Growth of natural ingredients in cosmetic formulations

About two decades ago, 'natural products' was a very specific niche with products being sold primarily in farmer's markets and health food stores. Such offerings were not taken seriously by the beauty industry and attracted only a cult following. 

As consumer preferences evolved, increasing demand spurred the growth of niche companies producing cosmetic products based on natural ingredients. The rapid growth of these enterprises spawned startups sharply focused on the concept of clean beauty. The exploding growth in the segment attracted the attention of market giants, including Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, and Proctor & Gamble.

 

Market giants using natural ingredients in formulations

They responded by acquiring smaller companies operating in the segment to rapidly build their own natural products divisions. According to a recent report published by Grand View Research, the global natural cosmetics market size is expected to reach a value of $48 billion by the year 2025, increasing at about 5% annually.

 

Consumers today are not only conscious of what they ingest but also what they apply externally to their bodies. The trend which started with eating healthier and organic foods as opposed to processed or refined foods has gradually extended to cosmetics and personal care products. 

Consumers increasingly associate the safety of cosmetics ingredients with the use of natural products. There is a growing perception that if an ingredient is not safe to ingest, it is probably not good for external use on the body. 

Further, with global warming becoming a reality, consumers today better understand the fragility of our environment and the importance of its protection. They are demanding more information about the ingredients that make up the products they purchase. Consumers want to know where these ingredients come from, if they are bio-based, and whether they were sustainably produced.

The expanding influence of social media is also serving to accelerate the shift in consumer demand. 
 

• Celebrities and influencers are initiating and propagating trends faster and more effectively.
• Friends and family regularly post content, sharing their new experiences with visual evidence.

And these experiences include their use of cosmetics and personal care products. New trends which previously struggled for months to make their way into the mainstream can now reach millions overnight.


 

Potentials for Litigation and Changing Legislation also Impact Formulators and Ingredient Suppliers

Lawsuits resulting from the use of ingredients that were later found to be hazardous can cost companies millions. As a result, cosmetics companies are responding to consumer concerns by discontinuing use of potentially harmful products and increasing their focus on the use of natural ingredients. In addition, legislation regarding cosmetics ingredients is continually being revised by governments around the world to exclude suspected harmful chemicals.

In response to increasing demand, mainstream cosmetic companies and retailers are giving increasing attention to the concept of clean beauty. Major retailers are expanding the range of natural beauty offerings and taking a closer look at the ingredient list of their current offerings. 

Across all applications, consumers are demanding to know more about the ingredients that make up their personal care products. Product labels are carefully studied before they decide to apply anything on their bodies. Consumers want to know:

 

Natural ingredients are finding their way into all types of cosmetics and personal care products including: 
 

• Skin care
• Sun care, and
• Hair care products

The segments for sensitive applications, such as baby care products and products for expectant mothers, are already well-established. Teenage girls and health enthusiasts are driving the growth of the market. Anti-aging creams, anti-pollution skin care products, moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners and hair-styling gels are all increasing based on natural ingredients.
 

Manufacturers face several challenges when incorporating natural or bio-based products into their existing formulations. Overcoming these challenges, without compromising on product performance, is the key to a successful transition to personal care products based entirely on naturally healthy ingredients. These challenges include:
 

• Natural ingredients may not be able to match the properties of synthetic ingredients. They may require greater loading to achieve the desired effect.
• Some natural ingredients can be difficult to incorporate in traditional formulations. They may require elevated temperatures or high shearing to achieve a uniform product. Higher temperatures and shear, however, can cause degradation of the natural properties of these ingredients.
• Natural ingredients may have limited stability when incorporated into cosmetics products. The ingredients may lose their essential properties over time or separate out of the emulsion, limiting the useful shelf-life of the product.
• Incorporation of natural ingredients can make it difficult to control the rheology of the final product. These ingredients may also make the product tacky, compromising the intended feel of the product.
• Natural ingredients generally cost more than their synthetic counterparts and can increase the cost of production. The price of these ingredients may also fluctuate annually due to environmental factors.

In February of this year, Primient, a global provider of ingredients and solutions for the food, beverage and other markets, announced its entry into the personal care category with the introduction of TEXTURLUX® Personal Care functional additives, a range of high bio-based specialty polymers for skin, hair and sun care available in North America.

These ingredients are helping formulators meet the challenges of producing natural cosmetics and personal care products. The range of TEXTURLUX® Personal Care Additives includes natural bio-based specialty polymers derived from renewable, responsibly grown raw materials. These additives empower cosmetics formulators to produce cleaner, healthier products without compromising on performance. 

Cosmetic formulators who wish to incorporate natural ingredients into their products face the challenge of losing the feel and flow of the end product. TEXTURLUX® Personal Care Additives include:
 

• Thickeners
• Gelling agents
• Emulsifiers
• Film formers, and
• Foam stabilizers

These additives deliver outstanding aesthetics and rheology to produce smoother products with a pleasant overall feel.

Primient's TEXTURLUX® range will allow formulators to use cold processes and minimal shear to achieve easy incorporation into their formulas, both during and post formulation. These products provide:
 

• Excellent rheology
• Sensational aesthetics, and
• Superb stability without being sticky or tacky

They are well suited for the formulation of exceptional serums, lotions, creams,gels, and foaming cleansers.

'We are extremely pleased with the customer reception and positive feedback we have received on the TEXTURLUX line since our launch in February. Customer sample requests and new formulation inclusion has been very strong due to TEXTURLUX's unique value proposition of being a high bio-content polymer that is easy to use without compromising finished product aesthetics which is often associated with other natural materials', added Jeremy Zimmerman, Primary Products Sales Director.

With the skin care industry thriving, Primient, known for its solutions-oriented and collaborative approach, expects its line of TEXTURLUX® products to be well-received by manufacturers looking to create a superior product feel using natural, bio-based ingredients that ease formulation.

The applications, features and benefits of some TEXTURLUX® Personal Care Additives are summarized in the following table.