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Biocompatible cosmetics: the best secret towards sustainable beauty

(Re)VogueFlorencia Jinchuk, founder of The Chemist Look, explains how not everything natural is synonymous with sustainability in the beauty industry.

By Pia King

Is there a middle ground where natural and synthetic ingredients meet? Yes, biocompatible cosmetic ingredients are a great ally to consider when talking about sustainable beauty. Thanks to advances in biotechnology, it is possible to incorporate them into various beauty and cosmetic products due to their high quality and their power of compatibility with our body, without putting the environment at risk.

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By Pia King

When it comes to sustainable beauty, we often wonder where the ingredients in the products we use every day come from. We know which are those sustainable labels that cannot be missing from our skincare routine and, generally, we assume that the components of natural origin are those that have a better impact on our skin and on the environment. But is it really so?

The idea of ​​biocompatible cosmetic ingredients allows us to see a much broader panorama on the subject, expanding the concept we know of natural, organic and vegan cosmetics by one where sustainability is the axis on which beauty products are created. Taking care of the quality of ingredients, their origin and their impact on the skin and the environment, as well as the impact of packaging, become a priority when making any type of product.

"It's about understanding that the origin of an ingredient doesn't tell us everything we want to know about it, whether it's its safety, its effectiveness, its impact on the environment," explains Florencia Jinchuk, founder and CEO of The Chemist Look. With a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and a Master's degree in Cosmetic Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New York, the creator of the Uruguayan firm tells us that 'what interests us is to change the focus of the conversation, and start talking about the ingredients based on their biocompatibility. Think about how gentle it is with the skin, its effectiveness, how safe it is, and if its production can be considered sustainable'. Her curiosity and her research capacity are what led Florencia Jinchuk to create a brand that combines biotechnology with nature, to put it at the service of the skin.

What is called biocompatible cosmetics?

Biocompatible cosmetic ingredients are those of synthetic or non-natural origin that have a great capacity to coexist with our body. When we talk about ingredients in beauty products, what is sought is that they do not generate an adverse response in the skin, that they are gentle and mimic the biological functions of our body. 'Inflammation is the beginning of all evil and avoiding it at all costs is part of the new cosmetics,' explains Jinchuk. 'At The Chemist Look we pay special attention to reducing the irritation potential of our products: we do not use alcohol, essential oils or fragrances because we understand that they do not add real value to the formula. Biocompatible cosmetic ingredients can be natural or synthetic, it has nothing to do with their origin, but rather how they behave on the skin'.

What are the benefits of biocompatible cosmetic ingredients?

Biocompatible cosmetic ingredients developed through biotechnology augur a promising future in terms of sustainability. According to Florencia Jinchuk, 'they can provide innovative solutions that increase the effectiveness of products, such as the design of active ingredients that emulate natural ones but with better performance. These allow, even, to reduce the environmental impact caused by the production of cosmetic ingredients'.

Ingredients that are biocompatible with the skin, scientifically proven to be effective and of the highest quality available, are often more beneficial to the environment and to the skin, whether they are natural or synthetic. What is sought is to preserve quality and limit the extraction of natural ingredients that can be synthesized and improved in the laboratory.

Is the use of natural ingredients a condition to make a sustainable brand?

Definitely not, it is not an exclusive condition for any type of brand, be it beauty or fashion. 'This idea has to do with a conceptual crack: in general, when talking about cosmetic ingredients they are divided into two: natural or synthetic. A natural ingredient is expected to be good for the skin, safe, non-toxic and that its production has zero environmental impact. Of the synthetics, it is assumed that they will be more dangerous, probably because they are associated with the word chemical and hence with the word toxic, since there is a generalized rejection of these ingredients. However, this is not the case, because the origin of an asset does not allow us to know it in all these dimensions', explains Florencia Jinchuk with confidence and certainty.

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By Pia King

'Yes, nature is a source of extraordinary raw materials, but they are not necessarily produced with awareness of the environmental impact. Huge amounts of land are often set aside to grow a plant that contains a desired ingredient, affecting local ecosystems. For this reason, the use of biotechnology applied to cosmetics can provide us with highly innovative solutions: such as synthesizing substances in a laboratory that are identical to those found in nature, that are biodegradable, safe and produced through a highly efficient process. What most defines the environmental impact of a product is how its ingredients and the product itself are produced and marketed, rather than whether it is natural or not.'