Beauty has always been a blend of innovation and tradition, but today a new ingredient has been added: sustainability. Upcycled ingredients in cosmetics are revolutionizing the industry, showing that beauty can go hand in hand with environmental respect, in a circular economy perspective.
The term “upcycled” refers to all those ingredients that are given “new life.”
When I think of upcycled cosmetics, a light bulb immediately goes off: Buddhism. Upcycling reminds me a lot of Buddhist reincarnation: both represent the transformation of something that has completed a life cycle to transform and start a new existence. In Buddhism, the soul reincarnates in a new form after death, carrying with it the essence of accumulated karma. Similarly, upcycling takes ingredients destined for disposal and reinvents them, infusing them with new life and value, while retaining the original essence of the material. In both practices, there is a process of rebirth and renewal, where the old becomes new, continuing a perpetual cycle of transformation and growth.
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Quick Summary
Upcycled beauty involves transforming waste and by-products into high-quality cosmetic ingredients, reducing global waste and promoting sustainability.
Unlike recycling, which degrades materials, upcycling adds value by repurposing waste without breaking it down, retaining the original form and reducing energy consumption.
The circular economy in the beauty industry aims to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. Upcycling fits perfectly into this philosophy, transforming materials that would otherwise be discarded into valuable cosmetic ingredients.
What Are Upcycled Ingredients and Upcycled Beauty?
But what exactly are upcycled ingredients? In simple terms, upcycling in cosmetics is the process of transforming waste, scraps, by-products, or unused products into new, higher-quality ingredients, which are then used in cosmetics.
Upcycled beauty aims to reuse waste materials to create new ingredients, thereby helping to reduce global waste, an often-overlooked aspect of sustainability. This approach also encourages companies to invest in innovations to find new ways to use ingredients that would otherwise be discarded (Cosmetics Business, 2023).
Upcycled Ingredients vs. Recycled Ingredients: What’s the Difference?
Unlike recycling, which often degrades materials, upcycling adds value, creating something useful and often more valuable than the original. In fact, although upcycling and recycling are often mistakenly considered synonyms, as both are related to giving new life to ingredients, they actually have two diametrically opposed approaches.
Recycling is an industrial process by which goods are broken down, transformed into new materials, and used to make the same product or a different product again. In other words, recycling involves destroying waste to create something new, requiring a considerable input of energy and resources.
Upcycling, on the other hand, takes materials that would otherwise be waste and improves them without breaking them down. It retains the original form of the object, which is adapted for new functions, preserving its history and reducing energy consumption.
The great advantage of upcycled cosmetic ingredients is their lower environmental impact. Converting a material into raw material needed to generate something new, as in recycling, requires a significant amount of energy and is a process that can only be repeated a few times without quality loss. With upcycling, on the other hand, this energy expenditure is avoided, creating new and sustainable products using existing materials in their current state. This not only reduces waste but also promotes a more creative and sustainable approach to resource management (Forge Recycling).
The Circular Economy in the Beauty Industry: The Role of Upcycling
The circular economy is an innovative approach to production and consumption that aims to minimize waste and make more efficient use of resources. Unlike the traditional linear economic model, which is based on the "produce, use, and discard" cycle, the circular economy involves a continuous cycle of regeneration. This means that products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible, through processes of sharing, lending, reuse, repair, refurbishment, recycling, and composting.
The circular economy is based on three fundamental objectives: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and regenerating nature. It provides the tools to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss together, while also addressing important social needs. It gives us the power to increase prosperity, employment, and resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and pollution (Ellen Macarthur Foundation).
Upcycling fits perfectly into this context. Unlike traditional recycling, which often involves the degradation of material quality, upcycling transforms waste and scraps into new, higher-quality materials or products. This process not only reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills but also adds value to materials considered useless.
In the cosmetics sector, upcycling allows for the use of agricultural by-products, scraps, and other organic materials – often from the food industry, but not only – to create effective and sustainable ingredients for beauty products. By adopting upcycling, cosmetics can significantly contribute to a more sustainable future, reducing environmental impact and promoting responsible resource management.
The Cream Highlighter by Lebubè contains various key actives. One of them is a mix of upcycled rice and sustainably farmed Red Algae extract, developed in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2 ("Zero Hunger") and 12 ("Responsible Consumption and Production").
This approach becomes even more relevant when we consider the issue of waste, scraps, and wastage. An article by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published on September 29, 2023, on the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, showed that the food lost or wasted each year would be about 30% of that produced. Converting this waste, reducing the number of raw materials labeled as "waste," and eliminating competition for existing food resources are among the main priorities of the 2030 Agenda to prevent both food shortages and environmental damage caused by waste.
Upcycling, therefore, not only helps reduce waste in the cosmetics sector but also contributes to more sustainable global resource management, addressing the challenges related to food waste.
The Benefits of Upcycled Ingredients in Cosmetics
Supporting and making gestures that allow the circular economy to develop means not wanting to waste. The circular process of using scraps and by-products considered "waste" and transforming them into valuable cosmetic ingredients presents many advantages (Univar Solutions).
