Responsible cosmetics: from image-driven commitments to operational performance – Quantis’ analysis

Five years after an initial study marked by statements of intent, Emmanuel Hembert, Global Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals Lead at Quantis — an international environmental strategy consultancy specialising in sustainable transformation — observes that the sector has entered a phase of execution.

Under regulatory and economic pressure, sustainability has moved beyond rhetoric positioning to become embedded in operational performance, risk management and value chain transformation.

Interview by Véronique Louis

What is the main difference between the first report five years ago and this new edition?

The first major shift lies in the test of reality. Five years ago, companies were making very — perhaps overly — ambitious commitments. Since then, they have confronted the complexity of operationalisation and have had to recalibrate their priorities. The topic has moved beyond the sole remit of sustainability departments to involve finance and executive leadership, in direct response to new non-financial reporting regulations and the materiality of climate risks. With this broader governance framework, statements of intent are no longer sufficient: sustainability must now demonstrate its contribution to value creation.

What surprised you most in this study?

There is much talk of backlash or regulatory rollback in sustainability. In reality, senior executives have understood that climate change is a major operational risk factor.

From a regulatory standpoint, despite certain adjustments — notably in Europe around the Green Deal — the framework has strengthened over the past five years. Despite headwinds at federal level, several US states are rolling out extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. In China, new non-financial reporting legislation has just been adopted.

Companies have not abandoned their sustainability initiatives; they are communicating less about them and refocusing more on risk reduction and resilience.

In the current economic climate (inflation, margin pressure, uncertainty), how are sustainability priorities evolving?

Since the end of 2024, sustainability has shifted from being a top priority with increased resources to becoming a fully integrated business topic, on a par with others. It must now align with performance criteria and demonstrate its return on investment.

Which CSR commitments are the most demanding to uphold over time: carbon, water, supply chains, social ethics?

Work on supply chains is undoubtedly the most complex, the most resource-intensive — even investment-heavy — and the hardest to control. Cosmetics players often manage several thousand suppliers, making end-to-end visibility extremely challenging. Prioritisation is the main difficulty. Traditional methods based on revenue do not always reflect the essential role — and therefore the criticality — of low-volume but iconic ingredients, or those indispensable to the formulation of numerous products.

For natural raw materials, the social and environmental issues linked to agricultural practices are inseparable. Regenerative agriculture is a good example: it strengthens the environmental and social resilience of supply chains while reducing carbon impact and pressure on biodiversity. Maintaining such commitments is demanding because they rely on long-term collaboration rather than one-off investment. It represents a shift in model: it is no longer simply about purchasing a raw material, but about supporting an ecosystem.

How does Quantis help companies turn raw supplier data into strategic management tools?

Quantis operates at two levels to promote the strategic use of supplier data. With corporate procurement teams, by helping to prioritise the data to be collected according to its usefulness and actual availability, structuring requests to suppliers to ensure information consistency, and training buyers on sustainability-related requirements. At sector level, by supporting the harmonisation of data requests and the creation of shared exchange platforms to reduce the burden on suppliers; we notably supported the Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution (FCD) and Perifem — the technical federation for retail and distribution — within the framework of the LESS (Low Emission Sustainable Sourcing) project, with the aim of adopting a common platform usable across the French retail sector.

What will responsible cosmetics look like in ten years’ time?

Four pillars will shape the transformation.

First, packaging frugality will become the norm, driven by regulations such as the PPWR in Europe and potential waste taxation mechanisms based on weight or volume.

Second, the environmental safety profile of formulations will become a central criterion, with ingredient selection guided by ecotoxicity and end-of-life considerations. The European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), which notably targets cosmetics, sends a strong signal in this respect.

Water resource management will also be decisive, both in formulation and during consumer use.

Finally, consumer engagement will be key: marketing will need to highlight the tangible benefits — health, price, convenience — associated with adopting more sustainable routines.

Must luxury cosmetics reinvent their codes, historically linked to abundance and heavy packaging?

Luxury brands are fully aware of the issue of packaging weight and impact. The sector is evolving. The concept of lightness is increasingly presented as a sign of luxury. Above all, luxury is now widely embracing refill models, with in-store solutions such as the well-known Thierry Mugler fountains, but more significantly with at-home refill offers, whether for creams, fragrances or make-up.

Which ingredient (or technology) do you see as a “game changer”?

An increasing number of players are upcycling co-products from the agri-food industry (coffee grounds, citrus peels, etc.), thanks to biotechnologies such as precision fermentation or processes that capture CO₂.

There is no miracle ingredient, but rather a new wave of innovations that is gradually reshaping formulators’ palettes. The challenge will be to assess performance on a case-by-case basis. Beyond improving the environmental performance of formulations, these solutions could also strengthen the resilience of value chain players.

Where is the boundary between innovation and storytelling?

As with any change in consumer behaviour, storytelling is important in testing and encouraging the adoption of more sustainable beauty routines. However, the temptation to overpromise beyond scientifically proven results remains real. Regulators — particularly in Europe — have set limits on “greenwashing”, and certain companies in the sector have been reprimanded or even sanctioned. Interestingly, the opposite phenomenon of self-censorship — “greenhushing” — is also also a frequently observed stance: a number of companies in the sector are becoming more reluctant to communicate about the environmental benefits of their products. The boundary largely lies in robust scientific evidence: innovation must be backed by robust scientific evidence (LCA, ecotoxicity testing, recyclability, etc.) so that communication remains a lever of trust rather than a legal risk.

Further information: https://quantis.com/reports/make-up-the-future-second-edition/