By incorporating ingredients that serve multiple functions, brands can effectively reduce waste, enhance product performance and communicate their sustainability story more clearly.
Yaroslav Shuraev at Pexels
In the beauty industry's quest for sustainability, brands are looking beyond packaging and sourcing to the formulation itself. A powerful "less is more" strategy is emerging: using multifunctional ingredients to simplify formulations, reduce waste and minimize the manufacturing footprint. This approach allows brands to reduce their environmental impact while meeting consumer demand for effective, eco-conscious products. This strategy helps lessen environmental impact across the entire product lifecycle, from sourcing to consumer use. Read on to discover how multifunctional ingredients benefit brands looking to be more sustainable and relevant.
Log in to view the full article
In the beauty industry's quest for sustainability, brands are looking beyond packaging and sourcing to the formulation itself. A powerful "less is more" strategy is emerging: using multifunctional ingredients to simplify formulations, reduce waste and minimize the manufacturing footprint. This approach allows brands to reduce their environmental impact while meeting consumer demand for effective, eco-conscious products. This strategy helps lessen environmental impact across the entire product lifecycle, from sourcing to consumer use. Read on to discover how multifunctional ingredients benefit brands looking to be more sustainable and relevant.
One Ingredient, Many Benefits: Cutting Carbon One Step at a Time
Utilizing a single ingredient that performs several functions decreases the need to source and transport multiple raw materials. This, in turn, reduces the environmental effects associated with agriculture, processing and the carbon emissions from transportation throughout the supply chain. Bottom line: A shorter ingredient list can mean fewer transportation legs and a smaller carbon footprint.
Keep It Simple: How Smarter Production Reduces Energy, Water and Waste
Formulations with fewer ingredients are often simpler and less wasteful to produce. Dusan Petkovic at Adobe StockFormulations with fewer ingredients are often simpler and less wasteful to produce. This simplification can lead to significant reductions in energy consumption, as less mixing, heating and cooling are required. It also has the potential to lower water usage for cleaning and processing.
Simpler formulations can decrease waste by reducing the number of steps and the potential for ingredient loss. Furthermore, they may lower the risk of creating harmful by-products that can result from the complex chemical reactions needed for some synthetic ingredients.
Smart Ingredients, Smarter Formulations
Well-chosen multifunctional ingredients can sometimes uncover synergistic effects, leading to more effective and efficient product performance.New Africa at Adobe StockThe use of efficacious, multifunctional ingredients allows formulators to use fewer ingredients to achieve application performance goals and lead to an easier path to product performance optimization.
Well-chosen multifunctional ingredients can sometimes uncover synergistic effects, leading to more effective and efficient product performance. This can lead to greater consumer satisfaction by using fewer raw materials and reducing potential impurities.
Some of these ingredients can also improve the stability and preservation of the formula, which helps reduce product waste from spoilage.
The Consumer Angle: Simplified Routines, Reduced Waste
A streamlined ingredient list enables brands to communicate their commitment to environmental responsibility more easily. With fewer ingredients, it can be easier for brands to trace the origin and environmental impact of each component, fostering greater transparency for consumers.di_media at Adobe StockThe benefits of multipurpose ingredients extend to the consumer and packaging. The use of efficacious, multifunctional ingredients allows formulators to use fewer ingredients to achieve application performance goals and lead to an easier path to product performance optimization.
When a single product can address multiple personal care concerns, consumers may purchase fewer items. Highly effective multipurpose products might also allow consumers to use a smaller amount compared to using several specialized products, which could lead to smaller packaging sizes. Additionally, brands that focus on minimalist formulations may be more inclined to use simpler, more easily recyclable packaging.
Furthermore, a streamlined ingredient list enables brands to communicate their commitment to environmental responsibility more easily. With fewer ingredients, it can be easier for brands to trace the origin and environmental impact of each component, fostering greater transparency for consumers.
Double Duty Ingredients: a Smarter, Greener Future for Products
By incorporating ingredients that serve multiple functions, brands can effectively reduce waste, enhance product performance and communicate their sustainability story more clearly. This approach represents not just a trend, but a strategic and intelligent future for formulation—one that creates a win-win by reducing the industry's environmental footprint while delivering the transparent, high-performing products that modern consumers expect.
About the Authors
Marjorie Morris, the Zemea global marketing director at Primient Covation LLC, brings extensive expertise in strategic marketing across CPG categories, having held roles at Neptune Retail Solutions, Kao USA and Unilever. With a BA in European Business and Languages and an MS in Strategic Marketing Communication, she is committed to driving innovation for a healthier, sustainable future. Sean Gahan, with an MS in Chemistry from Clemson University, is the global technical service manager at Primient Covation LLC, where he leads technical support and new business development for Bio-PDO across global markets, driving advancements in industries like cosmetics, cleaning, food and coatings.
