording of Episode 5 of our podcast, along with activations, expert talks, and the highly anticipated Awards Night on May 19,” she noted. “In June, we’re introducing an additional education event, hosted exclusively by the Scientific Committee.”