Biodegradability is becoming an increasingly important consideration in the cosmetics and personal care industry as brands respond to sustainability commitments, regulatory expectations, certification requirements and consumer demand for environmentally responsible products.
For formulators and ingredient suppliers, robust biodegradability data is essential to support ingredient selection, eco-design strategies and sustainability claims. However, conventional testing methods can be time-consuming and costly, particularly when evaluating multiple ingredients and formulations during product development.
Looking Beyond Individual Ingredients
Recent work led by the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS), involving major cosmetics manufacturers and presented at SETAC 2024, highlighted the absence of a globally accepted standard for assessing the biodegradability of finished cosmetic formulations [1]. Consequently, biodegradability claims are often based on ingredient-level data rather than assessments of the finished product.
Importantly, biodegradable ingredients do not necessarily guarantee a readily biodegradable formulation. Ingredient interactions, formulation composition and bioavailability can all influence overall biodegradation behaviour [2]. This highlights the need to consider biodegradability throughout formulation development, rather than treating it solely as a property of individual raw materials.
At the same time, industry developments demonstrate that sustainability and product performance need not be mutually exclusive. Research has shown that formulations can achieve high levels of biodegradable ingredient content while maintaining consumer performance expectations [3]. The challenge is finding efficient ways to identify and assess suitable ingredients and formulation combinations.
Accelerating Assessment Through Rapid Screening
Recognised OECD biodegradability tests remain the industry benchmark, but their typical 28-day duration can limit the number of candidates assessed during early-stage development.
Addressing this challenge, Impact Solutions, through its Impact-Bio® biodegradability testing arm, offers rapid, high-throughput biodegradability screening. Based on miniaturised microbial assays, this approach can generate indicative biodegradation data within days, significantly reducing the time required to obtain initial insights [4].
For the cosmetics industry, rapid screening enables formulators to compare surfactants, emollients, polymers, conditioning agents and formulation prototypes, identifying promising candidates before progressing to more extensive testing.
By integrating biodegradability assessment earlier in development, businesses can make more informed formulation decisions, explore alternative ingredients and direct testing resources towards the most promising options.
Crucially, rapid screening complements rather than replaces standardised OECD testing. It provides an efficient first-stage assessment to support ingredient selection and formulation development, while recognised methods remain essential for formal biodegradability evaluation.
The scientific research underpinning these accelerated screening approaches has been published in the peer-reviewed journal RSC Sustainability [4], highlighting their potential to make environmental assessment faster and more accessible.
Advancing Innovation at SCS Formulate 2026
These developments will be explored at SCS Formulate 2026 on 10 November, where Dr Samuel Patterson, Director of Innovation at Impact Solutions, will present advances in high-throughput biodegradability screening and accelerated end-of-life assessment.
A UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, Dr Patterson specialises in the development and assessment of bio-based and biodegradable polymer alternatives, with a particular focus on accelerating end-of-life assessment methodologies.
His presentation will highlight how innovative screening approaches can support more efficient product development and help the cosmetics industry progress towards more sustainable formulations.
References
[1] International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS), Polymer Standards Review, SETAC North America 2024.
https://irp.cdn-website.com/11ad3299/files/uploaded/ICCS_Polymer_Standards_Review_SETACNA_2024.pdf
[2] Impact Solutions, Why Biodegradable Ingredients Don’t Guarantee a Readily Biodegradable Formulation.
https://www.impact-solutions.co.uk/why-biodegradable-ingredients-dont-guarantee-a-readily-biodegradable-formulation/
[3] Seelig, B., Ptock, A. and Stork, A., Sustainable Formulations – A Holistic Approach, SOFW Journal, 04/2025, Volume 151, pp. 16–21.
[4] Beyond the Guidelines: Rethinking OECD, RSC Sustainability.
https://pubs.rsc.org/su/article/4/3/1332/311878/Beyond-the-guidelines-rethinking-OECD
