Why perfumers go against the Green New deal
and the deceptively complex chemistry of your morning banana
Did you know a banana is comprised of hundreds of individual chemicals? It's true! Why does this matter for cosmetics? Let's imagine if suddenly one of these chemicals is deemed illegal in cosmetics. Since many fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other natural ingredients share these same compounds, we could witness a significant gap in the availability of 'natural' cosmetic products.
Ah, the unintended consequences of well-meaning initiatives. There's no doubt that we're living in a world that requires swift and significant actions for a sustainable future. The EU’s Green New Deal, an ambitious plan aiming for environmental justice and economic prosperity, is in many ways a commendable effort. However, as we delve into its potential impacts on the cosmetics sector, we uncover some unintended repercussions that may be less than ideal.
We've spoken about this in previous newsletters, but it bears repeating: the base rule of toxicity is the dose. Virtually everything we encounter daily has a potential for toxicity, if the exposure is high enough. The second important factor is how the substance is used. Is it applied to the skin? Inhaled? Consumed? Does it wash off directly into our water systems, or evaporate upon opening? These considerations are vital when assessing the full life cycle of a substance and its impact on humans and the planet.
In comes the EU’s Green New Deal, brimming with good intentions yet, regarding to some, a concerning approach to the issue of fragrance ingredients in cosmetics. Their admirable goal is a green, safe, sustainable future. However, the proposed means to achieve this - through a broad-brush approach - risks ruling out numerous perfectly safe ingredients, many of which are -ironically- derived from nature.
What could this look like in practice? Consider this: since our natural world is also made up of chemicals, their broad-stroke ban would also imply banning a slew of naturally derived ingredients. Take the humble banana, but also: lemon, thyme, and tea tree oil would be banned as too dangerous to use at any level. The overall effect of this is to put up to 400 fragrance ingredients at risk.
Curiously, it appears the Clean Beauty movement, with its crusade against 'toxic' ingredients (a tag often dubiously assigned based on misunderstood or discredited studies) without considering dosage or application, may have unintentionally nudged forth a proposal that could render many naturally derived cosmetics ingredients outlawed (talk about irony!).
Let's not forget that current EU regulations already hold cosmetic ingredients to high safety standards, with thorough consideration of accumulation. Concerning these looming changes, a group of people from the fragrance industry, feeling unjustly targeted by the proposed policies, penned an open letter to those involved with the Green New Deal's regulations.
The EU's REACH program aims to ensure that hazardous substances are replaced with less dangerous alternatives, focusing on groups of chemicals rather than individual substances, to accelerate risk assessment and management.
Upon researching, the potential complications arising from the Green New Deal's policies mainly seem to be the result of hasty decisions and a failure to engage with relevant industry professionals.
Let’s be clear: I have been passionate about climate change since a very young age. The love I have for our planet, animals and even humans is probably a little too big for me to hold and has resulted in depression in the past. I care deeply for a sustainable and safe future. However, con-solutions like greenwashing (Clean Beauty movement I’m staring at you) deeply frustrate me because I fell for it as well, and I can't abide by poorly researched legislation. At the same time, I do understand the rush. We're running out of time to make impactful changes, and the production capacity of the global chemical industry has almost doubled between 2000 and 2017. This growth, largely driven by our capitalist society's obsession with constant expansion, is part of the systemic problem we face.
Good (or bad) intented 'Clean beauty' isn't the silver bullet, since there's just no evidence to support that it's more sustainable or safer than traditional beauty products. It is, at its core, a marketing term. And although I understand the hustle, it’s a misleading term in my opinion. And since every brand uses the unprotected term in a different way, it’s even stripped of its meaning.
Maybe the Green New Deal needs to bravely push ahead with its big dreams, knowing that the first steps might not be perfect. At the same time, industry experts can work behind the scenes, carefully adjusting the details to create a sustainable, safe future for everyone.
