Transparency and evidence-backed efficacy are key to combat negative consumer perception of upcycled products

A global distributor and formulator of speciality ingredients, IMCD’s portfolio has a large focus on sustainability, including upcycled materials.

According to Jim Nils Yumang, Marketing & Communications Specialist at IMCD, the company emphasises that the “efficacy and potency of formulations do not have to be sacrificed” for the sake of sustainability.  

Although Gen Z and millennials are increasingly paying attention to eco-ethicality, one of the biggest hurdles that remains to be overcome is consumer perception.

“Some consumers may feel apprehensive about using upcycled products, which may be perceived to be less effective because they came from waste. Of course, not every individual thinks this way. There are practitioners of the zero-waste lifestyle who are putting in effort to minimise waste. And this is super relevant to us in Asia-Pacific (APAC), where we produce more than half of the world’s plastic waste.​

“To build consumer confidence, it is important to align with the characteristics that they want in a product — sustainability, efficacy, scientific backing, and brand trustworthiness. Full transparency about the product’s life cycle, from ingredient origin and sourcing to upcycling processes and disposal, is key to reinforce trust with consumers and guide them in making informed decisions,” ​Yumang told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​.

IMCD is said to have capabilities across its global network to perform analyses and substantiation tests to back the solutions, concepts, and formulations that it pushes out with reliable data.

“We can do assays that identify the chemicals present in a raw material. For instance, we can show that even though a tocopherol came from waste oil, it’s completely identical [to tocopherol derived from another source], so it still does its job effectively.​

“Furthermore, our Health, Safety, Environment, Quality & Regulatory (HSEQR) team vets through the documents to make sure that there is no greenwashing or no claim exaggeration involved.”​

In addition, Yumang cited examples of the company’s upcycled ingredients that claim to have beneficial bioactivity.

These include a by-product of soybean refining, which contains active components like tocopherols (antioxidants), and has been purified into a “clean ingredient”.

Another example is a specialised extract of “second choice” bell peppers that would otherwise be discarded. This ingredient is used to protect against photo damage, specifically from blue light.

“We also have a lignin-based ingredient obtained during the process of pulp refining that has been used in some hair care formulations to reduce frizziness, as well as a rice bran wax powder derived from rice refinery that gives formulations a powdery finish that a lot of APAC consumers want.”​

One-stop sustainability resource​

A key programme in IMCD’s sustainability strategy, the Sustainable Solutions Framework not only supports its customers in “navigating the complexities of green solutions”, but is also a useful resource for the staff.  

The sustainable solutions in this programme are organised into categories that reflect the needs of the market.

For beauty and personal care specifically, the categories include material efficiency and innovation, productivity and energy savings, emissions, wastes and resources, and circularity and renewability.

“Using this programme, our customers can easily look up ingredients and even formulations developed in our laboratories that fall under the upcycling umbrella or any other sustainable solutions category. From there, they can find relevant information and documents, such as certificate of origin or an attestation of manufacturing process, which would validate claims and prevent any instances of greenwashing.​

“Within the company, the HSEQR team can use it to learn about the latest in regulations, and our technical experts can find out what would be the ideal ingredient to use when creating their next innovation. It is also critical for us in understanding how to market our sustainable materials, and hopefully increase their visibility around the world,” ​Yumang explained.