Cosmetics

Cosmetics are defined as preparations—such as powders, oils, creams, and pills—used for healthcare and, most of the time, beauty reasons. They include products that people use daily, such as perfumes, creams, shampoo, and lipstick. The most obvious effect of cosmetics is related to the chemical components that they contain. The potential harmful effects of these components are, in the same way as chemicals, regulated by national and international authorities dedicated to their control.

[Page 91]A second effect of cosmetics that is increasingly attracting attention, and is particularly interesting with regard to the objective of sustainable development, is related to the exploitation of biological components by the cosmetic industry. Cosmetic recipes are often drawn from the properties of seeds, plants, and trees, as well as animals, to propose effective healthcare solutions. For example, coconut milk has been used since early times as a skin moisturizer, and rose petals have been used as a perfume for many years.

The consequences of the use of biological components by the cosmetic industry on the conservation of the world's biodiversity are the subject of several debates at the national and the international levels of policy making. In contrast to the first environment impact already mentioned—chemical pollution—which is mostly the subject of restrictive regulations (such as the European Union's REACH legislation), these discussions aim at creating a complementary relationship between the uses of the world's biodiversity in cosmetology and the conservation of natural resources. This positive equation would consist of the sharing of the benefits made by the users of the biological resources—mostly the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry—with the actors responsible for the conservation of these resources—mostly local authorities and indigenous people.

At the international level, several international organizations have been, since the beginning of the 1990s, discussing the development of international principles to encourage the collaboration between the users and the providers of biological material. The main organizations concerned with this topic are the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the World Trade Organization.

Under the United Nations Environment Programme, the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted in 1992 and ratified by 168 member states, recognizes in its third objective the need to share the benefits arising from the commercial use of biodiversity products. The convention therefore asks the users of biological components—cosmetic companies included—to redistribute part of their benefits to the local communities and indigenous people that have been conserving these components for centuries.

The World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization are also currently discussing a special disclosure requirement for patent applications using biological material. Such a disclosure aims at enhancing the transparency related to the use of natural genetic resources to improve the possible financial contributions of firms for biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, all these new regulatory elements are under negotiation and are not expected to be adopted until 2010.

Several initiatives at the national and the corporate levels are already in force. Several cosmetic firms have started to develop new products and ranges based on the responsible use of biodiversity components, as well as on the sharing of the benefits with local communities. In Brazil, the enterprise Natura is one example of such firms. Natura has recently elaborated a so-called ecologic range that reconciles biodiversity conservation with cosmetics development. For instance, the firm commercializes a fragrance produced from the sap of a tree harvested in the forests near Belém in the Brazilian state of Amapa. This sap is harvested by indigenous people, who have, through a partnership with the firm, been able to maintain their activities while improving their everyday life with the building of schools, hospitals, and so on. These populations are also responsible for the conservation of the natural species. The Brazilian state is very active in encouraging such partnerships.

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