And when it comes to us, consumers? I do think it’s good to remember, just 100 companies have been responsible for about 71% of the global GHG emissions since 1988 and the world’s richest 1% are responsible for more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of humanity from 1990. This doesn’t mean we are not responsible, keep in mind that these statistics represent the entire supply chain of these corporations, from extraction to end use, so consumer demand for these products and services does play a crucial role in their emissions.
We can’t be perfect, let’s all just try our very best, buy less & better, be happy with who we are. And to brands I want to say: stop misleading and greenwashing. Almost all of you are doing it, and it’s just not pretty. It’s time to invest in fact checkers/copywriters with a background in journalism/critical beauty experts. It might be more important than you think for your future.
I'm curious about your viewpoint, dear reader. Would you favour proceeding with an imperfect plan and refining as we go? Or should we recruit a broader array of knowledgeable industry insiders to contribute to the Green New Deal?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you want to dive in a little deeper, down here are some articles. Annnd I’ll treat you to some beauty tips that will keep you looking fabulous without causing direct or indirect harm to our beautiful planet, PLUS some of my favourite more sustainable products (meaning multipurpose products or brands with full life cycle assessments since I’m allergic to greenwashing!)
TO DEEP DIVE * nerd emoji *
Pia’s open letter - very clear imo
About the Perfumer’s Pen open letter
Even the most hazardous substances are not harmful if the dose is low enough. Conversely, even the most innocuous-seeming natural or synthetic chemical can harm a person if the conditions allow it. (…) There are currently multiple threats to rational, evidence-based, and scientific approach to fragrance safety. (…) For example, lemon, thyme, and tea tree oil would be banned as too dangerous to use at any level. The overall effect of this is to put up to 400 fragrance ingredients at risk.”
“It’s a really hard subject, because it’s all about chemicals, but chemicals are in nature,” said perfumer Lyn Harris
EEA: managing the systemic use of chemicals in Europe
In this briefing, the term ‘chemicals’ covers both synthetic chemicals and those that are unintentionally released by human activities, including naturally occurring chemicals such as heavy metals.
BEAUTY TIPS
Honestly, it’s fun to take care of your skin but real beauty is in keeping the sparkle alive within you. Being as stress free as possible. Deeply feeling your creativity. Taking care of the body, setting time aside to play. Being able to shift your perspective when things don’t feel great. The main things I keep on returning back to are:
ritualising & romanticising life - creating new routines and rituals that suit you! really take your time to craft them and make them into a cute habit every day.
cold showers - seriously boosts your energy and your inner sparkle.
dry brushing body - I swear this is MAGIC. It’s a switch for when you feel stuck/stagnant/tired.
A tip to skip: AM cleanser
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PRODUCTS
I just LOVE Dieux skin, their philosophy, their formulas, their French-american founder, everything. They measure the full life cycle of their products and you can read all about it on their website.
Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask is a reusable eye mask for daily use (they promise it will last at least 1 year), to pair with your favourite products that you already possess. This will eliminate the use of wasteful masks!
Dieux Skin Soothing Trinity Serum addresses three primary skin concerns: irritation, the appearance of fine lines, and uneven tone.
Versed Doctors Visit Face Mask is a true all in one mask as it addresses most skin concerns. It uses a combination AHA, BHA and enzymes and they also fully measure the impact of their products on the environment (see website for more info).
FACE MASSAGE
I’m not too convinced about the claims of facial massage achieving a slimmer face, but there's no denying the ritualistic pleasure of a good facial massage now and then. Boost your blood circulation and combat morning puffiness with these simple techniques. I’d also add sliding with 2 fingers around your collar bones, applying lots of pressure, using nothing but your bare fingers (no oil or anything).
*Just a note for the botox users - avoid applying too much pressure on muscles that have been injected as it might accelerate your body's metabolism of the toxin, resulting in higher beauty bills.
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Thank you for reading and holding my hand while I figure out the shape of this newsletter. Very open to feedback. See you in 2 weeks! Xoxo
romy from soft glow
🍌🤍 great work of art once again!