Sustainability in Clean Beauty: What Matters Now

In clean beauty, sustainability has moved beyond recyclable packaging and carbon offset badges. Today’s consumers—and retailers—expect deeper accountability: ingredient traceability, regenerative sourcing, water conservation, and ethical supply chains that reflect more than marketing language.

In 2025, sustainability is not a feature. It’s a foundational expectation. And the brands leading the way are those that are embedding it into formulation, sourcing, and manufacturing—not just labeling.

Here’s what matters now—and how brands can build sustainability into every phase of their business:

1. Ingredient Sourcing with Environmental Impact in Mind

It’s no longer enough for ingredients to be natural—they must be responsibly grown, minimally processed, and chosen with biodiversity in mind.

What’s trending:

• Regenerative and biodynamic agriculture practices in ingredient sourcing
  
  

• Wildcrafted materials harvested with traceable, ethical yield limits
  
  

• Transition from overharvested botanicals (e.g., rosewood, frankincense) to resilient alternatives
  
  

• Domestic or regional sourcing to reduce transportation impact
  
  

Why it matters: Ingredient sourcing is one of the largest contributors to a beauty brand’s environmental footprint. Choosing local, regenerative, and resilient crops helps protect ecosystems and supply chains alike.

What to do:

• Audit your top raw materials for water usage, land impact, and carbon intensity
  
  

• Work with farms that can demonstrate soil health and land stewardship
  
  

• Replace at-risk plants with functionally similar, lower-impact alternatives
  
  

2. Packaging That’s Actually Circular

Sustainable packaging is evolving from simply recyclable to truly circular—designed for reuse, refill, or minimal waste at every touchpoint.

What’s trending:

• Monomaterial components for easier recycling
  
  

• Lightweight, molded fiber or compostable secondary packaging
  
  

• Refillable systems with cartridge-style inserts or return programs
  
  

• Bulk and backbar packaging for DTC and in-store sustainability options
  
  

Why it matters: Packaging accounts for up to 70% of emissions in many beauty SKUs. Circular design reduces both impact and cost—and provides a unique brand storytelling opportunity.

What to do:

• Reduce component layers and unnecessary inserts
  
  

• Choose packaging partners with closed-loop systems or take-back programs
  
  

• Educate customers on end-of-life pathways (recycle, compost, reuse)
  
  

3. Water, Waste, and Energy Efficiency in Production

Formulation and manufacturing decisions have measurable effects on your environmental footprint. Smart decisions here compound over time.

What’s trending:

• Waterless or low-water formats to reduce footprint and preservation needs
  
  

• Cold-process manufacturing to lower energy usage
  
  

• On-demand small-batch production to reduce waste and excess inventory
  
  

• Upcycling raw material waste (e.g., seed husks, press cakes, distillation water)
  
  

Why it matters: Sustainability isn’t just about the ingredient—it’s about how the product is made. Transparent brands are showing their process, not just their product.

What to do:

• Design with fewer heat steps and minimal water where possible
  
  

• Build relationships with labs or CMs using green energy or reduced-waste systems
  
  

• Use waste streams creatively—especially in scrubs, soaps, or home care
  
  

4. Certifications Are Evolving—But So Are Expectations

Certifications like USDA Organic, Ecocert, COSMOS, or CarbonNeutral still have value—but many consumers now expect brands to go beyond badges.

What’s trending:

• Ingredient- and farm-level certifications tied to regenerative agriculture
  
  

• Third-party carbon audits and environmental impact assessments
  
  

• B Corp or brand transparency reporting (labor, land, and lifecycle impacts)
  
  

Why it matters: Certifications can validate claims—but they’re not a substitute for storytelling, transparency, or environmental leadership.

What to do:

• Choose certifications that align with your values and audience
  
  

• Avoid “badge stacking” without a clear narrative
  
  

• Highlight how your brand practices sustainability even where certification isn’t possible
  
  

5. Transparency Is More Important Than Perfection

Today’s consumer understands that sustainability is a journey. They don’t expect perfection—but they do expect honesty.

What’s trending:

• Public-facing sustainability reports—even for small brands
  
  

• Lifecycle storytelling (from ingredient harvest to end-of-life packaging)
  
  

• Founder-led videos or BTS content showing formulation and sourcing decisions
  
  

• Transparent trade-offs (e.g., “We chose glass here for recyclability, even though it’s heavier to ship”)
  
  

Why it matters: Sustainability without transparency is just greenwashing. Brands that are honest about progress and limitations are building long-term trust.

What to do:

• Share what you’re doing now—and what you’re still working on
  
  

• Use your marketing platforms to educate, not just promote
  
  

• Involve your customers in the journey, from sourcing choices to refill pilots

Final Thoughts: Sustainability Is a System, Not a Slogan

The most credible clean beauty brands today are integrating sustainability into every decision they make—from soil to shipping. It's not about checking boxes—it’s about aligning every part of your product cycle with long-term values.

The brands leading in 2025 are:

• Sourcing regeneratively, not just organically
  
  

• Designing packaging that closes the loop
  
  

• Rethinking formulation to reduce water, energy, and waste
  
  

• Building transparency into their marketing—not just claims
  
  

• Treating sustainability as strategy, not a side project
  
  

Because clean beauty isn’t just about what you put in—it’s about what you leave behind.