Doing Sustainable Beauty Right

Chantecaille shows how it’s staying ahead of the curve, from using clean ingredients to championing environmental causes through its products.

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The ongoing pandemic has changed our lives forever. One thing is for sure though: 2020 will be a year to remember.

But it hasn’t been all gloom and doom. All around the world, lockdowns have resulted in a greener reality: reduced pollution, bluer skies, the return of wildlife.

Even as we marvelled at these changes, we also quickly realised how intertwined our lives are with the environment, and how intricate the relationship between Mother Nature and mankind is.

From skincare and makeup, to food, we asked questions about environmental impact, social causes and sustainability, and what companies are doing in response to these issues.

In fact, a 2018 AC Nielsen global survey found that 80 per cent of Gen Zs (those born between 1995 and 2015) feel strongly that companies should help the environment. And corporations are starting to listen.

The business of beauty: Chantecaille’s way

While some companies are just beginning to look into sustainability, one brand has always been ahead of the curve: Chantecaille. Sustainability has been the French luxury beauty brand’s mission since Day One. And that started 23 years ago, with its founder Sylvie Chantecaille at the helm.

The brand, known for using clean, organic and sustainably sourced active ingredients, pioneered the use of plant stem cell technology in its skincare formulas.

Sylvie says stem cells are the ultimate sustainable active ingredient. The reason: They’re cultivated in the Chantecaille lab, not grown over large swathes of land, which could otherwise be used to plant food crops. There are also huge water savings as well.