TAGS: Natural/ Organic
Oat Cosmetics tested the biodegradability of AvenaPLex, Oat COM, Oat Lipid and Oat SILK. The results show that the ingredients easily biodegrade in a freshwater environment, proving that brands do not need to compromise on efficacy to make trend-driven claims.
Conducted 28-Day Biodegradability Study
Biodegradability has become a buzzword among brands hoping to satisfy the increasingly eco-conscious consumer. These days, it is the norm to find cosmetics with biodegradable applicators and solid bodywashes in boxes of the sort. However, even with the number of cosmetic products making a ‘biodegradable’ claim in 2020 more than double that of 2016, consumers are now pressing brands to further increase transparency of the ingredients contained within their products, seeking more than superficial sustainability claims.
Oat Cosmetics conducted a 28-day study sought to confirm that its oat-derived ingredients are biodegradable, being 100 percent natural – but the length of time and conditions necessary for decomposition to take place.
All too often products bear a ‘biodegradable’ claim despite having been tested under conditions characteristic of only a science lab. Think temperatures greater than 50°C. Mindful of the need to conduct the study under conditions akin to the natural environment, Oat Cosmetics’ kept temperatures between 20-23°C. The company also chose activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant as the inoculum so to further replicate a real-life scenario.
Results Confirm Biodegradability of Ingredients
The results of the study confirm that all four ingredients are readily biodegradable under environmental conditions. In fact, at greater than 90 percent maximum average degradation relative to the Theoretical/Chemical Oxygen Demand on day 28, AvenaPLex, Oat SILK, Oat Lipid and Oat COM all far exceed the 60 percent above which it is standard to consider a substance easily biodegradable.
The impressive rate at which the ingredients break down is an important factor in consideration of their biodegradability credentials. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a product taking up to six months to decompose can be considered biodegradable. This results in great disparity between the eco-friendliness of those which lay dormant in the environment for up to half a year and those which are undetectable in a matter of weeks. The latter is naturally the more favorable scenario of the two, reducing water pollution and risk to marine life.
Source: Oat Cosmetics