SUSTAINABILITY
limited due to our climate and geography. Exotic fragrances, such as citrus, vanilla,
coconut, and sandalwood, to name just a small fraction, would likely need to be sourced outside the UK. Some UK companies are pioneering the cultivation of non-native plants in the UK in very controlled and ‘efficient’ environments to commercially produce ‘actives’ for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. However, it would seem very unlikely that components principally used for aroma would be developed and be commercially viable. Many UK-grown and manufactured natural
extracts are used for their multi-functionality, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects, with the bonus of a pleasant aroma in many cases, which might negate the use of additional fragrances. However, with this limit in palette range,
potential formulation dilution, and other formulation ingredients that might require masking of their smell, the formulator may still require help from abroad! It could be argued that fragrances are not required, especially if a formulation has a neutral aroma. Considering the consumer trend towards simplicity and minimalism,2
and the impact on the industry
of new fragrance regulations, the case for ‘additional’ fragrances in cosmetics may be diminished in the future.
Preservatives Another interesting and sometimes controversial area is preservatives. From a commercial perspective, they are essential ingredients for product manufacturers to maintain the economic viability of the product
and, from a consumer perspective, in terms of quality and longevity. Many synthetic preservatives, which are arguably more potent and can often be used at much lower levels than natural preservatives, are predominantly sourced and manufactured abroad. Many commercial product formulations
use blends of preservatives, either individually sourced and mixed or commercially available blends, which can contain a mix of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic preservatives. The research in this study did not find any examples of blends where all the individual preservative ingredients were manufactured in the UK. Vitamin E, used chiefly as an antioxidant and with this property, has preservative qualities but is mainly sourced from other countries in its ‘pure’ form, such as China, which can produce
TABLE 2: EXAMPLES OF UK-SOURCED PLANT EXTRACTS * = CCUK MEMBER Ingredients
Function
Elderflower extract English Rose extract Violet Willow extract Bladderwrack
English oil blend-NorOmega Gold™ base enriched with Blackcurrant, Starflower, Camelina, and Crambe (Abyssinian oil)
Rapeseed oil
White poppy seed oil Blackcurrant seed oil
Blackcurrant Extract (upcycled pomice) Star arvensis oil Chia seed oil Camelina oil Echium oil
Lunaria seed oil Flax oil
Raspberry seed oil Strawberry seed oil
Seaweed bioactives e.g Fucoidan - (Revyntra)
Sophorolipids (HoliSurf HF and LF)
www.personalcaremagazine.com Emollient and mild cleanser Anti-inflammatory and mild cleanser
Anti-inflammatory & enhancement of skin cell renewal Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate & Glycerin Humectant Borage oil
Emollient and anti-inflammatory Excellent skin feel combined with optimal topical nutrition
Emollient and anti-inflammatory (similar to Sweet Almond or Olive)
Emollient and anti-inflammatory (High in Vitamin E) Emollient and anti-inflammatory Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory Emollient and anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, UV protection Surfactants
29
it cheaply, either synthetically or extracted from natural sources. Another aspect to factor in is that even
though Vitamin E and the other antioxidant components of essential oils (many of which could be sourced from the UK) can have preservative qualities, the products made from them, especially aqueous systems, will likely still require additional preservatives to have a meaningful shelf-life. In contrast, anhydrous formulations, such as face oils, body butters and balms, may be adequately preserved with these antioxidants alone.
Emollients and emulsifiers Regarding emollients, caprylic/capric triglycerides are frequently found in cosmetic and personal care products due to their high effectiveness and lower price. Most of the caprylic and capric fatty acids in caprylic/capric triglycerides are sourced from palm or coconut oil and produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, so it is unlikely to be economically viable to source and manufacture them in the UK. However, alternative oils and fats, especially from UK innovators, are available. There are alternative sources of dairy and animal fat, although the future direction towards vegan ingredients and products likely negates this as a viable source. Biosynthetic routes are progressing to produce a range of oils and fatty acids, a potential source of emollients and emulsifiers, such as UK start-up companies like Sun Bear Biofuture, which is overcoming the many challenges of scaling up fermentation to produce these types of ingredients. More common UK seed oils, like rapeseed,
Example UK Manufacturers
Blue Sky Botanics, Castle Farm, Herefordshire Blue Sky Botanics, Castle Farm, Herefordshire Blue Sky Botanics, Castle Farm, Herefordshire Blue Sky Botanics, Castle Farm, Herefordshire The Upcycled Beauty Company, Kent* Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire
Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire
Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Hughes & Company, Rutland Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Hughes & Company, Rutland
Blue Sky Botanics, Castle Farm, Herefordshire
Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire
Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Hughes & Company, Rutland Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Hughes & Company, Rutland Northstar Lipids, Lincolnshire Statfold Seed Oils, Staffordshire Statfold Seed Oils, Staffordshire Statfold Seed Oils, Staffordshire
BioMara, Edinburgh* Holiferm, Cheshire*
November 2025 PERSONAL CARE
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