This year, the Cosmoprof main poster marks a dramatic departure from the heavily made-up faces of the past, featuring instead a natural face with freckles. This represents a radical shift and a powerful statement about the growth of the green beauty trend. Makeup is still present but in natural tones, creating an effect that doesn’t aim to disguise but rather glorifies natural “imperfections” and creates a magnetic gaze.
In this article, I will focus on the green beauty trends at Cosmoprof 2025.
Water-Soluble Cosmetics
For the first time, water-soluble cosmetics made their appearance in Bologna with dissolvable sheets and powders. Reduction of transport emissions, convenient portability, and a new sensorial experience are the key messages. Consumers can simply add the required amount of water and, like magic, they get a face cleanser, shampoo, or even hair conditioner, for convenient personal hygiene on the go. Even the sachets can be water-soluble for a completely waste-free experience.
Easily search Compliance Highlights, Natural and Organic claims and Certifications with Prospector Premium, learn more here!
The Packaging Revolution
After years of searching for packaging with eco-design, the packaging industry has finally gotten its act together to make the use of plastic and packaging more sustainable. Many suppliers are promoting products with PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) materials in both glass and plastic, focusing on mono-material designs that include dispensing pumps and tubes made from food-grade plastic. Also featured at the show was a company specializing in plastic packaging made from sea and river plastic—OWP (Ocean Waste Plastic)—which offers FDA-approved materials for regulatory compliance.
Luigi Panaroni, co-founder of La Saponaria, an Italian brand truly committed to sustainability, gave a presentation sharing his experience using a lighter PCR container for a peptide serum. While the lighter container was more sustainable, it meant the product contents were more exposed to light, causing stability issues. This was resolved by adding UV stabilizers, allowing the use of the lighter container while maintaining product stability. The container also offers the added benefit of being low-cost, providing higher value to consumers as packaging represents a much smaller portion of the total retail price compared to a serum in a glass bottle, where consumers pay over three times as much for the packaging. La Saponaria is also committed to transparency and educates its consumers about the added value of using PCR containers—an approach that is both refreshing and inspiring.
Discover ULTRUS, software to help organizations succeed through safe and sustainable performance. Learn more here!
Cosmoprof and Cosmopack Awards
In the mom and baby care category, one of the shortlisted products is Toofruit Mousticool—Multi-Soothing Roll-On Peach & Caper Bud, a COSMOS-certified organic gel designed to soothe insect bites. The product has been tested to reduce the stinging sensation by 46%, and in consumer panel tests, it was found to reduce itching by 85.7%. This product exemplifies the evolution of green beauty, providing validation for its natural and organic status along with evidence of performance.
In the Cosmopack sustainability category, Omnicos presented a biodegradable concept featuring a jar made of candelilla wax.
The most exciting win in the Cosmopack haircare formula category was Earth Couture, an aerosol propelled by nitrogen containing a biodegradable formula. The aluminum can is also made of PCR material, making this product a promising glimpse of what’s to come in the beauty industry: products formulated with eco-design principles and packaged in circular materials without volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Conclusions
Cosmoprof 25 has clearly shown that the green beauty movement has evolved beyond a niche trend to become a driving force in the industry. What began as simple natural ingredient claims has matured into a comprehensive approach encompassing sustainable packaging, innovative delivery systems, and clinically proven performance.
The emergence of water-soluble technologies represents a significant milestone, addressing multiple sustainability concerns while enhancing the consumer experience. Similarly, the packaging innovations on display—from ocean waste plastics to biodegradable wax containers—demonstrate that functionality and sustainability can coexist without compromise.
Perhaps most encouraging is seeing brands like La Saponaria taking a transparent approach to sustainability challenges, showing that the journey toward greener beauty isn’t always straightforward but requires creative problem-solving and consumer education.
As we look ahead, it’s clear that successful beauty brands will need to embrace this holistic approach to sustainability—one that considers environmental impact at every stage from formulation to disposal, without sacrificing the sensorial experiences and efficacy that consumers demand. Cosmoprof 25 has set the stage for a beauty industry where “green” no longer means compromise but rather represents the gold standard of innovation and responsibility.
The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL Solutions. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL Solutions or its affiliates.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL Solutions or the content author.
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.
UL Solutions does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL Solutions does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.
