Tackling Climate Change: To Achieve Higher Efficacy While Meeting the Sustainable Goal

Interview with Lisa Lien, Marketing Manager and Emily Yi, Product Development Associate Manager
CORUM

Environmental protection and social responsibility are what informed customers look for in manufacturers. How has this trend influenced your new product launch for 2021? 

Consumers care, and we are seeing more and more cosmetic companies putting in place their ESG policy and management. We are also working closely with many of our customers to help them understand our corporate social responsibility management. The European Commission has been promoting the green transition of the chemicals sector and its value chains. For sure, it is our intention at Corum as a responsible manufacturer of cosmetic ingredients in the global supply chain to take part in this major movement. We are committed to ensure the lowest possible impact on climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, and resource use. Our mission in product development is SAFE, HIGH-EFFICACY and SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN starting from raw material sourcing to end of life. These are the pillars in our new product development as well as current product improvement. Aligning with the United Nations SDG 7-Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13-Climate Action, we are delighted to launch a greener version of our existing active ingredient. Azeclair^TM P is ameliorated from its original liquid counterpart through the removal of 90% water to become 70% lighter in weight, hence contributing the reduction of carbon footprint in the transportation and production of finished cosmetics. This is an example of how Corum increases the purity of our ingredient while removing unnecessary elements in the ingredient to support water conservation and carbon footprint. We are looking to introduce more ingredients which can make a difference.

Why is your Azeclair^TM now “greener”?

Azeclair^TM has been recognized as a highly effective ingredient to normalize sebum, moisture skin and brighten complexion, but it comes in liquid form with only 30% active content. On the contrary, Azeclair^TM P is its powder version with dramatically lower weight and largely increased purity. The removal of water has made the product 70% lighter in weight. Given this lightweight, the ingredient can be transported to cosmetic companies all over the world more efficiently with reduced carbon footprint and used for production of greener finished cosmetics. Azeclair^TM P can be formulated in waterless cosmetic products which is a trend amongst our consumers and a trend in line with United Nation SDG to reduce excess packaging, conserve water usage and minimize preservatives addition.

How do you evaluate the performance of carbon footprint reduction? 

The newly launched Azeclair^TM P is 70% lighter than its original liquid version in weight. This translates to 33% drop in transportation weight, which in sum enables the reduction of fuel consumption. Given this weight drop and our past delivery record, we postulate the total reduction in carbon footprint can reach 11-15%. 

What are the claims for Azeclair^TM ?

Azeclair^TM is a sebum normalizing agent that improves the appearance of oily skin and brightens skin tone by inhibiting inflammatory factors and tyrosinase while downregulating the activity of 5-α reductase. It also imparts anti-pollution property and is non-irritating, safe, stable, water soluble and easy-to-use with excellent compatibility. Azeclair^TM P retains the same properties but with the removal of preservative and water. It is recommended to improve the condition of oily and acne-prone skin. 

Besides the ecological aspect of waterless ingredients, do you see other advantages for producers of waterless beauty products?

Waterless beauty products have been one of the major trends in the past few years. Leading cosmetic players Unilever, L’Oreal and Procter & Gamble have promised to reduce water usage in the coming years. As both the weight and volume of cosmetic products have been hugely reduced, we can expect cost saving in the value chain since lesser package materials are needed and the space for both storage and transportation can be minimized.  

Another advantage of waterless beauty products is the removal of preservatives in cosmetics. Preservatives are not all bad. They are needed to prevent bacteria from growing, but many consumers view preservatives as harmful to human health by possibly disrupting hormones, irritating and sensitizing skin and triggering allergic reactions. That’s why the usage of preservatives is highly regulated in the cosmetic industry. As the risk of microbial contamination can be much lowered by removing water in cosmetic products, lesser, milder or no preservatives are needed. 

Do you think the that ‘waterless’ will gain a substantial market share in personal care ingredients and products?

Yes, we believe so, and we have observed many cosmetics brands in the beauty and personal care industry launching waterless products with respect to sustainability and environmental ethics. WWF (World Wildlife Fund) has warned that at the current water consumption rate, by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages, and the ecosystems around the world will suffer even more, along with the extreme climate change exacerbating the situation. Ingredients and products aiming to protect the oceans and water supplies are essential to the wellbeing of our planet, and the beauty industry can play a big role in it. When it comes to conscious consumption, water saving formulas offer a lot more selling points, innovation, and values of branding in sustainable responsibility.