Reusing existing ingredients preserves food resources and addresses the food supply crisis, contributing to a "zero waste" philosophy crucial for sustainability.
Brands adopt circular business models, reducing waste and better managing resources. Upcycled beauty promotes authenticity and transparency, meeting consumer expectations.
Using upcycled ingredients reduces land and water use and utilizes waste materials, decreasing environmental impact.
Creatively reusing ingredients destined for waste allows brands to differentiate themselves in the market and create unique cosmetics, enhancing their ethics and circularity.
Upcycled Ingredients: Market and Growing Consumer Interest
The market for upcycled ingredients is rapidly expanding, reflecting growing environmental awareness and changing consumer preferences. Thanks to a study conducted by Fact. MR in 2021, it was estimated that in that year, the market for upcycled ingredients had a value of about $260 million, with forecasts of significant long-term growth. In fact, it is expected that by 2032 this market will exceed $512 million.
In Europe, estimates for 2032 indicate that the market will reach a valuation of $116 million. Germany, France, and the UK will be the main supporters of the European market, having already recorded the highest numbers in the upcycling sector, with a 18.6% share for Germany and a collective 27.3% for France and the UK.
According to NutriLeads' commercial director Robin Hesdahl, “upcycling is a confluence of several factors, including environmental concerns and consumer interest in natural nutrition from recognizable ingredients. Formulating natural products with recycled ingredients can offer marketers an effective way to distinguish their products, especially among consumers concerned about their health and the planet’s well-being” (NIE Magazine, 2024).
FMCG Gurus also conducted global consumer market research, showing that 81% of global consumers consider it important to avoid food waste, and 70% say they have made concrete efforts to reduce it. This shift is supported by data showing that upcycling is gaining traction: according to Innova Market Insights, in 2023, 39% of consumers adopted upcycling or recycling practices to support the environment. It is then the younger generations who embrace buying products containing upcycled ingredients more joyfully and easily: specifically, 59% of Generation Z and 57% of Millennials (NIE Magazine, 2024)
The main driver in upcycling is reducing food waste. According to the FAO, about 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide each year, equivalent to $2.6 trillion. About 30% of the food produced globally is discarded, and this food waste is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Fact. MR).
Despite this, upcycled beauty continues to raise doubts among some people, who believe that upcycled ingredients are dirty, contaminated, of low value, or even garbage, and therefore should cost less than “original” products. In reality, they are by-products of other processes, not garbage (Cosmetics Design Europe, 2024).
Some Ideal Ingredients for Upcycled Beauty
Upcycled ingredients are not a passing fad, but the future of cosmetics, because taking advantage of what would otherwise die in some landfill is, to say the least, spectacular. On the one hand, it reuses scrap material at no cost; on the other, it avoids producing additional carbon dioxide and substances that would pollute the planet. It is, therefore, an environmentally sustainable choice, interesting from a financial perspective for cosmetic industry entrepreneurs, and very advantageous for consumers, who can access products particularly rich in vitamins, antioxidants, or other skincare principles, often contained in higher percentages in upcycled materials such as fruit peels rather than the pulp.
But what can be valid upcycled ingredients to recover and give a second chance at life?
Olive oil residues: Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, olive oil residues can hydrate and nourish the skin, helping to improve elasticity and combat aging signs (Natrue).
Citrus extracts (especially orange and lemon peels): These extracts are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, ideal for brightening the skin and reducing dark spots. Additionally, they have astringent properties that help tone the skin (Natrue).
Coffee and cocoa residues: These scraps are known for their exfoliating and toning properties. Coffee, in particular, is effective in reducing the appearance of cellulite, while cocoa is rich in antioxidants that protect the skin from free radical damage (Natrue).
Tea residues: Rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, tea residues help soothe irritated skin, reduce redness, and fight inflammation, making them ideal for soothing and anti-inflammatory products (Natrue).
Nuts seeds discarded by the juice and jam industry: These seeds can be cold-pressed to obtain valuable essential oils, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, which are key ingredients in many natural and organic cosmetics (Natrue).
Grape scraps from wine production: Used for pigmentation in hair products and natural colored cosmetics, these extracts contain antioxidants and polyphenols that protect and strengthen the skin and hair (Natrue).
Saffron flowers: While its expensive stigmas are used in cooking to create the exquisite Milanese risotto, saffron flowers become an excellent ingredient in cosmetics. Rich in polyphenols, they are powerful antioxidants that abound in vitamin C, useful for an anti-aging effect, combating acne, and giving strength and shine to hair (Volafarma, 2022).
Olive vegetation water: Discovered to contain large amounts of hydroxytyrosol, a molecule with strong anti-aging properties, this water is used by Beauty Thinkers to create facial, body, and sun products that recharge the skin with vitamin C (Vanity Fair, 2024).
