Last summer, this story on Phycus in Happi made an important point: plant-derived is no longer enough in the clean beauty space.
At the time, it felt like clean beauty was taking steps toward increasing quantification and qualification.
Today, that whisper has become a roar.
Clean beauty has entered its next phase
The clean beauty movement hasn’t slowed down, but it has matured. And that maturation process has revealed gaps. For example, while 90% of consumers now use clean personal care products, only 30% actually know what ‘clean’ means.
This gap isn’t about awareness, but rather clarifying and substantiating definitions. Clean has become a label without a consistent standard. As a result, the burden has shifted to proof.
Consumers are asking harder questions. Brands are finding themselves needing to answer with evidence, not implication.
In-Cos 2026: reinforcement, not revelation
If Happi captured the early signal, this year’s In-Cosmetics Global program reinforces how entrenched it has become.
Recurring event themes include:
- Claims and Substantiation,
- Transparency and Trust,
- Data-led R&D,
- Sustainability Metrics and LCA,
- Bio-based and fermentation-driven innovation.
Even the language has evolved. Sessions are no longer about “natural ingredients.” Terms like Measurable Sustainability, Traceable Supply Chains, and Clinically Validated Performance are the new parlance.
Or, as one talk bluntly puts it, “Beauty with receipts.”
The real issue isn’t origin. It’s how ingredients are made.
Plant-derived was never the problem. The problem is what that term can hide.
Take glycolic acid. One of skincare’s most popular actives.
It’s often claimed that glycolic is derived from natural molecules. However, most glycolic is made using petrochemical processes.
Other “natural” routes, like plant extraction, come with trade offs like inconsistent purity, unstable performance and high material usage.
So while glycolic acid delivers on efficacy, it hasn’t kept up with expectations around sustainability or transparency.
Ingredients you can defend
The how appears again and again in In-Cos terminology:
- Fermentation,
- Biotechnology,
- Bio-based chemistry,
- Controlled manufacturing processes.
These terms are indicative of approaches that don’t just replicate nature, but improve on it. Allowing ingredients to be precisely produced, chemically defined, traceable and supported by measurable data.
Sustainability is no longer claimed. It’s measured.
Another clear shift. Sustainability has moved from narrative to numbers.
At In-Cos, the focus is on lifecycle analysis, carbon reduction, regulatory compliance and supply chain traceability.
This aligns with what consumers already expect:
- 84% want ingredients produced in an environmentally friendly way,
- 44% demand proof of effectiveness alongside clean claims.
The implication is simple. If you can’t measure it, you can’t market it.
Glycolic acid, reinvented
So, how is this reflected in the evolution of glycolic?
For years, formulators have faced a trade-off: use glycolic acid for performance, or sacrifice efficacy in pursuit of sustainability.
That trade-off no longer has to exist.
Through microbial fermentation, glycolic acid can be produced:
- 100% bio-based,
- Free from petrochemical contaminants,
- Fully traceable,
- Chemically identical in performance,
- Significantly lower in carbon footprint.
This is what the future looks like – not choosing performance or sustainability, but delivering both with proof.
The new standard
The clean beauty movement isn’t disappearing, but it is evolving.
The question brands now face is “Can you defend your ingredients under scrutiny?“
That’s where the market is going. And based on what we’re seeing at In-Cos 2026, it’s not going back.
