If there is one clear winner in the ranking of trends, it is sustainability. Although more than a 'hot trend', it is a whole lifestyle, the creed of the new era, a challenge for the beauty industry and a hope for the rest of humanity. Because the average consumer would not consider buying products that are not responsible for personal health, the environment or the development of vulnerable communities.
Reducing the water footprint, transforming waste ingredients from other industries, such as food, into high-value cosmetic actives (what is now called Up-Cycling), opting for 'zero waste' by rejecting the use of plastics, or avoiding the use of rare and scarce ingredients so as not to force their extinction, are the inescapable premises of new cosmetics. Because it should not be a trend, but an obligation.
Some brands think they are sustainable because they 'care for the environment'. "It's not enough. The three main pillars of sustainability are respect for the environment, yes, but also social equity and the economy," clarifies Pedro Catalá, Doctor of Pharmacy and founder of Twelve Beauty, concluding: "you have to carefully review the 'statutes' of sustainability to determine if they are truly sustainable or if it's a marketing strategy to jump on the big cosmetic trend."
Twelve Beauty, the epitome of botany, science, and respect for skin and environment
Botanical experience with pure and safe science for the skin. This simple phrase could define the essence of Twelve Beauty. Each formula has been designed with rigor and care, to provide that much-needed relief for stressed, sensitive, and reactive skin. Because that is the raison d'être and the leitmotif that gave life to this brand which, not in vain, has earned the approval of the most demanding in clean cosmetics.
The criteria followed to select the ingredients for each formula are based on their low environmental impact. Whether they are by-products from other industries, or nitrophilous plants, like mallow (one of the brand's twelve preferred ingredients, present in many of its products), which grows very quickly and barely needs water.
"It is our policy to avoid any rare, exotic, or low-performing ingredients in our formulations. For both ecological and business reasons. This approach helps us reduce the scarcity of ingredients, both for us and for our competitors, and avoid globalization, climate change, or changes in land use," Pedro reveals.
On the Twelve Beauty estate, native olive trees are cultivated, which not only help to extract CO2 from the atmosphere but also improve the soil and benefit biodiversity and the local community. The aim is to buy local and nearby ingredients to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible. The energy used is 100% renewable, much of it generated on-site by installed solar panels. The supply chain is continuously monitored, and suppliers with good environmental and social practices are sought.
Glass, the great alternative to plastic
"Our cosmetics are packaged in Miron glass, also known as UV glass due to its dark color that protects from radiation. And although it is true that glass has a high CO2 emission, by opting for Miron Glass, we ensure that our formulations are protected from light and oxidation, guaranteeing that their active ingredients remain fresh for longer without the need for harsh synthetic preservatives," Catalá maintains.
"For packaging, we use FSC-certified, chlorine-free paper and cardboard. Our secondary packaging is also free of any plastic coating, and soy-based inks are used, which ensures that they can be widely recycled," he concludes.
Up-cycling: an inexhaustible source of cosmetic actives
Cosmetic science has found an inexhaustible source of high-value natural ingredients in the use of waste, especially food waste. This is what trends have called 'Up-Cycling' or creative recycling. Waste that, if not reused, would be discarded, generating a significant environmental impact.
Revaluing nutrient-rich ingredients to give them a second chance. Because it is one of Twelve Beauty's premises: to choose ingredients according to the low environmental impact they generate. An example: they have opted for by-products such as spent grain wax (present in Jojoba Quench Body Serum), a waste product obtained from malt residue in breweries, very rich in Omega 6 fatty acids, which improves the skin barrier and reduces itching and other symptoms of sensitive skin.
These residues, by the way, should be treated as raw material and not as waste; this is what makes the difference in the final quality of the product. Because it's not about trends but about business consciousness: producing more with a minimum of resources.
Recycled aluminum packaging, the material of the future
Despite the bad press aluminum often receives, in its recycled version, it is one of the most sustainable and safe options for health and the environment, as aluminum can be used again and again. It is the easiest packaging material to recycle. It is an excellent option to protect the product from degradation, and it is easy to print directly on the metal, saving plastic or vinyl labels.
Another reason why aluminum can be considered the material of the future is that it protects against humidity and maintains the formula's temperature. In the case of Twelve Beauty, the compatibility between the packaging and its formulas has been thoroughly tested. Furthermore, given that aluminum is a lightweight material compared to others, it has a lower impact on the CO2 footprint associated with transport.
Twelve Beauty has opted for 100% post-consumer, versatile, and safe aluminum in its latest releases: Antioxidant Burst Shower Gel and Jojoba Quench Body Serum.
Doing our bit…
Pedro Catalá "donates" part of his time to projects for biodiversity conservation, both at the Botanic Garden of the University of Valencia and at the CCB of the Orto Botanico di Cagliari in Sardinia. He is also passionate about flora conservation. Although, as Pedro assures: "I place a lot of emphasis on employee happiness; for me, that is true sustainability."