Reasons Why Esters and Sustainable Ingredients Are Topping Charts in the Personal Care Market

Cosmetics are not just chemicals today. With people moving away from synthetic cosmetics and towards natural cosmetics, the demand for organic, eco-friendly, and naturally-obtained ingredients is skyrocketing in the personal care market, which we will see in detail in this blog. Ready?

The Personal Care Market

The graph of one of the fastest and ever-growing sectors – the personal care market that comprises beauty, hair care, skin care, hygiene, oral care, health and wellness, and grooming and styling products, is and always be moving in the upward direction because after all, who doesn’t want to look and feel their best? Hard to believe?

Well, the global market size of personal care products amounts to the US $534.00 bn in 2022 and is expected to grow annually by 5.86% (CAGR 2022-2026). While in India alone, it amounts to US $25.45 bn which clearly indicates that by 2025 it will definitely cross 716.6 billion in U.S. dollars.

So, the question arises why the personal care market is on such a rise. What are the driving factors behind it that have caused such a sudden surge in personal care products? The answer is simple and has been around us since time – Nature. Yes, the paradigm shift in consumers’ behavior towards natural and organic cosmetics is the major reason why we are seeing such record-breaking figures in the personal care market.

The realization of the harmful effects of synthetic products on the human body as well as the environment has hit humans hard due to the rising cases of cancer cases and pollution ill effects and therefore, natural and organic cosmetics are now the most preferred and purchased products over chemical ones. Thus, the dramatic statistics of the personal care market.

Natural Cosmetics and Sustainable Ingredients

Natural cosmetics are not at all a new concept. Our ancestors depended only on nature’s gift to keep their health and appearance in good shape and now history is repeating. In order to meet the skin and environment-conscious demands of customers, personal care manufacturers have started hunting for sustainable ingredients to formulate their natural cosmetic products. So, here’s a quick introduction to both.

Natural cosmetics are cosmetic products made from raw materials sourced from nature, such as plants and minerals, and from a renewable natural source, sustainable ingredients are the natural and environmentally-friendly elements that are added into the cosmetic products to make them safe yet effective for both humans and the planet. Although there are a lot of them like natural oils, bacteria, plant extracts, etc., fatty acids obtained from nature are the most used and important ingredient in cosmetic products because they come with a plethora of benefits, and one among them that is the talk of the personal care market is – Ester.

Ester and Their Growing Importance

Esters are naturally-obtained fatty acids, the addition of which into personal care products enhances the feel and performance of other ingredients and comes with powerful benefits of their own.

A group of organic compounds, esters are formed from the result of a condensation reaction – the bonding of an alcohol group with a collection of organic acids while leaving water molecules. They are derived from carboxylic acid in which a hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group is replaced by an alkyl group. In general terms, when two reactants (usually alcohol and an acid) combine to create an ester as the end product is called “esterification” and the esters thus obtained are then reacted with different compounds to obtain various elements for which sky’s the limit when it comes to its benefits.

Esters make a great addition to cosmetic products because they function as great:

Emollient – meaning they help hydrate, soften and smooth the surface of the skin and don’t leave an oily residue on the skin and hence are the active ingredients in the production of lotions and creams.

Solvent – because they dissolve and combine multiple ingredients well and help achieve the proper consistency which is why they are added in the production of powders, lotions, and shaving creams.

Thickening agent – because in cosmetics, thickeners are necessary to enhance the consistency, viscosity, and volume and hence are in great demand in the production of lotions, creams, conditioners, and other personal care products.

Surfactants – as they help in combining different liquids like water and lipids which otherwise would remain separate from one another and remain in suspension.

Fragrance – due to its naturally pleasant and fruity scent, esters prove to be a must-have ingredient in personal care products like perfumes, soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc.

Since beauty and personal care products are all about pampering and caring for our body and are supposed to make one feel good with pleasant smells and appearances, esters and other natural and sustainable ingredients prove to be a perfect fit in the ingredients which are not only effective but are absolutely safe for the skin, unlike the synthetic counterparts. Hence, the growing demand.

So, are Green and Sustainable Cosmetics the Future?

Yes, with the growing concern among people for health and the environment, it appears that now there is no turning back going to happen. People have come far away from depending only on synthetic cosmetics for their personal and beauty products and have started realizing that instant results come with a price and that is our health. Moreover, the toxic waste created due to synthetic products is doing greater damage to the environment than we can imagine. Therefore, due to all these reasons, people have started adopting green and sustainable personal care products and are happy with their results as well.

Conclusion

Esters and sustainable ingredients have made their place in a wide variety of beauty and personal care products and we should be thankful for that because they are doing amazing jobs for both us and our environment.

Ambuja Solvex from the start has been practicing sustainable methods in the production of our pride – pure organic castor oil and its ester Methyl Ricinoleate which are today a significant ingredient in various products and industries.

Explore our wide range of castor oil and its products to know more about us and our experience.