Filipinos are quite familiar with the idea of beauty because it governs our surroundings in the form of our scenery, both people and culture. However, the fixation with physical attractiveness goes farther. The beauty ideals that are most common in our culture include a petite V-shaped face, seductively huge eyes, pouty lips, a white complexion, and a thin body. Some of us are endowed with innate attractiveness. Science has made it possible for the general people to strive for these ideals through cosmetic medical operations. The government cannot ignore the lucrative potential of this sector given the rising acceptance of such treatments, rising consumer demand, and the proliferation of service providers. However, one should check the ethics in cosmetic industry in the Philippines. The cosmetic industry has faced many ethical challenges over the years. Most customers don't think about ethical issues when buying cosmetics unless they have been prompted to. Their main priorities are quality and money.
Ethics in the Cosmetics Industry
Each individual has a unique understanding of what they consider to be ethical, which might influence to the uncertainty around what constitutes an ethical business. Most people believe that being moral is that someone is operating in accordance with predetermined ethical standards. Since terms referring to ethics and green beauty are not strictly regulated, they can have different meanings.
Depending on who or what organization is utilizing the word. Typically, ethical cosmetics would comprise ingredients that are vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free, and free of palm oil. Even if there is very little evidence to support it, the term ethical can also be employed as a marketing strategy to promote sales. There is minimal proof of ethical behavior.
Ethical Issues in the Cosmetic Industry
For people who are self-conscious about their appearance, the cosmetics industry offers a chance to enhance it to meet one's own standards of beauty. In addition to providing its consumers with excellent transformations, the cosmetic industry is regarded as one of the top revenue generators in many economies throughout the world, which supports its presence in contemporary society.
Although the beauty industry is significant, it has come under fire for its unethical methods. Beauty product manufacturers have long been criticized for conducting animal testing on their goods, utilizing unsustainably sourced raw materials, and releasing harmful chemicals into the environment. But as times have changed, customers are now more conscious of the moral concerns raised by the cosmetics industry.
The industry is currently under constant pressure from customers, environmentalists, and the media to reshape its operations into ones that take an in-depth approach to the question of ethics and sustainable business practices.
Animal Testing in Cosmetics Industry
Cosmetic experimentation on animals used to be standard practice because it was an affordable and efficient approach to evaluate a product's safety without endangering humans. Only 40 nations, including the Philippines, forbade animal testing on cosmetics as of 2021.
You've probably also heard beauty companies claim to be cruelty-free. This indicates that they don't subject animals to testing and permit impartial audits from outside companies. There are numerous independent organizations that certify brands when they meet their standards.
It can be examined from the utilitarian and Kantian schools of thought, two quite dissimilar schools of thought. Optimal happiness is encouraged by utilitarianism. Everyone influenced by an action contributes to happiness, not only those who participated in it. According to the morality of utilitarianism, the cosmetics industry violates ethical boundaries since animals used in experiments for the industry suffered excruciating agony and never found satisfaction. Therefore, the use of animals in cosmetics industry is wrong.
Kantian differs greatly from utilitarianism in that it considers at least certain behaviors to be either right or bad, regardless of the outcome. In this instance, the use of animals in the cosmetics industry is justified, primarily because it helps safeguard customers from the potential negative effects of the goods' use. Animal testing in the cosmetics business is ethical and advantageous from a Kantian perspective.
The conclusion that animal experimentation is a necessary component of the cosmetics industry is based on the aforementioned two justifications. In order to minimize the harm to experimental animals, relevant practitioners should conduct animal experiments according to scientific and ethical protocols and respect the right of experimental animals to survive.
Wasteful packaging that contributes to plastic pollution
The most noticeable unsustainable practice of the cosmetic industry is probably the use of plastic. A million acres of trees are cut down and a lot of plastic packaging waste is produced by the cosmetics business.
The majority of our beauty items are wrapped in plastic. You name it: lipsticks, mascaras, compacts. However, because only the first two categories of plastic may be recycled, the majority of it ends up in a landfill or burnt despite your best efforts to recycle it.
Single-use plastics must now be formally retired. Instead, you might choose more ethical cosmetic businesses that employ plastic substitutes that can be recycled 100 percent or offer reusable packaging. Even better, several cosmetics companies have begun to use bamboo or paper to make packaging, which makes it fully biodegradable.
But a brand's sustainability is not just dependent on its packaging. In order to eliminate wasteful behaviors, the beauty business needs to start investigating production techniques and using renewable energy.
Use of Toxic Ingredients
Many beauty products contain toxic ingredients that are detrimental not only to the animals but as well as to the environment.
Microbeads, which are microplastics that are so small they pass through wastewater treatment systems and wind up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, are a common ingredient in facial cleansers and exfoliating scrubs. Despite their small size, they endanger the security of aquatic life. The chemical oxybenzone, which is frequently used in physical sunscreens, is similar to this. Although it doesn't directly hurt our skin, it has been discovered to be extremely poisonous to young corals.
Unjust Work Practices
Many cosmetics manufacturers source their ingredients from vendors around the world. A lot of these vendors, unfortunately, are vulnerable to unethical labor practices, such as mica mining. Many powder-based cosmetics use the shimmer-producing component mica.
