Standards fuel debate at new eco summit

Published: 7-Dec-2009

Presentations on natural and organic cosmetic standards generated most debate at the first Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, according to organiser Organic Monitor. The event, which ran from 16-17 November in Frankfurt, saw Betty Santonnat, development director of CosmeBio, give details of the new Cosmos standard. Afterwards she fielded audience questions on the amount of organic ingredients in the organic standard and the process of measuring green chemistry. Santonnat replied that the Cosmos standard was a start and that improvements would occur after implementation in January 2010. Boots’ sustainable development manager, Stephen Johnson, also spoke on eco-labelling, explaining why Boots (although supportive of other standards) decided to implement its own because of confusion in the marketplace.


Presentations on natural and organic cosmetic standards generated most debate at the first Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, according to organiser Organic Monitor. The event, which ran from 16-17 November in Frankfurt, saw Betty Santonnat, development director of CosmeBio, give details of the new Cosmos standard. Afterwards she fielded audience questions on the amount of organic ingredients in the organic standard and the process of measuring green chemistry. Santonnat replied that the Cosmos standard was a start and that improvements would occur after implementation in January 2010. Boots’ sustainable development manager, Stephen Johnson, also spoke on eco-labelling, explaining why Boots (although supportive of other standards) decided to implement its own because of confusion in the marketplace.

Papers in the CSR & Sustainability Best-Practices session focused on ethical sourcing, a topic covered by WWF’s Bernhard Bauske (head of corporate strategy) and The Union for Ethical BioTrade. The importance of corporate commitment to sustainability was reiterated by Monica Norley, founder and director of the Visionary Soap Company.

The final summit session, Developing Green Formulations, featured presentations from Ray Marriott of the University of York and ingredients suppliers including Cognis and Dr. Straetmans.

Highlights included the opening address by Korres Natural Products ceo George Korres and two interactive workshops, which were held on the first day of the summit.

The North American edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will take place in New York from 25-26 March 2010.

  • Companies:
  • Evonik
See more

You may also like

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Ingredients

Surprising skin feel trends from next-generation emulsifiers

Read more
Cosmetics Business meets the companies behind a spate of new emulsifiers promising unusual textures, cold process and more

Trending Articles

  1. Seen snaps up former Ulta Beauty boss as Chief Marketing Officer Linh Peters previously served as Head of Loyalty Marketing and Strategy at Ulta Beauty, overseeing the US beauty retailer’s loyalty programme and personalisation engine
  2. L'Oréal, LVMH and Luxottica named preferred buyers of Giorgio Armani empire The late Italian fashion designer has given purchasing priority to L'Oréal, along with LVMH, owned by the world’s richest man, Arnault Bernard, and eyewear brand Luxottica
  3. Glossier names Colin Walsh CEO as it aims to become ‘a true legacy brand’ Walsh, who has previously helmed the beauty divisions of Ouai and Procter & Gamble, will join the beauty company in October
  4. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Maison Francis Kurkdjian turns heads with new $28,000 bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 The fragrance giant has shocked consumers with its latest launch. Only 54 bottles of new Baccarat Rouge 540 Édition Millésime will be created each year, housed in a red crystal bottle with a 24-carat gold cap
  5. La Roche-Posay lands Law Roach for punny partnership marking 50th anniversary The L’Oréal-owned skin care brand has brought in the celebrity stylist alongside a cast of experts and creators for its ‘Brand Name’ Campaign in an attempt to connect with younger generations

Upcoming event

13th Annual Beauty Trends & Innovations Conference

24 September 2025 | London, UK See all

You may also like

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Ingredients

Surprising skin feel trends from next-generation emulsifiers

Cosmetics Business meets the companies behind a spate of new emulsifiers promising unusual textures, cold process and more
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Ingredients

Future beauty forecasting from in-cosmetics Global 2024

Longevity, pre-ageing and AI-empowered ingredients were some standout themes from the Paris ingredients trade show last week
Ingredients

Evonik establishes new naturals business segment

The Botanicals & Natural Actives segment falls under the German specialty chemicals giant’s life sciences division
Manufacturing

Evonik boosts active ingredients portfolio with Novachem acquisition

Novachem specialises in creating eco-certified actives from live microorganisms
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Ingredients

in-cosmetics Global: 2023’s top beauty ingredient trends

Senescence busters, mood hacking beauty and naturally-derived, high-performance materials lead this year’s batch of cosmetic ingredient launches
Regulatory

Animal testing: 35-plus cosmetics players join forces to push for animal-free methods globally

L’Oréal, LVMH and P&G are among the members of the new International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS)
Ingredients

Beiersdorf and WWF extend sustainable palm oil cooperation until 2026

Ingredients supplier Evonik will also be onboarded as a new partner for the project
Subscribe now