Sustainability Sourcing In The Beauty Industry

It may often seem like beauty products just appear on shelves, but there’s a lot that goes into the creams, lotions and potions that we use every day.

And as important as ingredients and packaging are when it comes to sustainability, so too is where and how these things are sourced.

Because when you think about how many cleansers, shampoos and body washes are in just your local supermarket, it’s important to realise what producing these items means not only for our environment, but also what the social and ethical impact is.

And that’s where ‘sustainable sourcing’ comes into play.

What is sustainability sourcing?

Sustainability sourcing is all about integrating social, ethical and environment factors into the process of selecting ingredient suppliers. It’s not just about finding the best ingredient, but about assessing the long-term impacts farming this ingredient may have on both the planet and the people working to supply it.

For example, when it comes to the argan oil used in Garnier products such as Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water in Oil – it’s sourced from the plentiful Argania Spinosa forest in Morocco’s Souss Valley. A network of 500 Berber women collect the argan nuts and in turn, are able to gain greater economic independence for themselves and their families through the fair wages guaranteed within Garnier’s sourcing programme. It’s a full-circle approach, rather than just taking what’s needed without any responsibility.

Sustainability sourcing builds strong, long-term relationships between brands and suppliers to ensure the best outcome for not only the products being made, but for the suppliers themselves, the environment, and therefore, the consumer too (hey, that's us!).

Image credit: Getty

Why does sustainability sourcing matter?

Sustainability sourcing is important for many reasons, but there’s certainly one stand out: it gives people who are typically excluded from the job market access to work, as well as a sustainable income.

In 2019, Garnier’s Solidarity Sourcing programme enabled 670 communities facing social or financial challenges to gain access to or retain a job and a fair income, and by 2025 they’ll work to empower a whopping 800 worldwide communities.

What does sustainability sourcing have to do with the environment?

Garnier’s Sustainability Sourcing programme provides equal opportunity and safe conditions for all workers, but it also allows for the traceability of raw materials too. This means Garnier knows the exact origin of the plant and the country in which it was produced, and can therefore focus sustainability actions accordingly.

For example, Garnier’s shea butter has been sourced from Burkina Faso since 2014. Not only does the programme offer women of Burkina Faso steady incomes during a season when there is no other source of revenue, but it’s also designed to reduce deforestation. It’s been able to both save 5,000 tonnes of wood and benefit 5,000 women along the way – so next time you’re slathering yourself in Garnier’s Body Intensive 7 Days Lotion, there’ll be no need to feel anything but good about it.

Other ingredients that are sustainably sourced

Argan oil and shea butter aren’t the only ingredients sustainably sourced by Garnier. In fact, more than half of the brand’s ingredients already come from renewable sources, and the goal is to make that 100 per cent by 2025.

The soybean oil found in Fructis Nourishing Banana Hair Food is sourced from organic fields in Brazil and Paraguay, supporting a network of 48 farmers. And that soothing and hydrating aloe vera we all love so much? It’s from Mexico and has helped 23 families adopt organic farming practices. Female empowerment is also a massive aspect of the aloe vera-centric sustainability programme, as women are in charge of each family’s farming, admin, logistics and sales – we love to see it.

The rest (yes, there’s more) is available to read about in Garnier’s Sustainability Report. Of course, there’s always more to be done, but the brand’s transparency and efforts so far is a huge step in the right direction.

Are you surprised by how much goes into sustainability sourcing? Had you ever thought about where your beauty products come from before?

44 Member Comments

Amynamyn123 22 Oct 2020 10:06 PM

Definitely sad to see the reality of where some of our beauty products have come from. Aussie products all the way!

Log in or register to commentReply to comment
Likes 0

Bessallford 20 Oct 2020 12:11 PM

My name is Bess Allford am from united state, I almost took my life because of my husband who left me and stop picking my calls answering my mails and my messages. He said He do not trust me anymore, I tried to convince and beg him, but he will not believe or answer me until we had a fight and broke up for 11months, after then I realize I can not live without him because of the love I have for him. I tried everything possible to get him back, but non worked for me, some fake spell casters scammed me and went away with my money until I came across this man called Dr Ayoola he helped me cast a spell and behold my husband came back after 48 hours, begging me for forgiveness, I was so surprised that spell caster like Dr Ayoola still exist. If anyone here needs some help, with all sincerity, contact Dr Ayoola today Website: Email or Contact him via is whatsapp number indeed you are a priest thank you for making my home a happy home again.i can never stop talking about you sir.DR Ayoola is really a great man you can contact in any solution for any kind of problems like (1) lottery spell(2) ex back(3) get pregnant(4) cure for any kind of sickness,disease and infectionAnd many others contact this great man today and get your Problems solved 100%.Website: email: drayoolasolutionhome@gmail.com or website : https://drayoolasolutionhome.com/ or text him on whatsapp: +31684065675

Bessallford 20 Oct 2020 11:57 AM

BeautySwan88 19 Oct 2020 9:39 PM

Good to know. Can I share this?

