Sustainable Raw Materials- A Vital Ingredient of Cosmetic Products

In recent years, awareness of sustainable products has tremendously increased. Consumers not only want high-quality cosmetics, but they also want to know where the raw material comes from and whether the local farmers are treated and paid fairly.

With over 350 plants and more than 100 ingredients we have a comprehensive raw material portfolio. Our particular strength lies in the search and procurement of raw materials, which we achieve through a longstanding network of raw material suppliers. This enables us to satisfy even unusual and customer-specific demands for specific raw materials.

Many of our raw materials are grown all over the world, hence, it is a major challenge to obtain detailed information about their cultivation along the supply chain. Due to our excellent supplier network, we can provide comprehensive information on the country of origin, the cultivation and working conditions for many of our raw materials. Sustainable procurement, however, requires goal-oriented action. Therefore, we are in a constant dialogue with our suppliers to promote sustainable development and the exchange of information along the supply chain.

We believe in ethical behavior, sustainability, and fairness. Thus, a central element of our sustainable supply chain development is the selection of and cooperation with the right partners. We maintain a comprehensive qualification program for suppliers and raw materials. The key elements are shown below:

For more information, please refer to the CSR Policies and Business Code of Conduct sections.

By focusing on sustainability, Lipoid Kosmetik has created a new evaluation scheme to assess the sustainability of our plant raw materials and products, accordingly. Based on criteria such as traceability, compliance and positive social and environmental impact, raw materials are ranked into Sustainability (SUS) level ranging from 1 to 3. SUS 3 products have high sustainability with a positive environmental and social impact.

Currently, 39 % of our plant raw materials reach in the highest SUS 3 level, and we constantly work on increasing this number. This ranking system does not just emphasize the importance of transparency in raw material sourcing, it also provides an added value to our products.

For more information, please refer to our Sustainability Score.

As a socially responsible company, the Lipoid Kosmetik AG has been committed to support human rights at various levels since many years. We signed the UN Global Compact Initiative in 2015, which aims to achieve substantial global improvements in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption.

One of our main concerns is to ensure that child labor is excluded from our supply chain. We take our responsibility seriously, as a result, we expect our suppliers to fully comply with our Business Code of Conduct and to inform us immediately if child labor is suspected. In addition, risk-based confirmations are requested for critical countries.