Using Locally Sourced Ingredients in Cosmetic Manufacture

Due to current events, we felt it was necessary to address the effects it has had on the supply chain. With international trade and transport links being eliminated, there are many companies across many industries who have been massively affected.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is gradually bringing business to a halt, yet the manufacturing industry who utilise locally sourced ingredients have slightly more stability.

Not only is this practise proving to be extremely advantageous in these difficult times, but, in general, it also brings a number of benefits to businesses. At Jarvis, we seek to explore how and why cosmetic manufacturers use locally sourced ingredients and the advantages in using UK-produced ingredients.

Why Are Locally Sourced Ingredients Used in Cosmetic Manufacture?

Supporting the Local Community & Their Provenance

By sourcing ingredients from the UK, whether they are from areas near or far from your UK site, you are supporting the local community and farmers. Commonly, any support small businesses receive is significant to them and by using their products, you can give back to their community.

In addition to helping local businesses, you will also be sharing their story with a wider audience. We are a strong believer that provenance sells, and it can prove to be quite desirable in other countries; we should be proud of our provenance and proud to share it with the world.

When you source local ingredients, you learn about the narrative behind them and can use that in your product to create your own unique story. A product with provenance can become a symbol, with a strong set of values that consumers can trust and confidently stand behind.

Although “locally grown” doesn’t automatically mean high-quality, you have the ability to verify the details of the ingredient production due to the close proximity and easy accessibility. You can have the confidence in your cosmetic ingredients, knowing exactly where they came from and the exclusive story behind them.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint & Encouraging Sustainability

The logistics behind using locally sourced ingredients is one of the most prominent advantages, especially considering the current global situation. If you are a UK cosmetics manufacturer and you are using ingredients that are sourced from UK farms, then they can be easily transported to you without the need for overseas travel.

With the closure of international trade links due to the global pandemic, this has led to many manufacturers suffering due to not having access to essential ingredients for their products. By using locally sourced ingredients, not only do you have ease of accessibility, but you will also reduce your carbon footprint with less fossil fuels being used for delivery.

Sustainability is an important trend for every company across the board nowadays, including cosmetic manufacture. Sustainable sourcing of ingredients is not just about the logistics though, every part of the supply chain is under scrutiny, including each step of the product creation too.

Are Locally Sourced Ingredients Always Sustainable?

It may be assumed that by sourcing local ingredients you are automatically contributing to sustainable production methods because of the decreased transportation, but this is not the case. There are many other factors that go into a finished product and, although it depends on a plant-by-plant basis, other considerations that need to made are:

• The amount of time, land, and resources that are required to cultivate a certain ingredient
• The amount of the plant material that is actually going to be used to produce the end ingredient (the fruit, leaves, branches, etc.)
• The growing demand, changing climate, diminishing resources that are constantly occurring

To be completely sustainable, your choice of ingredient not only needs to be locally sourced, but it needs to be ecological when it comes to production, manufacture, delivery and fluctuating demands.

Sustainability by Jarvis Cosmetics

Our research and buying teams work closely with farmers, growers and smallholders all over the world; therefore, we understand the significance of locally sourced ingredients at this moment in time.

Jarvis always strive to develop more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and processes in our cosmetic manufacture. Using this knowledge and leaning on our expertise we have gained over the years, we can help clients get the most out of their ingredients and aid them to be the most sustainable they can be.

Contact us today if you have any questions or if you would like to tell us about your project.