[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As eating, applying, and wearing for the future of the Earth become hot trends, products that consider the environment and human rights are gaining consumers' choices. The beauty and fashion industries are also seeing companies prioritizing sustainability by considering the environment and human rights throughout the entire production and manufacturing process.
Clean vegan beauty brand Aromatica recently launched four types of soap bars that allow consumers to practice plastic-free and zero waste lifestyles in daily life. This was born from Aromatica's corporate philosophy of "saving the Earth and the skin" and customer requests for solid cleansers that do not generate plastic packaging.
The four new products consist of shampoo, conditioner, cleansing, and dish detergent bars. First, the "Rosemary Scalp Scaling Shampoo Bar" is a mildly acidic shampoo bar made from 100% natural ingredients. It contains salicylic acid, effective for exfoliation, and panthenol (provitamin B5), biotin (vitamin B7), and tocopherol (vitamin E), which nourish the scalp, gently removing old keratin from scalp pores to create a healthy scalp environment.
The "Rosemary Hair Thickening Conditioning Bar" contains organic babassu, moringa, and argan oils, forming a natural moisturizing barrier on frizzy and dry hair. The "Tea Tree Balancing Cleansing Bar" is an all-in-one cleansing bar that can be used not only on the face but also on troubled body skin. Its main ingredient, Australian organic tea tree, helps control excessive oil and sebum, and it contains LHA, a mild peeling ingredient, which gently removes impurities from pores for smooth skin care.
The "Rosemary Freckle Dish Detergent Bar" is a solid dish detergent made from natural ingredients such as sugar, salt, baking soda, and corn starch, allowing safe washing of food items like fruits and vegetables without worries about detergent residue.
The new products upcycle not only the packaging but also the soap ingredients. The packaging uses recycled paper made from sugarcane residue, and the cleansing and dish detergent bars, which show visible granules, are made by upcycling actual tea tree and rosemary raw materials used in cosmetic manufacturing. These granules serve as scrubs, effectively removing leftover residues during dishwashing, reflecting environmental consideration.
Fresh handmade cosmetic brand Lush also introduced "Nots Wrap," a cloth packaging alternative to reduce single-use packaging waste. Nots Wrap is made using polyester recycled from plastic PET bottles or 100% organic cloth produced by women's cooperatives in India.
It is not only used for product packaging but also upcycled into scarves, headbands, bags, and more, allowing diverse everyday uses. Lush Korea also held "Nots Wrap Classes" on its official website, teaching various methods such as Nots Wrap packaging, tying tumblers, and making eco-bags.
There are also cases where discarded resources are upcycled into new cosmetics. Amorepacific's Innisfree has been running the "Upcycling Beauty Project" for three years since 2018, discovering new value from discarded resources such as coffee grounds and beer lees and presenting them as beauty products. In July, they secured Jeju Gujwa carrots that were unsellable due to cracks and breakage and processed them into cosmetic-grade ingredients, releasing two products: "Ugly Carrot Hand Soap" and "Ugly Carrot Hand Cream."
Global outdoor brand The North Face is leading eco-friendly fashion trends through its "Eco Fleece Collection," which recycles 10.8 million PET bottles. They introduced the new "Eco Nuptse Jacket," applying recycled materials to the "Nuptse Jacket," a winter favorite worldwide for over 30 years known for its excellent functionality and voluminous heritage design, adding eco-friendly value.
The signature product, the "1996 Nuptse Jacket," was ranked second among the "Best Fashion Items of Q4 2018" by the UK's popular online fashion community "List." The 1996 Eco Nuptse Jacket, released this fall and winter season, applies recycled nylon outer fabric and recycled zippers to the original 1996 Nuptse Jacket design, satisfying the discerning tastes of greensumers as a trendy eco item.
The Nuptse Jacket features its unique shoulder color blocking and voluminous design and is available in various colors such as yellow, orange, purple, and classic green, allowing choices that fit individual personalities. It also maximizes warmth with details such as ethically certified down (RDS) premium goose down, sleeve cuffs, and hem strings.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
