What Will It Take to Give the Skincare Industry a Green Makeover?

Without delving into what "better" means when it comes to consumer products, the reality is that most green products today fall into one of two groups, both of which fail to turn the tide with mainstream consumers.

The first group is full of products that, to put it simply, are "sort of" green and typically quite good. Household cleaners are a fine example, where brand manufacturers have tweaked old formulations to remove some of the old chemicals or put the products in partially recycled containers. Synthetic low-VOC paint for your home is another example. With lower volatile organic compound levels, water-based latex paints are certainly greener than oil-based paints -- but don't go quite as far as natural paints do.

The second group is composed of products that are green but unfortunately not quite as good. Skincare is a great example. Early green conscious consumers have supported a number of niche natural brands, despite the products' shortcomings when it comes to sensory experience and efficacy. However, when it comes to mainstream consumers who prioritize beauty, green has been synonymous with "it doesn't give me the same skin results," or it plainly "doesn't feel or smell the way it should." Hence, they have largely shied away from truly natural alternatives.

The combination of green credentials and superior efficacy is the magic formula to bring sustainability to the masses. Step by step, nearly every category needs to retool and reengineer in order to get there.

Skincare is one entrenched industry that is set to retool itself. It has been around for many decades, led by companies who have followed an R&D model that has been both successful and profitable. Using predominantly inexpensive, synthetic ingredients, entrenched players have been able to keep costs low and profits high.

With growing focus on ingredients when it comes to what we eat, however, consumers are beginning to inquire about ingredients when it comes to what we put on our skin. Addressing their concerns, many brands have introduced "natural" products, replacing some of the chemical formulations with natural substitutes -- or alternatively, adding organic ingredients at the end of an exhaustive list of chemical compounds that most of us can't pronounce. In both cases, parabens, petrochemicals and synthetics largely persist -- as part of product formulas and development methodologies that have been around for many years.

To add to the challenge, natural skin care goes beyond the selection of naturally derived ingredients (like herbs and essential oils that have demonstrated efficacy): Stabilizing and preserving these "new" ingredients requires a whole new approach to research, development and manufacturing -- effectively, turning the industry's best practices upside down.

As in other industries, it will likely take an entirely new set of players with out-of-the-box thinking to take on these challenges. 

Next Page: Companies that are taking the lead.