Andrew McDougall, associate director, beauty & personal care, Mintel will lead a session at In-Cosmetics Formulation Summit on “Eco-conscious living: Navigating a safer future” on Tuesday, November 17 at 09:15. 

For more information and to register to attend In-Cosmetics Formulation Summit 2020, visit: https://summit.in-cosmetics.com/ Prior to the event, McDougall conducted a Q&A with Happi via email. 

What does eco-conscious living mean? How does the typical consumer differ from the eco-conscious consumer?
Eco-conscious living is ultimately behaviors aimed at reducing or minimizing environmental harm. The specifics can vary from person to person but generally it means to be “nature-friendly,” “eco-friendly,” “eco-conscious,” “environmentally friendly”; and even terms like “going green” or “clean” tap into this concept of eco-living. Eco-living can mean changing your behaviours or habits or supporting businesses who are seeking to help the environment.


What are the ramifications for the planet and industry if people do or do not become eco-conscious? 
There have been many times when business practices have come under scrutiny because their harmful choices have affected the planet or animals. Even though there are plenty of businesses that need to change their policies, they are not at fault for all environmental issues and so everyone needs to play their part. The reason it is vital for people to embrace eco-living in some way is because we will run out of resources if our current consumption patterns continue.

Demand for eco-living beauty and personal care is strong and brands are responding with increased New Product Development (NPD). However, there is still room for growth as consumers still show a preference for regular beauty and grooming products. More education is needed and proof that products are more sustainable than others on the market may be necessary to give eco-claims more credibility.

NPD at the value end of the market could enable the eco-living market to both acquire new customers and encourage those already buying eco-friendly products to increase their repertoire.
 
 
What are beauty companies doing to attract the eco-conscious consumer?
Packaging should be the first consideration for beauty and personal care brands. Although the current demand for recyclable packaging is high, this will soon become an expectation, and brands that want to position themselves as eco-friendly will need to ensure that their packaging is as sustainable as possible. Investment is being fuelled into product refills, but refills need to be more widely available to make a difference, and packaging will need to be durable to ensure that refillable products are not discarded  too soon.


What do beauty companies need to do better?
Consumers also want product formulations to be eco-friendly, but it is much more difficult to determine which ingredients are sustainable. Eco-friendly brands often use natural derivatives to strengthen their eco-credentials, but consumers may want more proof in future that the use of natural ingredients isn’t depleting natural resources. Supply chains and ingredient sourcing are therefore likely to face more scrutiny in the future and transparency will be imperative.