Grateful for Mother Nature: Inspired by Natural Beauty

Are natural beauty ingredients trending?

According to the Mintel GNPD, the number of products released with "natural” as a claim has increased +49.2% from 2017 to 2021(1). The top overall claim within the subset is Botanical/Herbal with 10,765 products released in 2021. This data supports the overall observation that consumer interest is shifting towards natural beauty products to support their values and lifestyle. 

The top growing claims within these natural beauty products include prebiotic, halal, refillable, and probiotic. WGSN reports that the probiotics cosmetics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% between 2020 and 2030 alongside increasing prevalence of microbiome treatment (2). 

Skincare is the category with most natural beauty products overall. The top growing categories are Fragrances at a +184% increase from 2017 to 2021 and Colour Cosmetics with a +76% increase from 2017 to 2021 (1).

This trend towards clean beauty in the personal care industry goes far beyond just natural ingredients. Susanne Kaufmann, founder of a natural skincare brand, states that natural claims “should also encompass an environmentally friendly production, locally sourced ingredients and materials, sustainable packaging innovation and manufacturing processes, and a deep respect for nature and people” (3). Consumers want to be able to trace their products back to sustainable practices, from the farm it’s grown on to the manufacturing process. 

Indie brand owners are looking to satisfy this demand by understanding that ingredient naturality is just the tip of the sustainability iceberg. For example, Croda partnered with a local farm for our Crodarom® Banana Flower EC to promote organic farming and agroforestry that follow natural cultivation methods, combining ecological performance and sustainable production. That’s why at Croda, we can provide safe, ethically sourced solutions to meet meet the rising inspired by nature beauty trend. 

Nature-inspired beauty solutions at Croda

This shift towards nature-inspired ingredients perfectly aligns with Croda’s sustainability mission and our commitment to be Climate, Land, and People Positive by 2030. Whether it’s our 100% bio-based ECO range or sulfate-free formulations, Croda provides nature-inspired solutions for the conscious consumer. 

Sensitive skin is in good hands with the Botanical Bubbles Baby Shampoo. This sulphate-free and fragrance-free shampoo is formulated to be delicate enough for your baby’s gentle scalp while also being able to provide clean and refreshed hair. This formulation features Phytofoam™, a vegetable complex of three plants with traditional cleansing uses and demonstrates foam boosting abilities while maintaining good detergency properties. With 99.3% natural origin content (according to ISO 16128), this ingredient is Halal certified and COSMOS natural approved. 

Our Supple and Protected Skin Barrier Repair Cream is a daily facial moisturiser for your skin care routine that checks off all the boxes for skin protection and repair. You’ll achieve a good skin barrier that is protected from aggressors, always repairing, and keeping your skin hydrated every day. This formulation features Avocadin™ HU25, a plant-based butter, rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins and phytosterols, based on refined avocado and olive oil. It has 98.9% natural origin content (according to ISO 16128), Halal certified, and IECIC. 

The Aloe Vera Nourishing Scoopable Shampoo transforms from a playful, honey-like texture into a creamy lather upon contact with water, all while giving your hair the nourishment it craves. This shampoo will leave your scalp feeling refreshed and conditioned. This formulation utilizes Cosme-Phytami® Aloe Gel, an aloe vera plant extract obtained through an exclusive, eco-responsible zeodoration drying technique that provides moisturising and regenerative properties.

Get an instant healthy-looking appearance with this more than 90% derived natural (according to ISO 16128) Naturally Boosted Blurring Stick. Easy to use on the go, this solid stick improves skin texture, no matter what skin type or ages. This formulation features the brand new ChromaPur™ CV7, a high-quality spheroidal cellulose powder with a unique surface structure and morphology providing exceptional sensory and optical benefits. Derived from upcycled black spruce and made from an environmentally friendly process, this powder is also 100% natural, vegan, readily biodegradable and COSMOS approved.

Croda’s Mane Side Tousle – All-in-One Shampoo for Men was made for those who are always on-the-go and need a convenient, all-in-one, and water-conscious solution for hair care. With a spritz of this shampoo, effectively cleanse your scalp and hair and enjoy the rich, lacey lather that regulates sebum protection and softens hair. The star ingredient in this formulation is KeraMatch™ V, a protein blend derived from plant sources that has been specifically designed to offer a viable alternative to animal-derived keratin. KeraMatch™ V is 99% natural origin (according to ISO 16128), vegan suitable*, and COSMOS approved.

What is a natural cosmetic ingredient?

Mintel defines "natural" as a claim category that features "ingredients of natural origin, organic, wholegrain, free from additives, preservatives or GMO," also including "botanical and herbal ingredients primarily for non-food products" (1). At Croda, we are developing innovative technologies to meet consumer expectations with sustainability in mind to meet the needs of conscious consumers looking for solutions inspired by nature.

Zanthocare™: Zanthoxylum bungeanum is a tree native to China that dates back more than 2000 years, and the berry has been given to gods as an offering or used in Chinese traditional medicine to reduce cutaneous discomforts occurring with sensitive skins. It is 100% natural origin (according to ISO 16128), COSMOS natural approved, Halal, and IECIC.  Zanthocare™  is a multifunctional ingredient providing proven balancing, protecting, and soothing effects while reducing body odor, protecting against early ageing, reducing inflammatory reactions, all while respecting the skin microbiome. 

ChromaPur™ CV2 and CV7: ChromaPur CV2 and CV7 are obtained from sustainable practices across the entire production cycle. Derived from upcycled black spruce and made from an environmentally friendly process, the two spheroidal cellulose powders are also 100% natural, vegan, readily biodegradable and COSMOS approved.

Lipolami™ ER: Milk Thistle is a biennial, herbaceous plant, native to southern Europe and Northern Africa. It bears large green shiny leaves and purple tubulous flowers surrounded by thorny bracts.  Lipolami ER is a 100% natural derived esters obtained from milk thistle oil extracted from seeds. It provides skincare products with luxurious skin-feel: formulations are softer, with non oily touch, not sticky and easy to spread. It also improves quality of emulsions thanks to its fluidity and low surface tension and more comfort of foaming products. 

Take some time to appreciate the beauty around you and use what Mother Nature gave you! Croda cares about our planet and is committed to expanding our portfolio of natural ingredients and formulations to cater to the conscious consumer while maintaining our ethical promises

*can be considered to be generally suitable for vegan; however, as there is no single agreed definition nor a standard, global certification, if you are interested in making a vegan claim, please request our Vegan Suitability statement for specifics on this product and compare to the certification(s) you are seeking to meet.

Sources:

1. Mintel GNPD
2. "WGSN TrendCurve: The Rise of Fermented Ingredients," Emma Grace Bailey & Zara Hussain, WGSN
3. "The Future of Clean Beauty," Rachel Brown, Beauty Independent