The Sustainability Route: How Beauty Brands Can Make Real Change
These are extraordinary times for the beauty business in India. We are one of the largest and fastest-growing global beauty markets with an explosion in homegrown and international brands; a rising young consumer demographic with heightened aspirations and rapid digital adoption of beauty trends and education. Skyrocketing consumer demand is fuelling a beauty revolution and as always, it is also challenging and changing the very nature of how brands do business. The flip side of this incredible growth is that now, more than ever before, there are growing concerns on the impact the beauty industry is having on our planet and its people. Conscious consumers are going beyond the bottle and beauty promises, to invest in brands that reflect their values. Sustainability is not a hot new trend - for beauty brands to be truly responsible, it needs to be core to the way of doing business and here are a few ways to get started.
Dealing with the P-word
Plastic is ubiquitous in beauty - from single-use sachets to face cream tubes to super-sized salon shampoos, it’s everywhere you look. Given the scale of plastic pollution, there is no denying the beauty industry’s contribution to it and countering this crisis is key to sustainable beauty. Minimising plastic usage, eliminating single-use plastic, investing in 100 per cent recyclable packaging, recycling existing plastic empties and finally, working towards full plastic packaging circularity (aka closed loop) are some key ways in which beauty brands are working in this direction. On a more granular level, including more PCR and plant-based plastics in packaging, as well as eliminating oil-based plastic altogether will be vital to this effort.
Sourcing Ethically
Responsible sourcing practices like fair trade help farmers and producers secure just terms of trading, including fair prices when working with beauty brands directly. Ethical sourcing helps local harvesting or handcrafting traditions find a break in the future while providing livelihoods to artisans and farmers. Fairtrade also makes good business sense - brands can source the best quality ingredients/products directly from those with expertise, while building long-term consumer loyalty by giving back to local communities. As an example, community fair trade is The Body Shop’s bespoke ethical sourcing programme since 1987 and is also the largest such programme in beauty globally. Every The Body Shop product contains at least one or more CFT ingredients and there are 3 CFT partners in India supplying us globally, generating thousands of livelihoods and immeasurable community impact in terms of literacy, healthcare, sanitation, social and economic empowerment.
Going Truly Cruelty-Free
The rise of cruelty-free Indian beauty brands is an exceptionally welcome development for Indian consumers who have traditionally, always been oriented toward plant-based, vegetarian products. However, being truly cruelty-free means that no cosmetic testing has been done on animals for either the finished product or any of its component ingredients. The Leaping Bunny mark and certification by Cruelty Free International is universally the most respected standard on this front. A natural next step in cruelty-free beauty is also committing to a 100 per cent vegan line. Vegan product innovation ensures zero animal-derived ingredients and supports the global climate change movement. Sustainable beauty brands are now also committing to creating fully biodegradable products – meaning formulas that fully biodegrade in soil or aquatic environments without causing any adverse effects or disrupting any living ecosystems.
Building Consumer Advocacy
Beauty brands are in a unique position to generate meaningful conversations, impact customer behaviour and reach millions. For instance, beauty is consistently one of the top-performing categories in terms of search, interest and engagement on digital and social media channels in India. As such, beauty brands have the ability to speak up, drive purposeful campaigns, engage consumers in this process to make real, on-ground change. Driving awareness on everyday sustainability practices like recycling plastic empties, supporting ethical beauty choices, minimising plastic and carbon footprint at home are not just the building blocks of long-term consumer advocacy, but simply put, the right thing to do.
The global conscious consumer movement has already started to impact beauty brands in India and in this era of ethical consumerism, both share of heart and wallet for sustainable brands will only continue to grow. In much larger and meaningful sense, consumer brands – especially in beauty – can no longer sit on the sidelines while environmental and social inequity means our collective future is at stake. Beauty brands have the ability, reach and consumer connection to make real change and it’s time for us to step up and get to work.
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