Navigating the 30% gap: How collaboration is transforming ingredient safety

The beauty and personal care industry has made significant strides in enhancing ingredient safety, with 70% of ingredients now well-characterized for their human and environmental impacts. This progress is a response to growing consumer demand for transparency and safer products, as well as increasing regulatory pressures. 

We spoke to ChemForward's Bill Walsh (Safer Chemistry Impact Fund Executive Director), Stacy Glass (Co-founder and Executive Director) and Heather McKenney (Science & Safer Chemistry Lead) to learn more about the organization's new report, its findings, and its potential impact on beauty industry stakeholders. 

Industry collaboration drives progress

The report highlighted the role of industry-wide collaboration in advancing ingredient safety, and Walsh attributed much of this progress to early efforts by brands that prioritized customer concerns about ingredient safety. “The Know Better, Do Better (KBDB) Collaborative was formed to tackle these issues together, rather than leaving individual companies to shoulder the burden alone,” Walsh explained.

This collaborative effort allowed brands to share data, fill critical gaps, and elevate the entire industry by setting new standards for transparency and safety.

The KBDB Collaborative, which includes beauty giants like Sephora, Ulta, The Honest Company, and Credo Beauty, exemplifies how collective action can accelerate progress. “The collaborative allows brands to honor customers' concerns and elevate their reputation and that of the beauty and personal care industry,” Walsh added.

Addressing the 30% gap: Challenges and opportunities

While the characterization of 70% of beauty ingredients is a major achievement, the remaining 30% poses significant challenges. Glass emphasized the importance of comprehensive chemical hazard assessments (CHAs) in addressing this gap.

"The collaborative is working to increase the characterization of these chemicals to gain an understanding of their potential human and environmental impacts," Glass noted.

She also explained that the evolving nature of the beauty industry means that new ingredients are constantly being introduced, requiring ongoing assessment and characterization, and stressed that while brands and retailers are currently leading these efforts, it will ultimately be the responsibility of suppliers to ensure their ingredients are thoroughly assessed. One immediate way suppliers can contribute is by having their trade-name materials assessed and included in the shared repository.

Chemicals of concern: A call to action for manufacturers

The report identified ten high-frequency chemicals of concern commonly found in beauty products, underscoring the need for urgent action from manufacturers. McKenney described these chemicals as a "call to action" for the industry. "Manufacturers must prioritize their chemical management approach for these chemicals and expedite the transition to safer alternatives," she advised.

McKenney outlined several strategies for addressing these chemicals, including:

• Expanding restricted substances lists for retailers.
• Reformulating products to eliminate or reduce high-hazard chemicals.
• Demanding greater transparency and disclosure from suppliers.

By adopting these measures, manufacturers can ensure that they are not only meeting consumer expectations but also staying ahead of regulatory pressures.

The power of shared data and collaboration

A key takeaway from the report is the transformative role of shared data in improving ingredient safety across the industry. Glass highlighted that the shared repository of data not only lowers the cost per user but also increases the consistency and reliability of the data.

“Shared data is an enabler," she stated. "Characterizing the thousands of chemicals used in beauty and personal care would be daunting for a single player. But, together, the shared repository increases the consistency of the data and provides formal mechanisms for resolving differences in interpretation."

For manufacturers, this data is a crucial resource for reformulation and innovation. By using the repository to identify safer alternatives by function, companies can take proactive steps toward developing safer, more sustainable products.

A roadmap for the future

For manufacturers and suppliers, these developments signal a shift in the beauty industry toward a future where safer ingredients are not just a trend but a necessity. As consumer expectations evolve, and global regulations on chemical safety tighten, those who fail to prioritize transparency and safer chemistry risk falling behind.

“Balancing innovation with safety requires a proactive assessment of ingredients,” said Glass. "Proactive safety assessments enable brands to 'fail fast' and avoid introducing known hazardous ingredients into new products."

Smaller brands and suppliers, in particular, are advised to take advantage of the shared resources and data available through initiatives like the KBDB Collaborative. "Everyone can do this work," Glass emphasized, encouraging smaller players to conduct Ingredient Intelligence Reports and leverage the shared repository to guide their reformulation efforts.

As McKenney succinctly concluded, "It will never be cheaper and easier to reformulate using safer ingredients than it is today." For manufacturers and suppliers, the time to act is now, before regulatory or consumer pressures make reformulation a reactive, rather than proactive, strategy.