Upcycled beauty: From waste to beauty products

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• May 29, 2023

Insight highlights

The beauty industry is embracing upcycling, the process of transforming waste materials into new products, as a sustainable approach to beauty. As of 2022, brands like Cocokind and BYBI are incorporating upcycled ingredients such as coffee grounds, pumpkin flesh, and blueberry oil into their offerings. Upcycled ingredients often outperform their synthetic counterparts in quality and performance, with brands like Le Prunier using 100% upcycled plum kernels rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants for their products. Upcycling not only benefits consumers and the environment, but it also offers additional revenue streams for small farmers. This trend aligns with the rise of ethical consumers, who are increasingly seeking out brands prioritizing environmentally conscious practices.

Upcycled beauty context

Upcycling—the process of repurposing waste materials into new products—has entered the beauty industry. As of 2022, many beauty brands such as Cocokind and BYBI are using upcycled ingredients in their products, like coffee grounds, pumpkin flesh, and blueberry oil. These ingredients outperform conventional counterparts, proving that plant-based waste is an incredibly undervalued resource. 

When it comes to the sustainable beauty industry, upcycling is one of the most effective ways to reduce waste and acquire the most out of beauty products. For example, body scrubs from UpCircle are made with used coffee grounds from cafes around London. The scrub exfoliates and supports improved circulation, while the caffeine gives your skin a temporary energy boost. 

Moreover, upcycled ingredients often have superior quality and performance compared to their synthetic counterparts. For example, skin-care brand Le Prunier formulates its products with 100 percent upcycled plum kernels. The Le Prunier products are infused with plum kernel oil which is rich in essential fatty acids and powerful antioxidants and offers benefits for skin, hair, and nails.

Similarly, upcycling food waste can benefit consumers and the environment. Kadalys, a Martinique-based brand, repurposes banana peels and pulp to produce omega-packed extracts used in its skin care. Additionally, upcycling food waste could be paramount for small-operation farmers, who could turn their waste into additional revenue. 

Disruptive impact

The beauty industry’s embrace of upcycling is positively impacting the environment. By reusing and repurposing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, the industry is helping to reduce waste and conserve resources. 

As more brands adopt upcycling practices, it is important to ensure that sustainable efforts are made in a way that does not inadvertently diminish environmental benefits. To ensure continued ethical efforts are made, some companies are investing in certifications, such as the Upcycled Food Association’s ingredient certification, which verifies that ingredients have been sustainably sourced and processed. Other businesses are working with upstream suppliers and implementing sustainable sourcing practices. 

Additionally, customers are becoming increasingly conscious of brands adopting environmentally-conscious actions such as upcycling products and reducing waste. The rise of ethical consumers may directly impact organizations that don’t invest in sustainable production methods. 

Implications for upcycled beauty

Wider implications of upcycled beauty may include: 

• Beauty companies beginning to reduce their carbon footprints by lowering their raw materials needs from global supply chains.
• More partnerships between food industries and beauty enterprises to upcycle food waste into beauty products.
• Increased hiring of beauty care experts and scientists to upcycle beauty products.
• Some governments introducing policies that encourage products that upcycle waste materials through tax subsidies and other governmental benefits.
• Ethical consumers refusing to buy from organizations that don’t invest in sustainable production methods. 
• Eco-friendly non-profits criticizing beauty companies while assessing their integration of upcycled materials.

Questions to comment on

• Have you used upcycled beauty products? If yes, how was your experience?
• What other industries can embrace upcycling waste in their business operations?