Biobased certification for skin care products

For skin care items such as sunscreens, moisturizers, lotions, and facial care products, manufacturers are including biobased material, ingredients derived from biomass resources, to keep up with the growing trend for naturally-derived ingredients.1 In addition, to demonstrate the use of eco-friendly ingredients in skin care products, several manufacturers are opting to certify their products to display biobased eco-labels. The use of biobased eco-labels tends to create consumer confidence in the products they are purchasing and often affects consumer purchasing decisions. Recognizable certification schemes for biobased products include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred® Program, in which eligible products can display the USDA Biobased eco-label. Carbon-14 testing is required by the USDA BioPreferred program, in addition to several other biobased certification schemes, in order to validate the percentage of biobased content that comprises a product’s ingredients.

Eco-friendly trends

Environmental and health-conscious consumers are paying attention to product labels and the type of ingredients used in personal care items that are applied to one’s skin. Consumers seeking to buy eco-friendly products are interested in skin care products comprised of plant extracts. This preference is a major driver in the growth of the global natural-derived cosmetics market, which was worth about $36 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to continue growing to approximately $54 billion by 2027.2,3