Scraps of apples, oranges, tomatoes, cocoa, apricots, and almonds: These scraps contain moisturizing, antioxidant, or shielding molecules that protect the plant and can be used in cosmetics. For example, almond shells and apricot pits can be finely ground and used as natural exfoliants, replacing harmful microplastics for the marine environment (Vanity Fair, 2024).
Rice scraps: Rice by-products, such as bran, are used for their exfoliating and nourishing properties, improving skin brightness and texture. Even we at Lebubè believe in the power of rice (including the one that we stamp on our lips and puts us in a good mood - terrible, right?!), which is why we decided to include it in our Cream Highlighter.
Hemp seeds: Hemp seeds, part of the cannabis plant and not legally used for recreational or medicinal purposes, are often included in beauty products. Hemp seed oil is an effective active ingredient, particularly popular among Millennial and Generation Z consumers, thanks to its moisturizing and nourishing properties (Cosmetics Business, 2023).
Case Study: The Upcycled Beauty Company
The Upcycled Beauty Company is a revolutionary producer of natural and vegan actives, derived exclusively from upcycled ingredients. Founded in 2017 by Anna Craviotto, Harry Mcilwraith, and Harrison Mulley, The Upcycled Beauty Company aims to revolutionize the cosmetic sector, demonstrating that waste materials can be transformed into high-quality cosmetic ingredients, often superior to conventional ones.
The Upcycled Beauty Company's Full Circle line includes certified Upcycled™ active ingredients, such as NECTA®, TONIQ®, and CRUSH™, designed to enhance skin and hair care while offering environmental benefits.
NECTA®: 3 oils (one based on raspberry, one based on blueberry, and one based on hemp), ideal for skin and hair due to their nourishing, moisturizing, soothing, and protective properties;
TONIQ®: 3 natural and vegan oils (one based on faba, one on barley, and one on gin), rich in soothing and ultra-moisturizing properties;
CRUSH™: 5 powders (one based on olives, one on white rice, one on charcoal, one on blueberries, and one on raspberries), which act as 100% natural exfoliating scrubs.
The Upcycled Beauty Revolution
With upcycled ingredients, every package contains the soul of raw materials saved and transformed into beauty elixirs. Imagine pampering your skin with precious extracts of fruits and plants that would otherwise have been wasted. These products not only enhance your beauty but also our planet, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Every application is a gesture of love towards yourself and the Earth. Nature gives you its best, and you give it back the favor. Feel splendid and responsible by choosing beauty that knows no waste. We at Lebubè are already making our contribution…join us to make a difference!
FAQs
What do you mean by upcycling?
Upcycling is the process of transforming waste, scraps, or by-products into new, high-quality ingredients or products. It's about giving new life and value to materials that would otherwise be discarded, without breaking them down.
What are upcycled ingredients?
Upcycled ingredients are those that have been repurposed from waste or by-products into valuable components for new products. In cosmetics, these might include fruit peels, coffee grounds, or olive oil residues, all reimagined to create effective and sustainable beauty products.
What is upcycling vs. recycling?
Upcycling and recycling both aim to reduce waste, but they work differently. Recycling breaks down materials to create new products, often degrading the material's quality. Upcycling, on the other hand, repurposes waste without breaking it down, adding value by maintaining or improving the original material's quality.
How big is the upcycled ingredients market?
The market for upcycled ingredients is rapidly growing. In 2021, it was valued at about $260 million and is expected to exceed $512 million by 2032. Europe, particularly Germany, France, and the UK, plays a significant role in this growth.
What are the main advantages of upcycling?
Upcycling has several advantages: it reduces waste, decreases the use of raw materials, conserves energy, and minimizes environmental impact. It also encourages creativity and innovation, helping brands to differentiate themselves in the market with unique and sustainable products.
How does upcycling contribute to sustainability?
Upcycling contributes to sustainability by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, conserving natural resources, and lowering energy consumption. It turns discarded materials into valuable products, promoting a more sustainable and responsible approach to resource management.
What is the concept of circular economy?
The circular economy is an economic model that aims to minimize waste and make the most of resources. Unlike the traditional linear economy ("produce, use, discard"), the circular economy keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible through processes like reuse, repair, recycling, and upcycling.
What is the aim of circular economy?
The aim of the circular economy is to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. It seeks to create a sustainable cycle that benefits the environment, economy, and society.
What is the circular economy of the beauty industry?
In the beauty industry, the circular economy involves using waste and by-products to create new, high-quality cosmetic ingredients. This approach reduces waste, conserves resources, and promotes sustainability, aligning with the broader goals of the circular economy.
What are examples of upcycled ingredients in cosmetics?
Examples of upcycled ingredients in cosmetics include: olive oil residues for moisturizing and nourishing the skin, citrus peels for brightening and toning the skin, coffee grounds for exfoliating and reducing cellulite, tea residues for soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, fruit seeds for cold-pressed oils rich in vitamins and fatty acids, grape scraps for pigmentation in natural cosmetics, zaffron flowers for anti-aging and acne-fighting benefits.
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