S-P 5 Oct 2020 1:53 PM

It's a case of everyone and every company making small changes that can have big impacts on the environment.

Bartsky 1 Oct 2020 5:47 PM

Good to hear Garnier is helping the environment like other companies

Log in or register to commentReply to comment
Likes 1

wandus 1 Oct 2020 3:45 PM

I realised this page was sponsored by Garnier and all the facts were related to this company. I believe most of the companies are trying to change the way they operate or source their ingredients. i hope "sustainability" will not become one of these words justifying unreasonable price hikes just to make a bigger buck on what people care about. (Bit negative I suppose?)

Chrystalage 30 Sep 2020 11:30 PM

Good on them. What they are doing is so important and hopefully it encourages other brands to follow

Ellyloves 25 Sep 2020 11:27 AM

This is so great to see!

Shop A Everyday 24 Sep 2020 10:45 PM

sounds like a very good idea

Beauty Fan 69 23 Sep 2020 10:29 PM

So much does go into this and it’s inspiring how much of a difference it is making in our world.

Ellyloves 25 Sep 2020 11:29 AM

totally agree with you!

S-P 23 Sep 2020 9:26 PM

Really good positive changes.

Susmat 23 Sep 2020 5:09 PM

Good to hear that Garnier is getting onboard with this

Ellyloves 25 Sep 2020 11:33 AM

yes it is so great because they are such a big company

Susmat 26 Sep 2020 2:18 PM

yes and affordable so many people can and do buy their products

Angage 23 Sep 2020 1:39 PM

I am really impressed with Garnier brand.

sootyblack_14 23 Sep 2020 10:43 AM

This needs to happen more... Not just in the beauty world...

Wn0873 22 Sep 2020 9:16 PM

Good to see supermarket brands focusing on sustainability now.

onlyoni 22 Sep 2020 9:11 PM

Thanks for such an informative article. I think this is something I need to be more aware of when making choices.

Sally10 22 Sep 2020 8:37 PM

Interesting article, thank you.

jupiter 22 Sep 2020 5:51 PM

Thank you for raising awareness on this.

Rose_P 22 Sep 2020 4:55 PM

Thank you for such an interesting article.

Frenchy1 22 Sep 2020 11:42 AM

The textile and clothing industry has also become more accountable about sourcing responsibly, yay for the beauty industry!

Elunia 22 Sep 2020 10:26 AM

This is great. Information is power and having this information gives us, the users the power to make informed choices of brands. I have often looked for brands which are made in certain countries especially 'made in australia' or made in countries which I do not commonly see which as far as I know are countries which have fairer work ethics. Now knowing where Garnier sources it's ingredients (not just where the product is formulated) gives me confidence regarding the choice of using Garnier over other brands as being more responsible holistically.

Pages

You need to log in or become a member to post a comment.

We need to talk about where your beauty products come from

What is sustainability sourcing?

Why does sustainability sourcing matter?

What does sustainability sourcing have to do with the environment?

Other ingredients that are sustainably sourced

44 Member Comments

Pages

An expert guide to liquid liner for mature eyes

Scalp scrubs: Do I really need one?

Halle Berry's hydrating (and delicious) at-home face mask recipe

The $11 serum behind Reese Witherspoon’s Emmy glow

We need to talk about where your beauty products come from

Cheating in your dreams is on the rise and apparently quarantine is to blame

8 ways to make your nail polish dry faster

Why green beauty is better than a buzzword

Julia Roberts has officially insured her smile and this is how much it's worth

What is melasma and how can it be treated?

We need to talk about where your beauty products come from

What is sustainability sourcing?

Why does sustainability sourcing matter?

What does sustainability sourcing have to do with the environment?

Other ingredients that are sustainably sourced

You might also like

44 Member Comments

Pages