Carving space for upcycled cosmetics through old cosmetics and food waste

On average, Japanese women spend 4,576 yen a month on cosmetics, but a whopping 86.3% of users throw cosmetics away without using them up, according to a survey of 5,000 people by MÅNGATA Corp. The company also found that the top five domestic manufacturers alone account for approximately 20,000 tons of cosmetics ingredients being discarded each year, during the production process, for example.

If you use makeup, you likely are familiar with the sight of unused eyeshadow sitting in the corner of the pallet. Perhaps you didn’t like that color much. And there’s that unusual color lipstick that you took the plunge with and gave a try. But if you’re not going to use it, why keep it, right? Thankfully, to ease our guilty feelings about waste, the concept of a circular economy is even being applied to cosmetics through upcycling.

The basic principle of a circular economy is to “eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature”. There are several ways to do this, such as by improving products’ durability, reusing them, remanufacturing or recycling them. However, the first two options are not feasible for most cosmetics due to hygiene concerns.

Two new upcycling trends in the cosmetics industry

There are two new trends in the cosmetics industry that apply the principles of a circular economy. One is to upcycle waste cosmetics, and the other is to upcycle waste food materials and ingredients into cosmetics.

Companies leading the upcycling of waste cosmetics

MÅNGATA collects unwanted cosmetics from cosmetic companies, individual users and retailers then distributes them as raw materials. The company also utilizes the materials in its own brand called SminkArt. (The term is made up of the words “smink,” which means cosmetics in Swedish, and “art.”) SminkArt’s Tokimeku Paints are made from cosmetics such as eye shadow, blush, foundation, etc. The waste products are made into powdered paints via special processing with “magic water” developed by the company. It also sells a kit that you can use to transform your own powdered cosmetics into paint.

COSME no IPPO’s Helloyon are crayons made from used color cosmetics collected from individuals. The resulting products each feature a unique color. Via direct messaging the company provides detailed information about how to send the cosmetics to them. A set of 5 different crayons costs 1,980 yen, and since you’ll never know what colors you’ll get, it’s a delightful idea for someone who loves surprises and unique gifts.

Plus Cosme Project also collects used or unused cosmetic products from consumers and cosmetic companies and transforms them into crayons and acrylic paints. The Plus Cosme Project also plans and hosts workshops on topics such as handmade cosmetics and making art materials out of waste cosmetics, and holds discussion sessions on eco-friendly cosmetics and initiatives. It accepts orders for custom-made upcycled crayons.

Upcycling food waste into cosmetics

There is a range of companies upcycling agricultural products into cosmetics in Japan.

Upcycled Coffee Bean Sugar Scrub: The HUG BROWNE’s espresso body shot is made of spent coffee grounds collected from THE LOCAL COFFEE STAND in Shibuya ward, Tokyo.

Upcycled Grape Skin Shampoo and Treatment: These haircare products utilize raw materials extracted from grape skins that would otherwise be thrown away.

Upcycled Yuzu Hair Care: Craft Organic’s haircare sets are made using yuzu citrus fruit grown in Oita Prefecture, southern Japan, on a local family-owned farm. They are fully organic. The products use the residue of yuzu that have been processed into juice.

Cleansing Oil with upcycled Brown Rice & Plums: The ingredients of Celvoke’s Calm Brightening Cleansing Oil, a beauty oil cleanser, are organic brown rice grown in paddies that had been fallow, and organic plums, which are rare because they are difficult to grow, and which did not meet the standard for edible use.

A good start to reducing waste in the cosmetics industry

Upcycling methods like those detailed above are a good way to make the most of waste and achieve a circular economy, but that doesn’t make them the solution. It is important to firstly eliminate waste by reducing overproduction. The cosmetics industry could take a leaf from the page of the food industry and use artificial intelligence to reduce waste, for example. As luxury goods, rather than daily necessities, the government is unlikely to introduce AI infrastructure for cosmetics, but since most Japanese women use cosmetics daily, whether the industry is sustainable or not is something that should concern a large percentage of the population. I believe that change begins with awareness and that the companies listed above offer a good start to change in the cosmetics industry. I look forward to seeing more people join the trend.

More on upcycling & circular economy in Japan