In January, LVMH announced Cha Ling, l’Esprit du Thé, a new line of cosmetics “inspired by an ecological dream” and made with a rare, sustainably produced variety of pu’er tea. LVMH describes the line as a “Sino-French cosmetics house where ethics and esthetics, luxury and sustainable development become one.”
“Cha Ling is actively committed to … placing priority on sustainable and environmentally responsible production of the tea,” according to a statement from the company.
Sustainable supply contracts with Chinese producers ensure a regular income for families, and strict specifications guarantee the origin and tracetability of ingredients, LVMH said. Ingredients are organically certified and grown without the use of fertilizer or pesticides.
Cha Ling also says it has developed a tea garden based on a reforestation strategy developed by the German biologist Josef Margraf, who is based in China. The brand’s packaging uses minimal materials and can be re-used.
Environmentally mindful living
Yuni, a yoga-inspired, California-based skin and body care brand, has also recently launched. Yuni products are designed to prolong the effects of yoga, and connect yoga to beauty rituals. They are also made from organic and fair-trade ingredients, use minimal packaging, and are manufactured in a solar-powered factory.
Here, the eco-credentials of the brand are aligned with the brand at large, which is mindful living.
Sustainable sourcing
Velvet 59 by Paris Manning, a New York-based line of color cosmetics, is not only environmentally friendly, but also vegan. Ingredients, including sacha inchi oil from the Amazon rainforest, are paraben free, sustainably sourced and not tested on animals.
Algae rising
Alongside this, algae, the hottest new superfood ingredient, is also rapidly being taken up in beauty, not only as a powerful nutritional ingredient for nutraceuticals, but also appreciated for its sustainable credentials. 8 Greens, a beauty dietary supplement, recently launched uses blue-green algae as a core ingredient. Marlowe, the new beauty line launched by Target’s experimental lab Project Underground, is based on an “M blend” of ingredients that includes deep sea algae.
Download The Future 100 for more beauty trends to watch in 2016.
