If you keep up with beauty blogs and skin care trends, you’re likely familiar with cutting-edge aesthetic treatments, like biocompatible fillers and laser-assisted liposuction. However, have you considered the science behind them? A significant movement known as green chemistry is emerging, poised to boost the benefits of your favorite cosmetic procedures for your health and the planet. Discover how this approach is subtly, yet powerfully, reshaping the industry.

What Is Green Chemistry?

Green chemistry refers to the design of procedures and materials that prioritize your well-being and environmental responsibility. It involves comprehensively evaluating a procedure’s life cycle, from ingredient origins to their manufacture and disposal. The movement also aims to promote enhancements that require fewer synthetic chemicals, so you look at your best with less.

The following 12 principles provide a framework for reducing hazards and maximizing efficiency:

1. Limit waste
2. Design safer chemicals and products with little to no toxicity
3. Create less hazardous chemical syntheses
4. Use raw and renewable materials and feedstocks
5. Use catalysis, a reaction in the presence of a catalyst which maximizes time and energy
6. Avoid chemical derivatives
7. Design substances by integrating their final degradation mode
8. Use safer solvents
9. Improve energy efficiency
10. Create compounds that break down without harming the environment
11. Monitor chemical reactions to prevent releasing potentially harmful substances
12. Develop chemical procedures that minimize the risk of accidents

The Benefits of Green Chemistry in Cosmetic Procedures 

These innovations are shaping a greener future for the beauty industry:

Energy Efficiency

Dermal fillers add volume in specific areas, while minimizing wrinkles and fine lines. Hyaluronic acid is the active ingredient in many of these products. While this molecule naturally occurs in the human body, using it to manufacture fillers requires a production process potentially harmful to the environment. It entails bacterial fermentation, which requires energy and resources that can generate waste, if not managed properly.

Environmental Preservation

Green chemistry encourages designing products to break down into safe substances after use, reducing pollution. In the cosmetics industry, about 90% of products from renowned companies contain nanoplastics, which never degrade. Developing things like sunscreen, cleansers and moisturizers with ingredients that readily decompose can help promote a safer planet.

Ethical Considerations

Botox and other cosmetic injectables have traditionally involved animal testing, with Ireland having the most animal tests in Europe per capita. Today, companies are researching alternatives to satisfy the growing demand for sustainable, cruelty-free production methods.

Reduced Exposure to Harmful Chemicals

Applying green chemistry principles to procedures decreases your risk of exposure to hazardous substances. Safer, more biocompatible ingredients will give you peace of mind knowing you won’t experience intense skin reactions after a cosmetic treatment.

Examples and Innovations

Here are some ways the aesthetics industry is adopting green chemistry principles:

Plant-Based Treatments

Traditional chemical peels effectively stimulate cell turnover and resolve issues like pigmentation, acne scars and wrinkles. However, these procedures often use acids which can have environmental impacts and pose risks to skin health. To address this, companies are now using acids derived from renewable sources, like plant extracts and fruit enzymes.

Eco-Friendly Procedures

Hair removal techniques like shaving, waxing and depilatory creams contribute to your environmental footprint. They involve using disposable items like razors, nonrecyclable strips and containers that end up in landfills. Laser hair removals provide a greener alternative, offering more than 70% hair reduction after your first appointment.

Waste Reduction

According to plastic surgeon, Dr. Tarek Bayazid, liposuction procedures result in medical waste, including syringes, gauze, cannulas, disposable drapes and liposuctioned fat. Research on sustainable disposal methods is still ongoing, but many clinics repurpose removed fat by injecting it into other body parts needing extra volume, like your breasts, face or buttocks. Sustainable supplies, like compostable or recyclable materials, can also reduce waste generation.

Embrace More Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Procedures

Green chemistry might not be a buzzword today, but it’s making a real difference. Clinics are increasingly embracing eco-friendly practices, so you can look forward to aesthetic treatments that provide confidence in your choices for yourself and the environment.