What Are Green Cosmetics? why they necessary for skincare

Before you picture yourself applying green-colored cosmetics, let us stop you right there as green cosmetics have nothing to do with green color as the term ‘green’ here is all about nature. Pheww…. Ready? Allow us to introduce you to “Green Cosmetics” which is redefining skincare in a way that you too will fall for it by the time you finish reading about it.

Is Green The Colour?

Not at all. Green cosmetics don’t mean your beauty products will be green in color. Green here is all about nature. You might be hearing or seeing terms like “Organic”, “Natural”, “Herbal”, “Cruelty-free” “Eco-friendly”, “Vegan”, “Biodegradable”, “Recyclable”, etc. in advertisements or printed on products which is what going green is all about.

Due to the growing love and concern for nature, and the trend of #sustainability grabbing public and government attention, consumers are now making the switch towards natural products more which has resulted in many brands changing their game and opting for producing green cosmetics.

So, What Exactly is Green Cosmetics?

Green cosmetics/Biocosmetics/Eco-friendly makeup, all these terms give us the idea that they are cosmetics generally manufactured using all-natural, non-toxic ingredients and are safer for human use and gentler to the environment. Well, it is true to some extent. It is natural for anyone to automatically make eco-friendly assumptions about the product or company endorsing terms like “100% natural”, “of plant origin”, “eco-bio”, etc. but, there is a lot of confusion on a commercial and communicative level regarding the word “green”.

In general “Green Cosmetics” is known to be a part of the cosmetic industry that uses environmentally-friendly formulations, production practices, and packaging methods to make products. A cosmetic can be considered truly “green” only if it contains active ingredients derived from plants, such as minerals and plants, and not similar active ingredients chemically reproduced in the laboratory and are manufactured in an environmentally sustainable way.

In simple words, “Green Cosmetics” are sustainable cosmetics made with biodegradable formulations and utilizing ingredients from renewable plant and bacteria sources, having lower toxicity, and transparent production practices. They to some extent lessen the ecological impact on the environment and reduce the undesired effects of controversial ingredients like parabens, synthetic surfactants such as sulfates, essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, synthetic sunscreens, and fragrances/dyes, have on our health.

The Composition of Green Cosmetics

Everything from makeup and beauty such as foundation, lipsticks, cosmetic powder, creams, lotions, cleansers, to hair products like shampoo, conditioners, gels, are available in green. Their composition is such that one may feel green cosmetics can be made at home itself as they are a mix of nature’s gifts like plant extracts and oils, naturally occurring minerals, non-toxic dyes, and natural ingredients such as beeswax or shea butter. Various ingredients that are easily found in our kitchen/garden like lemon, rose, coffee, aloe vera, mint, etc. are some of the famous components in a wide range of cosmetic products.

Cosmetic developers are now tapping the potential of Oleochemicals – which are naturally derived chemicals from plant and animal fats and can be a better substitute for petroleum-based products. Some of the examples include:

• Natural oils like palm oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, castor oil, from which fatty alcohols are derived which are used as chemical surfactants.
• Plant products like soybeans, corn, chamomile, and others, used to derive emulsifiers, surfactants, and biocatalysts in the cosmetic industry.
• A bacterium named Deinococcus bacteria, currently under development, can be used to create aromatic ingredients and pigments for the cosmetic industry.

The raw materials from nature undergo a long procedure of splitting, distillation, fractionation, separation, hydrogenation, methylation, and hydrophilisation to transform into oleochemicals which are then used as an emollient, emulsifier, and thickener in ointments of various sorts.

Recommended: What makes castor oil derivatives as important ingredient for making personal care products?

Why Switch to Green?
Synthetic and chemical products do give instant results but slowly damage our skin cells. Moreover, production of such beauty products is contaminating our environment as well which has to stop for our future generation.

While green cosmetics means everything about it is sustainable i.e. from the natural ingredients in it to the production and packaging, every aspect is carried out keeping the environment in mind. Hence, switching to green cosmetics doesn’t mean you will be nourishing your skin with the goodness of nature but will also be doing a bit for nature as well by causing minimal waste and impact on the environment.

Now let’s see some of the benefits of choosing green cosmetics.

1.Gentler to the skin

Synthetic beauty products are attractive and give quick results but are harsh on skin in the long run. Constant use of such products dries up the skin and the toxicity in it is absorbed slowly by skin cells so much that one may become victim of headaches, eye damage, acne, hormonal imbalance and premature aging, even cancer and type II diabetes in later stages. While, green cosmetics; are gentiler to skin and are even suitable to use by the most sensitive ones.

2.Lighter in terms of cost

The general mindset is that all natural products are expensive. Well, not at all. In fact, the amount of petroleum-based cosmetics that you use in a year costs way higher than green ones because green cosmetics contain homely ingredients which you can DIY as well.

3.Kinder to the environment

You may think how cosmetic products are damaging the environment? Well, the harsh chemicals used in it are polluting the air, land, and water in micro form but in huge quantities. The production of conventional cosmetics is causing tremendous plastic wastes and other toxic pollutants which are discarded into the environment. The microbeads/plastic from shower scrubs and exfoliating products are washed into our waterways every day which do not dissolve, causing a threat to marine life as well as ours.

Green cosmetics on the other hand are made from eco-friendly ingredients that are biodegradable hence, there is nothing to worry when they mix with nature.

4.Safer for our health

Shampoos, toothpastes, creams, lotions, gels, powders, as such conventional beauty products contain toxic substances which is absorbed by our skin. They use a lot of preservatives to increase the shelf life and the appearance of the products, among which the most dangerous one is Paraben. According to some scientific studies, parabens make the body stop producing estrogens and is found to be one of the biggest reasons for causing diseases such as cancer, fragile immune system and allergies.

Therefore, it is better to think about your health than investing in fancy cosmetics and beauty products because green cosmetics do the opposite to conventional cosmetics. The natural ingredients in it nourish our skin from within without causing any side effects. For example, applying simple organic coldpressed castor oil is way better and safer than expensive lotions for dry skin which we have to apply often for. But, the ricinoleic acid present in castor oil not only moisturizes the skin but also helps retain it by preventing water loss through the outer layer of the skin. So, you can see which is a better and cheaper option here.

So, is the Future Green?

Consumers have started realising the harmful effects of conventional cosmetic products on skin and the environment due to which a dramatic shift is taking place in the choice of products they are now buying.

Since the ingredients of green cosmetics are all natural substances such as olive oil, argan oil, castor oil, almond oil, aloe vera, coconut oil, etc., there’s no harm done to the skin as these natural ingredients contain antioxidants which are anti-aging and some are even anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and so on like the hydrogenated castor oil also known as castor wax which is produced through the chemical combination of hydrogen and pure castor oil. Therefore, the demand for natural products is rocketing high and to keep up the pace and stay in business, manufacturers too are taking the step towards green.

Going green is indeed a noble trend which Ambuja Solvex has been following since the beginning due to which it is known to be one of the top castor oil manufacturers in India. To know more about us and our products, visit us now.