Cellulose-based technology reduces the use of chemicals in cosmetics
Uusi puu – The New Wood Project shows what wood can do. The project promotes wood-based innovations and provides information about them.
Chem-less™ is a new cellulose-based cosmetics manufacturing method that reduces the consumption of chemicals and energy.
Millions of tonnes of cosmetic products are manufactured every year. In practice, these chemicals end up in wastewater when the products are washed off and, ultimately, some of them are released into the environment. Even modern wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove all chemicals used in cosmetics.
So far, efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of cosmetics have focused mainly on packaging solutions. According to Chem-less Technologies Oy, the technology it has developed is the first commercial solution capable of significantly improving the environmental impact of the cosmetic product itself.
Cosmetic products cannot be recycled. Therefore, reducing the use of chemicals in cosmetics is important and, in practice, the only way to make cosmetic products more environmentally friendly.
At the core of the Chem-less manufacturing method is a cellulose hydrogel-based formulation, to which the active ingredients required for the intended cosmetic product are added.
In principle, Chem-less hydrogels can be produced from any type of cellulose, allowing side streams from the forest industry to be utilised as well. As a renewable raw material, wood helps reduce dependence on fossil-based raw materials, while the use of side streams promotes circularity. As natural materials, Chem-less hydrogels are non-toxic and biodegradable.
According to Chem-less Technologies Oy, the use of a cellulose-based formulation simplifies the entire cosmetics manufacturing process, as current production methods require a large amount of energy and non-active auxiliary ingredients to ensure product stability and consistency. The Chem-less method makes it possible to manufacture low-chemical cosmetic products that are more environmentally friendly and safer in a cost-effective way.
To demonstrate the technology, Chem-less Technologies has produced, for example, moisturising creams and cleansing products containing only three ingredients. Compared with a corresponding commercial product, this has reduced the amount of chemicals by up to 80 per cent. The first cosmetic products using Chem-less technology will be launched on the market during the autumn.
Forest.fi and New Wood are initiatives of the Finnish Forest Association.