Why the Beauty Industry Needs to Rethink Its Obsession with Natural Ingredients

The beauty industry has long marketed the idea that natural ingredients are inherently better for your skin and more environmentally responsible. However, as more research emerges, this obsession with "natural" needs serious reevaluation. Many consumers still assume that products labeled "natural" are safer and more ethical, but the reality is far more complex. The push for natural beauty ingredients often glosses over key issues such as sustainability, ethical sourcing, and the hidden ecological impact.

The Misconception of “Natural is Better”

Consumers often associate natural beauty products with purity and safety. The general belief is that natural ingredients are less harmful than synthetic alternatives. However, natural doesn’t always mean safer, more effective, or more sustainable. The term “natural” has no standard legal definition, leaving it open to interpretation by brands. This lack of regulation means that brands can capitalize on the natural label without ensuring their products are ethically or sustainably sourced.

Take essential oils as an example. While they are natural, these oils can cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive skin. Additionally, ingredients like jasmine or frankincense, while celebrated for their natural origins, often come with significant environmental and ethical costs in their extraction and production processes. Moreover, the farming of these ingredients can lead to soil depletion, deforestation, and an exploitative labor system in developing countries.

The Environmental Impact of Sourcing Natural Ingredients

One of the main problems with the beauty industry’s reliance on natural ingredients is the strain it places on ecosystems. For instance, sandalwood, widely used in perfumes, has been heavily overharvested to the point of near extinction in the wild. Although there are sustainable sandalwood plantations now, the sheer demand has historically pushed the species to the brink, causing significant environmental damage.

Another significant example is the overharvesting of frankincense trees, which are also under threat due to increased global demand for natural skincare products. These trees are slow-growing, and unsustainable harvesting practices can kill them, reducing the future availability of this precious resource.

Furthermore, when companies promote natural beauty products, they often neglect to mention the environmental consequences of large-scale farming operations. For example, vanilla farming in Madagascar has led to deforestation and exploitation of local workers. Vanilla is a key component in many beauty products, yet the local farmers are often paid meager wages, while large corporations profit. The push for natural products can have devastating consequences on local communities and ecosystems.

Ethical Concerns in Natural Ingredient Sourcing

The ethical issues surrounding natural ingredients extend beyond environmental concerns. The beauty industry's supply chains are often opaque, making it difficult to track where and how ingredients are sourced. This lack of transparency can lead to labor exploitation, particularly in developing countries where raw materials like jasmine, frankincense, and vanilla are often harvested.

Children as young as six work in fields to gather jasmine flowers, sometimes overnight, leading to a range of health issues such as cuts, bruises, and allergic reactions. While consumers enjoy the luxurious scent of jasmine in their skincare products, they are often unaware of the labor conditions behind the scenes.

Vanilla extraction also presents ethical challenges. In regions like Madagascar, farmers are trapped in cycles of poverty and face significant dangers due to the high value of the crop. Vanilla theft is rampant, leading to violent confrontations and exploitation, while large corporations benefit from this system without implementing fair trade measures. As consumers, we must acknowledge that our demand for natural ingredients contributes to these conditions, even if the products we buy are labeled as cruelty-free or fair trade.

The Role of Synthetics in a More Sustainable Future

Synthetics, often demonized in the beauty industry, offer a more sustainable and ethical alternative to natural ingredients. Biosynthesized sandalwood compounds, for example, is produced in labs using yeast or bacteria, making it chemically identical to natural sandalwood compounds. This process is not only more sustainable but also reduces the need to harvest endangered sandalwood trees. Similarly, synthetic alternatives to natural ingredients like musk, which used to come from the glands of deer, prevent the exploitation and harm of animals.

At Dyaspora, we aim to incorporate synthetic ingredients as part of our commitment to sustainability and ethical production. While synthetics have a bad reputation for being “unnatural,” they offer consistent quality without the environmental toll of harvesting natural resources. Using synthetics allows us to minimize the ecological footprint of our products and ensure that we aren’t contributing to labor exploitation or animal cruelty.

In fact, many of the “natural” ingredients used today were tested on animals at some point in the past to ensure their safety. Even though some brands may claim their final products are cruelty-free, they are still relying on ingredients that were tested on animals at some stage. By embracing synthetic alternatives, we can avoid this moral ambiguity and create truly cruelty-free products.

The Problem with Animal-Derived Ingredients

Many natural beauty ingredients are derived from animals, such as beeswax, lanolin, and most recently the "tik-tok craze" of beef tallow. While some of these ingredients can be harvested without harming the animals, the ethical concerns remain. For example, ambergris—a key component in many high-end perfumes—comes from the digestive system of sperm whales. Although it can be found naturally washed up on beaches, the historical hunting of sperm whales for ambergris nearly drove them to extinction.

Other animal-derived ingredients like civet, used in perfumery, are often collected in unethical ways. Civets were often kept in poor conditions and milked for their secretions. While now synthetic alternatives exist.

The Case for Rethinking “Natural” in Beauty

Consumers today are more conscious than ever about the environmental and ethical impact of their purchases. However, many still cling to the notion that natural is always better, without considering the broader consequences. The beauty industry needs to be more transparent about the realities of sourcing natural ingredients and shift the focus toward sustainability and ethical practices.

By rethinking our obsession with natural ingredients and embracing high-quality synthetic alternatives, we can reduce environmental harm, prevent animal cruelty, and improve labor conditions in developing countries. Synthetic ingredients offer consistency, efficacy, and safety without the hidden costs that natural ingredients often carry.

We the Dyaspora recognize that while we can't solve every problem in the beauty industry, we can make a difference by prioritizing sustainability and ethical sourcing. We are committed to using synthetic ingredients where possible and ensuring that our natural ingredients are sourced responsibly, without contributing to exploitation or environmental degradation.