Child labor and other unethical labor practices are prevalent in this industry. The unfortunate reality is that several essential components of some products, including vanilla and shea nuts, run the danger of fueling labor exploitation.
All ingredients used in ethically produced beauty products have been sourced ethically. These companies provide fair wages to all of their employees and treat them well. They also consider the effects on society and the environment. Better yet, businesses with the certification go above and beyond moral workplace practices. To assist people in overcoming inequalities and making investments in their future, they work in partnership with farmers, laborers, and artisans from underprivileged communities.
Transparency Issues
Finally, despite claims to the contrary, there is still a serious lack of transparency in the sector. Many companies develop their own standards for what "clean" and "sustainable" mean, but they don't necessarily make such standards public.
Even phrases like "organic ingredients" or a "clean skincare line" are quite ambiguous, making it practically impossible to tell whether these clean beauty enterprises are genuinely decreasing their detrimental environmental impact or what they really mean by "sustainable product."
Cruelty-Free Cosmetic
A brand is considered to be cruelty-free if it never deliberately inflicts any kind of suffering to animals when marketing or distributing its final product. According to this definition, a company can still claim to be cruelty-free even if animal experimentation occurs unintentionally while obtaining, manufacturing, testing, handing out, and promoting its products, a company can nevertheless claim to be cruelty-free. Being a cruelty-free brand is challenging since it is simple to employ raw materials that affect animals or were obtained through injuring animals. Furthermore, certain nations around the world need animal testing before allowing a brand to sell there. In addition, some government agencies may conduct animal testing without alerting the brands. It's a very challenging problem.
When a company chooses to be animal-friendly, it also chooses not to sell its products in nations that require animal testing, which results in a loss of sales. Fortunately, the Philippines does not mandate animal testing.
Cruelty-Free Cosmetic Brands in the Philippines
In the Philippines, cruelty-free cosmetics are not a novel idea. The majority, if not all, of the brands included below were cruelty-free before it was trendy in the cosmetics industry.
BLK Cosmetics - The majority of their products have a more natural cosmetic appearance.
Bobbie Cosmetics- They have excellent products at fair prices, including nail polish and cosmetics. They are typically available at Mercury Drug and some supermarkets.
Cathy Doll - Since they sound like a foreign brand, many consumers might not be aware that Cathy Doll is cruelty-free.
Ever Bilena Cosmetics - One of the earliest Philippine drugstore beauty products that practically everyone uses is Ever Bilena Cosmetics.
Careline Cosmetics
Happy Skin
Colourette Cosmetics
Human Heart Nature
Detail Cosmetics
Ellana Minerals Cosmetics
Fashion21 Cosmetics
Vice Cosmetics
Strokes Beauty Lab
The Significance of Sustainability in Cosmetic Products
To walk the road of sustainability, one must create and uphold the conditions necessary for nature and humans to coexist peacefully for the benefit of current and future generations. The market is seeing an increased need for sustainable products as the discussion around sustainability and the demand for it both expand.
Climate change, growing environmental consciousness, and consumer demand from the cosmetics market are just a few of the causes that have pushed sustainability in the cosmetics sector. Customers seek out more natural items because they believe that by doing so will improve their health.
As modern consumers are increasingly aware of global events and can readily inform businesses that do not use sustainable production processes, sustainability is today a valued practice across the globe. People may now contact with one other from all over the world because of social media platforms.
Can one achieve sustainable beauty?
The simple answer is yes. Both big businesses and individual brands can take a variety of sustainability-related actions to become more environmentally friendly. Typical sustainable behaviors include:
utilizing reused and recyclable packaging to support environmental sustainability
lowering environmental impact and energy use through local product creation
reducing the water waste that is frequently produced during the preparation of water-based soaps, shampoos, essential oils, etc.
investing in natural materials acquired via biotechnology or practicing sustainable procurement of ingredients
the formulation of long-term sustainability objectives or a mission statement that complies with such criteria.
The aforementioned methods have been embraced by many businesses as a way to contribute to the preservation of the environment. But it goes further than that. Other environmental pledges that brands can make include:
obtaining certification of cruelty-free practices from reliable, independent organizations
using non-toxic substances
developing innovative sustainable packaging
pursuing accreditation for ethical corporate practices that promote health and safety at work and equal treatment of people in the production industry
promoting recycling initiatives to increase product longevity and decrease overall waste.
There are numerous methods for us as consumers to support an ethical consumption culture and adhere to sustainable beauty.
supporting companies who sell eco-friendly goods, reusable packaging, or sustainable options
promoting sustainable development and environmental protection through legislation in the beauty industry
reviewing our purchasing patterns
purchasing locally produced green goods and assisting your preferred regional beauty company
taking part in a recycling initiative
eliminate waste to the best of our ability.
Summary
In terms of money and desired appearance, the cosmetics industry has more to give society. The benefits of cosmetic products clearly outweigh the worries of the minority who would have to deal with their natural appearance, even though some may not be able to access or afford them. However, the industry must address the ethical concerns brought up as quickly as possible even if it remains important and helpful to modern society.
Sustainable business practices would ensure that cosmetic companies could continue to operate in a sustainable manner while also benefiting society and the general public. While some businesses have recognized the significance of this, more needs to be done.
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