5 TheE 12 PrinciplesINCIPLES of GreenEEN ChemistryEMISTRY
CONCLUSION
The above represent the breadth of recent advances in sustainability in the cosmetic field in
the context of the 12 Principles. These examples are merely a fraction—there are many more.
Driven in part by consumer demand for clean and sustainable products, skin and hair care
markets are trending toward products that are bio-based and/or biodegradable. What the 12
Principles of Green Chemistry also draw attention to, which at times are aspects of sustainability
that are overlooked, are the processes involved in the manufacture and transport of not only the
finished goods, but also the ingredients from which they are made. Solvent use and byproduct
generation in the extraction and synthesis of ingredients demand greater attention. Energy usage
and CO
2 production in manufacturing processes must be evaluated more critically. Discoveries
in non-covalent derivatization for stabilizing actives merit further exploration beyond traditional
synthetic modifications. Considering these aspects, in addition to the more “popular” aspects of
sustainability, enables us to look at advancing sustainability in the cosmetics industry in a more
holistic manner. In this way, the 12 Principles provide a tool to help hold ourselves to a higher
standard by first focusing on principles of mechanistic chemistry, for clean and sustainable
personal care and cosmetic products, as well as the processes to make them.
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