CIRCULAR BEAUTY JOURNAL 5: Solid Formulation

Alarmed by the amount of plastic in my bathroom, I started looking into the problem and was horrified by what I learned. 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global beauty industry, and the number is only increasing. This means that every year, more than 100 billion units end up in landfills or our oceans due to their low recyclability, breaking down into microplastics that directly harm our health and wildlife. 

This is the hard truth.. We are leaving behind 100 billion units of packaging every year for our children in the name of "beauty."  

I was feeling pretty dejected when I came across the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. They suggested a new economic model of circularity and offered practical guidelines. Their Circular Design Guide with IDEO gave me hope and propelled me to take action. For the first time in my life, I felt this was something I was meant to do. 

I put my decade of experience in beauty and personal care to launch a new kind of beauty that restores our sense of self and not sacrifice our planet - perhaps even regenerates..

Question 1: Why is there so much plastic in the industry? 

The answer is surprisingly simple...

The products are liquids.

-> Liquids need a container. 

-> Plastic is the cheapest container available.

-> In a linear economy of take-make-waste, plastic rises as the "best" choice. 

They are malleable and come in all shapes and sizes, too: tubes, jars, bottles, pumps.

But once we consider the ethical and sustainable impact - for which there is no place in a linear economy focused on short-term profits - the appeal of plastic quickly diminishes. In fact, I would argue that it is a design flaw to put perishable liquids in a container that remains intact for centuries, turning into harmful substances. 

Question 2: Do these products have to be liquids? 

Short answer, no. 

Following the Design Guide and envisioning the product of the future, the best solutions all pointed to solid products. 

Here are the benefits of solid beauty, specifically solid skincare:

• The products can now be plastic-free as solids eliminate the need for hard containers.
• Carbon footprint is dramatically reduced from shipping and packaging because solids are compact in size and weight.
  
• Solids save water as they can be waterless or near waterless. Global water shortage is a growing crisis, with billions of people lacking access to safe water. 
• Solids perform very well and can last a long time as they are concentrated. 
  

These are not just environmental benefits - the products can perform as well if not better than liquid products. Yes, we are getting rewarded for our good decisions!

Question 3: Why aren't there more solid products available?

A very very good question. I learned it the hard way, while I was actually developing them.. Tune in next week to find out. 

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The previous week's Circular Beauty Journal exploring Circular Fashion and Circular Beauty is here.