Dow and Univar Solutions advance low-carbon beauty supply chains

Dow and Univar Solutions have signed a long-term agreement to expand access to Dow’s Decarbia products, a range of low-carbon specialty chemicals with cosmetic applications. 

Through Univar Solutions’ global distribution network, personal care manufacturers will gain broader access to ingredients backed by Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) certificates. The move comes as brands face growing pressure to reduce their emissions across all the links in their supply chains.

“By combining Dow’s Decarbia low-carbon product portfolio, supported by high-integrity, verifiable PCF data, with Univar Solutions’ strong global distribution network, we are helping customers advance their sustainability goals with confidence,” says Brendy Lange, president of Performance Materials and Coatings, at Dow. 

“This agreement deepens our collaboration with Univar Solutions and reflects our shared vision to accelerate value chain decarbonization while delivering value to customers.”

Carbon-centric cosmetics

Dow explains that its low-carbon product footprints are calculated using the company’s Carbon Footprint Ledger methodology, aligned with international ISO and GHG standards.

The certified data can help Dow’s clients measure and report on their carbon emissions with greater confidence. This aligns with a broader push in the personal care industry toward improving the transparency of business operations’ sustainability. 

Consumer demand for cosmetic ingredients with lower carbon footprints continues to grow.“By offering third-party verified low-carbon options, we can deliver more impactful supply chain alternatives across our customer base and support meaningful Scope 3 emissions reductions,” says David Jukes, president and CEO at Univar Solutions.

The demand for ingredients with lower carbon footprints continues to grow, and beauty companies are strengthening their sustainability commitments to respond to consumer expectations. 

In March, L’Oréal and Dioxycle partnered to use a type of plastic created from captured carbon emissions for personal care packaging. The duo aims to scale circular carbon materials while ensuring that the French beauty giant’s luxury packaging performance remains unchanged.

A month earlier, Savor, maker of sustainable fat alternatives, expanded beyond food and beverage innovation into cosmetics and launched its Personal Care and Beauty division. The new arm will produce carbon-free fat alternatives that boast 90% lower carbon emissions than tropical oils used in cosmetic formulations.

By combining Dow’s ingredient portfolio with Univar Solutions’ distribution reach, the companies aim to make sustainable ingredient options more widely available to cosmetic formulators and manufacturers.

Consumer demand for cosmetic ingredients with lower carbon footprints continues to grow.Consumer demand for cosmetic ingredients with lower carbon footprints continues to grow.Consumer demand for cosmetic ingredients with lower carbon footprints continues to grow.A month earlier, Savor, maker of sustainable fat alternatives, expanded beyond food and beverage innovation into cosmetics and launched its Personal Care and Beauty division. The new arm will produce carbon-free fat alternatives that boast 90% lower carbon emissions than tropical oils used in cosmetic formulations.