As you see more mentions of sustainability in cosmetics industry mission statements, you may have wondered what it means. More than a marketing ploy, sustainability encompasses the worthwhile endeavors of meeting society’s needs today without hindering future generations from being able to address their own needs. To better understand what sustainability is and why is it important in skincare, plus, how Pevonia achieves it, read on!

How Is Sustainability Defined
There are three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. Environmental sustainability in the beauty industry refers to efforts to avoid wasteful practices that deplete water, energy, and other natural resources while reducing carbon footprints to maintain ecological balance. Prime examples of sustainability in the beauty industry include using natural skin care ingredients in recyclable packaging or packaging made from recyclable, biodegradable materials. The social pillar puts people first, emphasizing ethical and responsible education, employment, healthcare, and housing through fair wages, workplace safety, learning opportunities, scheduling flexibility, and leaves that support well-being. These first two pillars of sustainability positively impact the economic pillar, as employees of companies that follow environmental principles tend to help support profit-increasing initiatives more eagerly. In addition, as these practices improve public health, they reduce healthcare costs, positively impacting the workforce and the economy.

Why Sustainability Is Important
As we prioritize each of these pillars, we increase our chances of providing a better future for the next generation. Without sustainability efforts, we increase our risk of more deforestation, animal extinction, pollution, landfills, and respiratory diseases. Abiding by long-term conservation goals will help ensure that future generations have plenty of natural resources, a healthier ecosystem, biodiversity, and better quality of life with ample water, food, and shelter.

How Is Sustainability Achieved?
As individuals, we can support sustainability by shopping less, being conscious about what we purchase, recycling, and conserving water use are all ways. At Pevonia, as a company, we have been committed to providing environmentally conscious production of skin and body care that upholds sustainability principles since our inception over three decades ago. As a result, our customers can feel confident in selecting effective skincare solutions formulated as nature intended for optimal skin health and radiance – without compromise. In full transparency, here is the process we follow to create new products:

1. Market Study – We research consumer and professional demands via the scientific community, global institutes, forums, and Pevonia’s Advisory Council (PAC) to ensure we are providing products that meet consumers’ needs and desires.

2. Explore – Our eco-friendly practice begins with green, ethical sourcing, which refers to our meticulous selection and delicate extraction of raw, natural ingredients from the safest renewable earth sources without impacting the environment. Our mindful ingredient sourcing ensures we carefully extract the most minimal amount of highly sustainable natural sources that can quickly regenerate.

We search the world for the purest and most potent ingredients to offer the finest botanical, phyto-organic, and marine-based actives available from the land and sea to create skin-friendly, effective skincare formulations that are mother-nature approved. As a member of the Organic Trade Association and recipient of a CTN Green Excellence Award, protecting the earth and maintaining an affinity with nature and its precious resources are integral to Pevonia's philosophy. Due to our ongoing commitment to planet conservation, all ingredients maintain environmental integrity and do not hurt flora or fauna in the process.

Note: Based on the intention of the products, some ingredients are 100% organic, and some are derived from organic extracts; however, we cannot label them as such due to the encapsulation and manufacturing processes they undergo for maximum penetration and cellular usage. In line with our brand’s natural position, all our formulas are paraben free, sulfate free, artificial fragrance free, formaldehyde free, dye free, ammonia free, phthalate free, talc free, and aluminum free. We are also free of alcohol, mineral oil, GMOs, gluten, silicone, oxybenzone, propylene glycol, and chlorine. Knowing that every formula is free from certain ingredients and practices gives our clients total peace of mind!

3. Discovery – Next, we select the ideal cutting-edge ingredient innovations for our research and development process. This involves employing state-of-the-art technologies to combine actives in the most sustainable ways to produce natural skin care formulations Made in the USA at our proprietary laboratory. This includes natural biotechnology processing methods of micronization, encapsulation, and delivery systems, which require only minimal amounts of material, helping preserve the earth’s natural resources.

Note: The encapsulations are also derived from natural sources and synergistically work with the ingredients they protect – doubling the benefits!

4. Human Volunteers – Since launching in 1991, Pevonia has never tested our formulas on animals and is proudly 100% cruelty-free. Before market release, every new formula is tested only on human volunteers to assure product tolerance, penetration, and efficacy for optimum results.

5. Efficacy Testing – Our scientists perform more than 20 rigorous laboratory tests to ensure new formulas adhere to Pevonia’s global standards for excellence.

6. Clinical Testing – Post-launch, Pevonia contracts the Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy, for independent clinical evaluations for select products to further promote the extraordinary efficacy behind the brand.

7. Packaging – We package according to our sustainability credo. Our product packaging is fully recyclable. Customers can rinse out the packaging and then take it to any residential or commercial recycling bin or drop it off at any recycling center. As we share our customers’ goals of reducing plastic use, we have implemented numerous initiatives to align with this worthy mission. After extensive research and negotiations with multiple vendors, we repackaged 10 of our 21 collections in 2020 with next-generation plastic using partially recycled material that enabled us to reduce our use of plastic by 50%! It also allowed us to continue providing cost-effective product packaging and keep the remaining products featured in glass to align with our ongoing reduced carbon footprint sustainability objectives.

We are constantly seeking new reusable and refillable packaging options, with packaging made from fully recyclable material and other methods to expand our corporate eco-vision through eco-focused packaging. Our formulas and cellophane wrap, which uses an environmentally friendly type of bioplastic from corn cellulose, are completely biodegradable, which means they are not detrimental to the soil upon disposal. In addition, our products are distributed in shipping boxes made of approximately 60% recycled virgin kraft paper and 40% recycled material. We created Zero Waste Trial Kits, which include a selection of kits, including our Redness Relief kit featuring the RS2 products our customers love.

Pevonia continuously searches for new ways to increase sustainability with more eco-friendly packaging options and multi-use vs. single-use packaging. In addition, we support reducing our carbon footprint by minimizing paper printing, waste recycling, planting trees, and energy-saving measures companywide. Lastly, Pevonia donates to charitable organizations committed to planet conservation and sustainability, working to help create awareness to make the world a better place for a greener earth. Our philanthropic program has supported over 100 charitable organizations impacting clean water and environmental conservation, such as charity: water (which digs and installs clean water wells in underprivileged countries without access to clean water), Riverkeeper, Waterkeeper, Arbor Day Foundation, and many more.

Our natural skin care products embody a stellar commitment to environmental preservation. A perfect example of our sustainability ethos at work is in our Stem Cells Phyto-Elite® Line. It utilizes a tiny amount of the Argan and Comfrey Root Plant Stem Cells to produce large quantities of high-quality active ingredients. The plant based Argan Stem Cells work to normalize human dermal stem cells, improving support and elasticity to the skin, while the Comfrey Root Stem Cells work to reactivate the renewal potential of human stem cells in the epidermis. This improves skin thickness and increases Hyaluronic Acid to counteract visible signs of aging skin.

Want to maximize results for your healthiest skin ever? Then, visit Find A Spa for an oasis near you offering Pevonia to receive an in-depth consultation for your ideal products and professional treatments. Boosting skin health with the confidence that every Pevonia product fulfills our foundational sustainability creed will deliver remarkable and rewarding results!