Schwan Cosmetics has launched the first color cosmetic pencils made with sustainable Sulapac materials. ‘TheBetterBarrel’ meets market demands for environmentally friendly makeup products that don’t sacrifice quality, performance, or style.
Schwan Cosmetics, German makeup supplier for many of the world’s biggest cosmetic companies, and Finnish material innovation startup Sulapac have collaborated to create lip liner and eye liner pencils with sustainable barrel material, capable of sustaining the volatile makeup product held within the material.
To date, the main challenge of using bio-based materials in cosmetic pencils is that most natural materials are not capable of maintaining the freshness of the makeup inside the pencil. For this reason, most makeup pencils today are encased in virgin plastic.
The eco-friendly and airtight packaging that holds the sensitive ingredients is made with 72% bio-based material, side-stream wood chips, and natural binders. While sustainable materials have been implemented in beauty packaging in recent years, this is the first time that Sulapac’s plastic alternative material is being used in color cosmetic pencils.
“This is a breakthrough for us because we were able to invent a better material to encase our pencils. This replaces virgin plastic with a material that leaves no permanent microplastics on the planet! And, we don’t have to make any compromises on the quality or performance of our long-lasting, high-pigment shades. Through our collaboration with Sulapac, we aren’t just creating an innovative product for our clients, we’re also investing in a more sustainable future for the cosmetics industry. We will continue to strive to make the world a bit better every day,” says Dr. Alexander Doll, Head of Research and Development, Schwan Cosmetics.
The ecological barrel was created as a result of Sulapac and Schwan Cosmetics’ joint expertise in their prospective industries. The pencil barrel is made from Sulapac Flow v1.8 material, derived from sawdust from industrial side streams and plant-based binders.
The design principle of Sulapac is to mimic nature. Similar to a piece of wood on the forest floor, Sulapac materials can be digested by naturally occurring microorganisms and they break down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, leaving no traces behind.
“This is a joint cooperation that wouldn’t have been possible without each other’s expertise, we are better together. Schwan is a big international supplier to so many brands around the globe. As an important player in the industry, they have a real impact on the beauty ecosystem and on the environment. Sulapac’s mission is to save the world from plastic waste together. Collaboration with industry leaders like Schwan is so significant because of the huge volume that they produce,” says Dr. Suvi Haimi, CEO, and Co-founder of Sulapac.
