Dear reader,

While scrolling through my digital archives these past months, I noticed something striking: the same documents kept appearing. Product brochures, safety information, technical specifications: they weren't just duplicated, but sometimes stored three or four times. In my mailbox, on the shared drive, in compliance software, and often in personal archives too.

This is a hidden aspect of sustainability that we rarely consider in the cosmetics industry: our digital footprint. Did you know that 80% of stored data is never accessed again after three months? Yet, this data continues to consume energy and emit CO2 in data centres. Just as there's a plastic soup in our oceans, we're collectively creating an invisible data soup.

This is particularly relevant in our industry. We send large files daily: beautiful brochures full of high-quality images, detailed safety data, extensive product information. It's considered good customer service to attach everything directly, saving R&D specialists from searching through various portals. But what if this 'customer service' is contributing to a growing sustainability problem?

Dear reader,

While scrolling through my digital archives these past months, I noticed something striking: the same documents kept appearing. Product brochures, safety information, technical specifications: they weren't just duplicated, but sometimes stored three or four times. In my mailbox, on the shared drive, in compliance software, and often in personal archives too.

This is a hidden aspect of sustainability that we rarely consider in the cosmetics industry: our digital footprint. Did you know that 80% of stored data is never accessed again after three months? Yet, this data continues to consume energy and emit CO2 in data centres. Just as there's a plastic soup in our oceans, we're collectively creating an invisible data soup.

This is particularly relevant in our industry. We send large files daily: beautiful brochures full of high-quality images, detailed safety data, extensive product information. It's considered good customer service to attach everything directly, saving R&D specialists from searching through various portals. But what if this 'customer service' is contributing to a growing sustainability problem?

Dear reader,

Yesterday, I sat in a room full of practical world-changers. The symposium on circular packaging in cosmetics brought together exactly the kind of people I value most: professionals who don't wait for perfect solutions but are already working towards a better industry.

Between presentations, I found myself talking to a waste management specialist. I shared a frustration from my time as a manufacturer: beautiful organic oils delivered in virgin plastic jerry cans—packaging that immediately became waste (that I dutifully took to the plastic recycling a couple of times a week). My attempts to have them reused had failed back then. But this conversation opened up new possibilities I could never have discovered on my own.

This is exactly what our industry is struggling with. We focus on consumer packaging—the visible layer of sustainability. But beneath lies a complex world of transport packaging, bulk containers, and other 'hidden' packaging that also desperately needs solutions. Also, I experienced more fear for competition than connection and cooperation between organisations. On our islands, we can’t solve world problems.

Dear reader,

The festive atmosphere at the A12 climate blockade fell silent as Raki took the microphone. His words changed my view of our industry: while we celebrated our protest against fossil fuel subsidies, our colonial legacy lived on through everyday choices—including in cosmetics.

As a privileged, white woman in the cosmetics industry, I had to confront an uncomfortable truth: colonial patterns weren't just history—they were my present reality. It took time to see how deep these ran in my work.

Take bisabolol, a common skincare ingredient. When a supplier pitched their “new” version years ago, I saw only the environmental angle. Now, I see a perfect example of modern colonialism hiding in our formulations. The true cost? One ton of 12-year-old Brazilian rainforest trees for 7 kilograms of this “luxury” ingredient.

Dear reader,

Remember last week’s email about the perfect sustainability trap? How waiting for ideal solutions blocks real progress? I realized I was doing the same thing. For months, I researched, wrote and refined what I believe could help cosmetics businesses make meaningful sustainability progress. But I kept waiting for the “perfect” moment, the “perfect” framework, the “perfect” approach. I was falling into the same trap I’d been writing about.

For years, I've been the person who sees what could be better. Some might call it being a know-it-all, but I call it being a detective.

So here's my imperfect but authentic offer: I'm launching a pilot as the Sustainability Detective.

Dear reader,

Last spring, I interviewed Professor Dr. Jeroen Hugenholtz, co-founder of NoPalm Ingredients. When he mentioned their innovative palm oil alternative wasn't vegan, my first instinct as a vegan of nine years was to dismiss it. But on my drive home, something shifted.

Here was a circular innovation using dairy industry waste to create a palm-free oil. Yes, there's animal suffering in dairy production, but would rejecting this solution help? The waste stream exists regardless. Without this application, it would generate methane emissions. Instead, it's becoming a building block for a more sustainable future—one where even the process's own waste stream could provide protein for pet food.

This moment crystallized something I've observed throughout my career: the pursuit of perfect sustainability often blocks real progress.

Dear reader,

The EU Greenwashing Ban was announced with much fanfare, promising to transform sustainability communication in cosmetics. Yet now, in early 2025, our industry is quiet, waiting for detailed guidelines, specific rules, and exact requirements.

But here's my question: why wait for regulations to be honest?

We've seen this before with microplastics regulation. When discussions about banning them began, most of the industry waited for REACH to define what constituted a microplastic. Only the obvious issue—microbeads in scrubs—saw immediate action. Everything else remained in limbo while we waited for specifics.

Dear reader,

“We need to be 100% palm-oil free, zero waste, certified organic, locally sourced, fully biodegradable, and affordable for the average consumer. I don’t want to exclude people from having healthy and sustainable care products based on their income.”

