AA
Cornell University
Pre-gelatinized corn starch structuring an anhydrous oil phase, clean label.
Supply/purchaseIn developmentUniversity
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Receive a weekly email digest of the latest sustainable cosmetics solutions added by the network.Browse 605 solutions in sustainable beauty products on the Halo network
Updated Sept 29, 2026
Sustainable beauty products covers removing a persistent material from a cosmetic and keeping it working. On Halo, the solutions cover replacing silicone in an oil phase, ingredients from waste and fermentation, pigments from a side stream, and encapsulation from biopolymers. Sign up to search the full network and post your specific need.
Replacing silicone in an oil phase
AA
Plant protein fibrils forming an oleogel for leave-on anhydrous products.
Supply/purchaseIn developmentStartup
JD
A bio-based PHA copolymer offered in place of silicone elastomer, biodegradable.
Supply/purchaseIn developmentStartup
University of Waterloo
Poly(alpha lipoic acid) derivatives tuned like a synthetic polymer would be.
ConceptualUniversity
DG
University of British Columbia
Biobased organogelators reaching silicone-like sensory attributes.
ConceptualUniversity
A CO2-derived polyester gelling oil by crystallization, and reversibly.
Supply/purchaseConceptualStartup
FM
University of the West Indies
Biopolymer thickeners for plant-based lotions, biodegradable throughout.
Supply/purchaseConceptualUniversity
Grain polysaccharide films giving moisture protection with no silicone.
In developmentSupplier
Ingredients from waste and fermentation
Precision fermentation on agro-industrial waste, aimed at palm derivatives.
Co-developmentIn developmentStartup
HM
Valogen Biosciences Ltd
Enzymatic hydrolysis of agri-food side streams into bioactive peptides.
Co-developmentIn developmentStartup
350 fermented oils in one searchable library, each one ready to scale.
Supply/purchaseIn developmentSupplier
QT
A 420,000-compound database pointed at industrial byproducts.
Sponsored researchIn marketSupplier
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Who is working on sustainable beauty products
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Organizations in sustainable beauty products
Universities, startups, and suppliers with solutions in sustainable cosmetics.
Sustainable cosmetics companies
Innovators in sustainable beauty products
Researchers and inventors advancing sustainable cosmetics.
Sustainable cosmetics expertsAbout sustainable beauty products
One incumbent accounts for most of the work on Halo. Eight entries replace silicone in an oil phase, using starch, plant protein fibrils, PHA copolymers, lipoic acid polymers, CO2-derived polyester or biobased organogelators. The rest source an ingredient from a waste stream or grow the pigment. On Halo it spans six groups, including replacing silicone in an oil phase, ingredients from waste and fermentation, and pigments from a side stream.
Stage of development. Work on sustainable beauty products on Halo comes mostly from companies. 54% of the solutions are in market. Co-development and supply and purchase are the usual partnering routes, and about 30% of the solutions that state terms offer licensing.
Three trends in sustainable cosmetics on Halo
Eight answers to silicone. Pre-gelatinized corn starch, plant protein fibrils, a PHA copolymer, poly(alpha lipoic acid), biobased organogelators, a CO2-derived polyester, grain polysaccharide films, and biopolymer thickeners for lotion. Every one of them structures an oil phase, and every one names silicone as the thing it displaces. Sensory equivalence is the claim each has to make.
Color grown on a waste stream. Five pigment entries, and four start from something discarded: eumelanin biomanufactured from insect side streams, the same pigment by bacterial fermentation, Streptomyces grown on citrus peel left from pectin extraction, and supercritical extraction of carrot and cucumber peel. Pigment is a high-value output that tolerates a cheap and variable feedstock.
Biodegradable, not recyclable. Almost every entry claims biodegradation and almost none claims recycling or refill, which follows from where these materials end up: rinsed off a face and into a drain. Only one entry is packaging, a refillable pouch feeding a reusable dispenser. The rest accept that the product is dispersed and argue about what happens to it after.
556organizations
605solutions listed
72%from startups and companies
54%in market
Frequently asked questions
What is sustainable cosmetics?
Sustainable beauty products covers taking a persistent material out of a cosmetic and keeping the product working. It spans biobased oil thickeners and gelators offered in place of silicone, pigments grown or recovered from a side stream, ingredients made by fermentation or from agri-food waste, encapsulation built from biopolymers, sun protection, and the nail and packaging formats around them. Cosmetic brands and ingredient suppliers are the buyers.
What are examples of sustainable cosmetics?
Five examples of sustainable cosmetics solutions on Halo include:
- Pre-gelatinized corn starch structuring an anhydrous oil phase, clean label. (Cornell University)
- Precision fermentation on agro-industrial waste, aimed at palm derivatives. (Terra Oleo)
- Eumelanin biomanufactured from insect side streams, as a functional pigment. (Melsa Biotech)
- Cellulose nanofibril microcapsules holding a lipophilic compound. (Naturbeads)
- A corn extract shielding curcumin and paprika from UV inside an emulsion. (Purdue University)
What are the latest sustainable cosmetics innovations?
Over the past 90 days, researchers and innovators on Halo have added these sustainable cosmetics solutions:
Which companies and suppliers are developing sustainable cosmetics?
There are 556 organizations with sustainable cosmetics solutions on Halo, 58 of them universities and research institutions. Among them are Cornell University, Olexir, Consulting-ai, and University of Waterloo. Most offer co-development or supply and purchase. Sign up to see every organization working in the area and to send them your specific need.
How do I find sustainable cosmetics research partners?
Browsing sustainable cosmetics solutions on Halo is free. Sign up to search the full network and save the ones you want. Post your specific need to get exact matches. Organizations reply directly on the platform.
What are R&D teams looking for in sustainable cosmetics?
Over the past 12 months, R&D teams on Halo have posted these sustainable cosmetics needs:
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