Sustainability in the cosmetics industry is no longer just about reducing its environmental impact. The challenge now is to become regenerative—that is, to give back more than we take. The industry already has all the tools to achieve this. What is missing is the decision to put them to use, and the courage to report on them honestly. This is the conviction that Ruth Andrade, Director of Sustainability at Lush, came to defend at the Beauty Leaders Summit (held in Paris on May 6 and 7, 2025).
To introduce her topic, Ruth Andrade describes a fictional shampoo. Its surfactants are produced by fungi, without palm oil or petrochemicals. Its oils come from regenerative farms or preserved forests. Its packaging is made from agricultural waste and is refillable. The product is self-preserving, concentrated, and locally made. Its formula is customized to the consumer’s scalp microbiome. Each of these innovations already exists. “Everyone in this room is part of it. No one is doing it all. The future of beauty is already here,” she summarizes.
Planetary boundaries already crossed
Ruth Andrade then outlines the scientific context. Planetary boundaries, theorized by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, define the thresholds beyond which living conditions on Earth become unstable. In 2009, scientists had identified seven planetary boundaries, and three of them had already been crossed. By 2015, that number had risen to four.
By 2025, of the nine thresholds now assessed, seven have been exceeded, including ocean acidification. “Without a functioning water cycle, without manageable temperatures, there is no cosmetics industry. This isn’t an option; it’s a condition for the industry’s survival.”
Identifying the real impact
After twenty years of direct sourcing, Lush set out to accurately measure its …
