Why beauty brands need to take ingredient transparency to the next level

TThe focus on ingredient transparency showcases important shifts within the cosmetic industry. From a focus on free-from claims and natural ingredients, the clean beauty movement has grown to incorporate a profound set of ecological and ethical concerns. 

Consumers’ desire for every aspect of their life to be healthy is embraced by the clean concept. Full ingredient transparency is perhaps the most noteworthy when it comes to tangible implications for brands that seek to align with clean beauty claims. As such, beauty and personal care customers are demanding a comprehensive understanding of the safety, quality, and eco-ethical profile of each and every ingredient present in the products they’re buying.

The focus on ingredient transparency is also evolving. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought a renewed focus on health, hygiene, and safety, this shift then transformed to encompass new, enduring implications for ingredient transparency in areas such as sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Looking to the future, we can expect to see clean beauty brands demonstrating the scientific rigor behind product development, with full ecological and ethical ingredient transparency being able to set brands apart.

The growing demand for ingredient transparency and how brands can align with it

Currently, millennials and Gen Z are positioning themselves as one of the most powerful consumer segments, with Gen Z’s spending power is expected to grow to $12T by 2030.

These younger generations have already demonstrated their investment in the clean concept, pushing the segment to the mainstream to a point where the ‘US Clean and Conscious Beauty Market Report 2023’ report by Mintel found out 93% of US consumers have used “clean” personal care products in the past 12 months.

Millennials and Gen Z want their beauty to be clean, environmentally friendly, and ethical. The rise of conscious consumers has also meant consumers are demanding brands to align with their ethical positions and environmental concerns, and provide proof of it. In fact, research by Mintel has found 65% of adults believe it “difficult to know if a brand is overstating how eco-friendly it is.”  

With the rise of suspicion around brand claims and greenwashing, companies must take their efforts to the next level. This is where embracing full ingredient transparency can make a difference to appease influential customer segments. The focus must be on providing consumers with complete, intelligible information about the ingredients used in products, from sourcing to formulation. Building an ethical supply chain represents a key effort, disclosing where ingredients are sourced, how they are processed, and whether ethical and sustainable practices are upheld. As a result, companies can offer a comprehensive view of the product’s journey from raw material to finished item, providing the much demanded visibility that consumers are demanding.

Additionally, obtaining organic, ethical, or cruelty-free certifications represents an essential tool for brands striving for full disclosure. Programs such as COSMOS organic certification clearly communicate standards to consumers, providing critical reassurance that products are really all-natural and ethical. Considering the increasingly delicate status of consumer confidence and concerns about safety, recognizable certifications such as these are key. 

At Provital, we work to accompany brands in their efforts towards ingredient transparency and clean cosmetics. 

As such, each of Provital’s Eco range products is COSMOS organic certified. This means that from sourcing, manufacture, through to marketing, every Eco line active and extract meets the program’s exacting requirements. 

With this certification, our clients – and, ultimately, consumers – can be confident that the ingredients in their cosmetics and skin care are safe, clean, and sustainable, a decisive movement for increased ingredient transparency.