Upcycling in Beauty: Unlocking New Possibilities for Sustainable Cosmetic Ingredients
The beauty industry is growing its focus toward sustainable ingredients that align with clean beauty standards and circular economy principles. A recent survey by CBI (2025) revealed that 63% of consumers consider 'clean beauty' extremely or very important when purchasing cosmetic products. Additionally, the market for natural cosmetic ingredients is projected to grow from $642 million in 2022 to $1,095 million by 2030. This trend underscores the increasing demand for eco-friendly, ethically sourced and high-performance beauty solutions.
In response to this demand, NoPalm Ingredients is pioneering biotech-driven alternatives that enable brands to meet the sustainable expectations of both consumers and the industry. At NoPalm Ingredients, we use fermentation to upcycle food industry side streams into high-quality, traceable cosmetic oils and fats. This approach helps brands create next-generation beauty formulations, without compromising performance or sustainability.
Unlocking Value from Side Streams
Cosmetic oils are traditionally sourced through agricultural production, which requires significant land use and complex supply chains. Our fermentation-based upcycling process offers a sustainable and scalable alternative, transforming food industry by-products into fermentation-based cosmetic ingredients. This method not only repurposes side streams but also reduces environmental impact and enhances supply chain resilience.
Key Benefits
Environmental Impact: Upcycling and fermenting food industry side streams into oils can cut emissions by up to 90% and land use by 99%, compared to palm oil production.
Supply Chain Resilience: Co-locating fermentation facilities near raw material sources enhances supply chain stability, reduces transportation costs and emissions and ensures traceability.
Resource Efficiency: Utilizing upcycled side streams minimizes waste and supports a circular economy for beauty and care ingredients.
The Fermentation Advantage
Combining upcycling with biotechnology allows for a range of different formulations offering consistency and customization in ingredient production. Our approach ensures that every ingredient meets clean beauty standards (prioritizing environmental responsibility, transparency, and ethical sourcing) and performs effectively in cosmetic and personal care formulations.
Advantages
Reliable & Scalable: Fermentation-based cosmetic ingredients are independent of climate variability, ensuring a stable and resilient ingredient supply.
Versatile Performance: Our fermentation-based beauty oils offer a distinct composition with targeted performance benefits, making them a versatile choice for innovative formulations.
Full Traceability & Transparency: Every batch is fully traceable, aligning with growing consumer expectations for ethical sourcing and clean beauty.
The Future of Beauty is Circular
The clean beauty movement continues to drive industry-wide change. Sustainable beauty products are now growing 10% faster than conventional ones, reflecting a clear shift towards ethical, biotech-powered ingredient solutions.
Clean Beauty: With around 40% of beauty consumers actively researching a brand’s sustainability credentials before purchasing, the demand for science-based and ethical products is rising. In response, the industry is shifting toward more traceable ingredients. Biotech offers a future-proof solution that ensures transparency, meets regulatory standards and aligns with consumer expectations for sustainability.
Environmental Responsibility: Sustainability is becoming a defining factor in personal care, with 78% of U.S. consumers prioritizing it in their purchasing decisions. To meet this demand, brands are turning to biotech innovations and next-generation ingredients that significantly reduce land use and carbon footprints. These advancements are driving a circular, deforestation-free industry while delivering high-performance solutions that align with both consumer values and environmental responsibility.
At NoPalm Ingredients, we provide brands, formulators and R&D teams with future-proof, fermentation-based oil alternatives. By combining biotechnology, circular economy principles and clean beauty innovation, we help brands stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Literature
CBI. (2025). Trends in natural ingredients for cosmetics. Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI). Retrieved from https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/natural-ingredients-cosmetics/trends
InsightAce Analytic. (2025). Sustainable beauty and skincare market report. Retrieved from https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/sustainable-beauty-and-skincare-market/2618
CosmeticsDesign. (2024, November 7). From byproduct to beauty: Advancements in sustainable ingredients and transparent sourcing. Retrieved from https://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/2024/11/07/From-byproduct-to-beauty-Advancements-in-sustainable-ingredients-and-transparent-sourcing
Euromonitor International. (2025). Unlocking sustainability opportunities in beauty and personal care. Retrieved from https://www.euromonitor.com/article/unlocking-sustainability-opportunities-in-beauty-and-personal-care
Snipp. (2025). Beauty and cosmetics industry trends. Retrieved from https://www.snipp.com/beauty-cosmetics-industry-trends