Beauty products are now cruelty-free and natural

Bengaluru: Natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free – these have become buzzwords in the beauty business. There is a steady increase in the number of people, especially youngsters, who are turning to products that are natural and use local ingredients, and brands are responding to that.
Manish Chowdhary, co-CEO of Body Cupid, says the pandemic has made many realise the need for change in the way we live, reduce waste, and use products that do not harm nature and the environment.“So, products that do not contain harmful chemicals, synthetic actives, and preservatives are finding more buyers,” he says.
Both women and men, he says, are willing to invest in taking care of their skin and hair the right way. “They want beauty care solutions that deliver visible results and have long-term benefits,” Chowdhary says.
Natural ingredients are biodegradable and require minimal processing. “Most of the products contain vitamins and compounds such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Resveratrol (a plant compound that acts like an antioxidant), and alpha-hydroxy acid (natural acids found in food), all of which help the body to function at optimal levels. They are free of irritants too,” says Tarun Sharma, co-founder & CEO of mCaffeine.
He says a face wash formulated with natural ingredients such as caffeine, Vitamin E, and almond milk kills 99.9% of acne-causing germs, and its sulphate-free foamy texture is mild and soothing to the skin. On the other hand, he says, chemical ingredients capable of addressing acne issues tend to leave skin feeling dry, red, and sore.
Most brands in the natural beauty segment use traditional beauty recipes and conduct extensive research on each ingredient used. Natural preservatives such as benzoic acid, sorbic acid, alcohol and castor oil and organic compounds such as phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin are used in making natural products. “For haircare, it is potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. For cleansers, we use natural surfactants like laurel glycoside as opposed to sulphates,” says Dr Chytra Anand, dermatologist & chief formulator at SkinQ.
However, Shankar Prasad, CEO & founder of Plum, says the word natural is overused in the beauty industry, and it's difficult to have truly 100% natural products. “While it is tough to find natural alternatives to preservatives, there are safer ones, such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate which are food-grade preservatives. Silicones (prized for their smoothing, correcting and mattifying effects) can be substituted by naturally-derived olive derivatives. Sulphate-free surfactants such as sarcosinates and amphoacetates are milder and equally efficacious,” he says.