Clean beauty is more than just a trend. Why are sustainable ingredients so important to us?
We want to keep ourselves, our environment and the eco-system we live in healthy. That's why we have consistently spoken out against animal testing since our company was founded,* and our choice of raw materials is becoming more and more sustainable as a result of this conviction. Our customers also appreciate this. They are now much more engaged with their own consumption behaviour and reflect on their diet, beauty routines and shopping trips. This also includes the ingredients of their cosmetics products, some of which are critically discussed.

*in accordance with EU law

Is Clean Beauty just another term for “natural cosmetics”?
Clean Beauty is often equated with “natural” but these are actually different categories:

Clean Beauty relies on minimalism, meaning as few ingredients as possible, including both natural and non-natural ingredients.

Clean Beauty refrains from using controversial ingredients. In turn, certified natural cosmetics primarily use plant-based and natural ingredients. Are natural cosmetics better because they do not contain synthetic substances? No, because not everything that is natural is automatically good and healthy: Not all natural ingredients are sustainable, tolerable and harmless, just as not every synthetic substance is harmful. For this reason, we continue to use synthetic ingredients as long as they are good and safe for people and the environment.

You can find out more about synthetic ingredients in question 8.

And what is Clean Beauty PLUS about?
There is no universal definition of clean beauty in the cosmetics industry. So each brand defines its own standards and each country also has different requirements. Our definition of Clean Beauty at cosnova – and therefore CATRICE – is strict. It is a challenge for us. We want to make a real difference, not empty promises.

What natural ingredients does CATRICE use to make the Clean ID products?
Our Clean ID range uses as many natural ingredients as possible – without compromising the well-known CATRICE quality and performance. And since we do this with conviction, we list the content of the substances on the products. This varies depending on the product and the formula.

Natural ingredients from the Clean ID range include:

• Wax myrtle fruit and blossom waxes

• Shea butter

• Castor oil

• Watermelon seed oil

Does “clean” automatically mean that the ingredients come from organic cultivation?
Our Clean Beauty products contain a minimum of 75% natural ingredients, but they do not need to be certified organic. To us, “clean” does not mean that the products must be compliant with natural cosmetics, because natural cosmetics do not necessarily contain sustainable raw materials. Therefore, we also allow synthetic raw materials that have a very good environmental compatibility.

How sustainable is the packaging by CATRICE?
We design our product packaging – especially for the Clean Beauty and Clean Beauty PLUS collections – as sustainably as currently possible. For example, we use as little new plastic in the packaging as necessary and as much recycled material as possible. There are types of plastic for which recyclates are not yet available in the purity and safety we need for cosmetics products.

Or is it also more (colour) intense?
Many Clean Beauty products have a light, hydrating formula that enhances the natural look with fresh nude tones. However, there are no limits to your creativity with your make-up, even with “clean” products: A dramatic eyeliner, intense highlights or deep red lips can also be created with Clean Beauty products in the corresponding high-quality.

Why doesn’t CATRICE just convert the entire range to “clean”?
As we have set ourselves very strict guidelines at Clean Beauty PLUS, we conduct a lot of tests and work with different, natural ingredients until we find the right formulas. These must be 100% vegan and contain at least 75% natural ingredients without sacrificing quality. Together with our suppliers, we continuously research innovative substances that we try out and test in our product development.

By the way, the term "clean" does not mean that these cosmetics are better, but that they do not contain certain ingredients.

What does Corporate Responsibility mean to cosnova (and the CATRICE brand)?
At cosnova, we have set ambitious goals to make a positive contribution to the protection of our planet and its inhabitants. We want to make the world a little bit better every day across four levels with sustainable products and social commitment.

What does Corporate Responsibility mean to cosnova (and the CATRICE brand)?
At cosnova, we have set ambitious goals to make a positive contribution to the protection of our planet and its inhabitants. We want to make the world a little bit better every day across four levels with sustainable products and social commitment.