I've heard these aspirations frequently in the cosmetics industry, and they resonated with me deeply. However, pursuing perfection in sustainability can lead to stagnation. Instead, focusing on achievable, impactful changes has proven to be a more effective path for fostering meaningful transformation. As Marie Forleo wisely says: “Progress, not perfection.”

Real transformation starts from within—understanding who we are, what we value, and what positive impact we're meant to create in the world. Only then can we develop meaningful strategies that align our actions with our deeper purpose. This internal-to-external approach helps organizations stay true to their values while making strategic choices that create lasting change.

Dear reader,

"Business as usual is no longer a viable option."

When UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua spoke these words at the SDG Summit of 2023, they carried special weight for the cosmetics industry. While many talk about sustainability as a future concern, his words confront a stark present reality: humanity is already consuming triple what Earth can provide. It's sobering, isn't it?

In cosmetics, “progress” often looks like endless launches, ingredient swaps, and trend-chasing. It’s a race to innovate while keeping business as usual intact. But let’s be honest—this approach is running out of road.

Dear reader ,

“Should we get our products Vegan Society certified?”

This question from a former client got me to reflect on my journey in sustainable cosmetics. After developing vegan formulas for eight years and guiding brands through Sustainable Certifications for five, I've learned that sustainable beauty rarely offers simple answers.

I've learned that certification is more than adding a logo to packaging; it's a journey of aligning our values with actions, and I'm still discovering new aspects of this process every day.

Dear reader ,

During my daily walk with my dog through our green neighbourhood, I noticed the surrounding life — birds braving the weather, trees swaying in the wind, and plenty of puddles. These encounters with nature, even in less-than-ideal conditions, led me to reflect on our connection with biodiversity. For weeks, I've been considering the relationship between our feelings of disconnect with nature and biodiversity loss.

My recent research revealed fascinating and concerning facts. Did you know that peatlands can store twice as much CO2 as forests?¹ Yet these crucial ecosystems are being destroyed at an alarming rate, often cleared for palm oil plantations, contributing to massive deforestation. As a cosmetic professional, this affects me directly — especially knowing that 70% of all cosmetics contain palm derivatives.²

However, I see encouraging innovations in palm-free alternatives, giving me hope that we can reduce our industry's reliance on palm oil.

Dear ,

Last week, I had an intriguing call with Hilde from Supzero. We talked about Zero Waste cosmetics, and the topic of waterless formulations came up. It’s a big focus for her, but for me? It’s barely on my radar.

That realisation had me thinking. Waterless products have a list of sustainable pros (see my note on waterless formulations). But still, I hardly make them. Why don’t I? The answer has been sitting quietly in the background for years.

First, I don’t love them. I’ve tested all kinds of solid products—soap bars, shampoo bars, and everything in between. The results were… underwhelming. Those solid surfactants feel too harsh, and my skin screams for hydration if I only anhydrous products.

Dear ,

Deforestation is a hot topic in cosmetics, with the EUDR in full focus. But in every conversation I’ve had recently, there’s a shared sigh of frustration.

I get it. The last few years were turbulent, and that took a lot from us in our daily lives and daily work. No one is excited about more paperwork.

How would you feel if this work wasn’t about complying to a new set of externally imposed rules?

Dear ,

When I was a young girl, I loved writing stories, songs, and poems. I wrote for fun about anything that caught my eye — tigers, or even the Monster of Loch Ness. But as the years passed, writing faded into the background.

After failing miserably as a business owner and closing down my company, I declared that I would finally write a book. And write I did! But publishing? Not quite. Imposter Syndrome has always been a challenge for me, and after my failure, I also lost my courage.

Then I discovered a method that helps ease Imposter Syndrome: Learning in Public.

Dear ,

Thank you for subscribing, I really appreciate it. Just over a week ago, I have sent out an email explaining the shift I am making.

Today is a milestone day with a lot of mixed emotions. I feel sad and relieved. Today marks the ending of my development & manufacturing company, Enjoy Divine Nature (EDN). 6,5 years ago I started as a very creative developer. Love and passion truly were the secret ingredients in the formulations I created.

In 2020, I manufactured the first batches in a studio that was attached to our family home. Almost 2 years later, a client shared their big ambitions. I had a choice: move into a bigger property or end the collaboration. I had big ambitions as well, so I took an enormous leap of faith, although it was too early financially. In the two years that followed, my team and I created over a hundred amazing natural care formulas and manufactured thousands bottles and jars full.

Dear reader ,

You have subscribed to Green Cosmetics Revolution, and now I am reaching out from a new domain to share a meaningful shift in my journey.

Before I became a Cosmetic Scientist, I followed my curiosity wherever it led, feeling relaxed, happy and fulfilled. But after founding Enjoy Divine Nature in 2018, I shifted my focus to building a business, following the typical blueprints of 'success,' and doing what I thought a business owner should do.

In the years following I had bursts of excitement and did lots of things I loved. But those became less frequent and the creative job I once created for myself morphed into an administrative >60 hour job. I became disconnected from my intuition, creativity and even my body. Have you ever felt this way—like the spark that once guided you has faded, leaving you disconnected from your purpose?