When beauty and sustainability hit the big screen !

Box office hit in the fragrance and beauty industry, the environmental saga is stealing the spotlight this awards season.

But while red carpets and glamorous gowns may dazzle you, make sure you’re not fooled by false lashes and hair extensions when it comes to nominations.

🏆 Best Ingredient

Nominees from the film "Dancing with Formulas":

• Natural ingredients

• Naturally-derived ingredients

• Green chemistry-based ingredients

• Organic ingredients

“Natural” often sounds safe and healthy, while “chemical” gets a bad rap for being harmful to our health and the environment. But behind the scenes, everything is chemistry — all substances are made of atoms, whether they come from nature or a lab.

The reality?

• Many toxic or allergenic substances occur naturally.

• Synthesizing a molecule in the lab can allow for better control of purity and reproducibility, while natural raw materials vary with climate, soil conditions, and environmental pollutants.

• Using synthetic alternatives can preserve rare resources and reduce the carbon footprint linked to sourcing and transport.

• Cultivating some plants requires large amounts of water and farmland, which could otherwise be used to grow food.

So yes, some chemical compounds are harmful and polluting.

But “natural” doesn’t always mean healthy or safe — and a synthetic ingredient may be more eco-friendly and effective than a plant extract.

Yes, Luke Skywalker is a hero… but he has a dark side too.

🏆 Best Packaging

Nominees from the film The Good, The Bad and The Component:

• Glass

• Plastic

• Metal

• Wood

A true all-rounder, packaging plays multiple roles: protecting the formula, ensuring safety and product stability, informing the user, embodying brand identity… and of course, seducing consumers.

During casting, many biases lead us to favor recycled, recyclable or biodegradable materials — but some scenes are left on the cutting room floor.

The reality?

• Just because a material is recyclable doesn’t mean it will be recycled — local recycling infrastructure matters.

• Recycling some materials can be more energy-intensive than producing them.

• Recycled doesn’t always mean renewable.

• A heavy glass bottle may leave a larger environmental footprint than lightweight plastic.

So no, plastic isn’t fantastic — but glass isn’t all that green either.

(And no worries Pierre, we’re not throwing stones at you.)

🏆 Best Screenplay

Nominees from the film Green Beauty & the 40 Smooth Talkers:

• Claims and product promises

• Eco-design and sustainable innovation

• Circular economy

• Responsible sourcing

Without questioning the efforts of truly committed brands, we must admit that marketing narratives often stretch the limits — pushing against both the regulatory framework and the vigilance of savvy consumers quick to call out greenwashing.

The reality?

• “Made in France” only means that the last significant transformation occurred in France — much of the product may come from elsewhere.

• No cosmetic product is “good for the planet” — only less harmful or more efficient ones.

• There’s no such thing as zero impact — every product consumes resources and energy.

• “Clean beauty” is a fuzzy, unregulated concept with no official definition.

So yes — brands must bring solid proof, be honest and transparent, or risk being accused of greenwashing.

After all, a beautiful lie is still a lie… unless you really want to believe it.

🏆 Best Cosmetic Product

As you’ve probably gathered by now, sustainable development is a world of complexity — where marketing, quality, manufacturing, regulatory compliance and economic interests all collide.

Our Oscar for Best Picture goes to:

"Cosmetic Wars: Less is Better"

Our tips to avoid tripping on the red carpet?

Adopt a reasoned, thoughtful approach

Stay informed and critical

Be cautious in your communications

And don’t hesitate to get trained

Check out our Product Development Training – from formulation to launch

Explore our Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Training – to measure your product’s environmental impact

🎬 And… action!