Sustainability Endures
By: Rachel Grabenhofer, Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine
Posted: January 5, 2012, from the January 2012 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.
Are we tired yet of the word sustainability? I know I am (although I blatantly used it in the headline). Colleagues from the Midwest Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and I recently debated this as we planned an education session and considered this topic.
My initial reaction was yes, I think we are tired of it, and the industry wants to hear something different. After some disagreement among team members, we realized we were each defining the term differently. To some, it meant eco-friendly ingredients and lasting raw material resources while to others, it meant business survival.
Considering that this topic stirred debate with only a handful of people, we concluded the concept was still of interest—and that with any of our definitions, the underlying philosophies would always be relevant, thereby making sustainability sustainable. However, we also recognized that the term is over-generalized and when used, requires clarification.
In response to industry interest, this edition of Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine features Lochhead et al.’s article on sustainable ingredient trends-specifically, naturally derived surfactants and polymers that are renewable and environmentally benign. In relation, Choulot’s article examines natural actives derived from renewable sources for their application in a hair repair serum.
In addition, this issue features Part II of the discussion by sadly missed and belated industry colleague Johann W. Wiechers, PhD, and Eliana B. Souto, PhD, on delivering actives via nanoparticles and nanostructured carriers. Furthermore, Gao et al. evaluate the parameters of shine and color in hair to develop a new measurement for hair color vibrance in support of new market claims.