INACTIVES WE TRUST

Generic environmental claims such as "green", "environmental-friendly" or "carbon neutral" are or will soon be banned. Saying that a product or process is "green" or "clean" could imply that it is good for the environment. Such broad claims may be very misleading and misdirect consumers. A claim that a product has a neutral, reduced or even positive impact on the environment must be based on a third-party certification. The Green Claims Directive is key to tackling greenwashing practices and providing legal clarity and a level playing field for traders. It also empowers consumers and ensures that they receive trustworthy, relevant, and transparent information about the sustainability of the products and services they choose.

So, where do we start to build an honest and trustful cosmetic product? How about at the bottom of the cosmetic products supply chain?

The selection of sustainable and transparently produced raw materials is the basis for sustainable and trustworthy finished cosmetic products. RAHN-Cosmetic Actives would like to share its path for sustainability, its challenges and its pioneering ways as a creator of cosmetic actives.

Transparency

We from RAHN-Cosmetic Actives select our ingredients with the highest possible standards. The quality of the finished product is only as good as the raw material used, and this requires transparency of the upstream supply chain – from the field to the canister. Despite the complexity and challenges of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and Product Water Footprint (PWF) assessments, they become part of our innovation strategy, revealing full transparency to the supply chain. Those pioneering assessments are capable to systematically analyse the product's impact on nature and the environment. Knowing where the plant material is grown, who is harvests it and how it is processed and manufactured sets the basis for trustful and loyal relationships with our stakeholders. We pay attention to short pathways from plant harvesting to manufacturing and favour cultivation in accordance with the Good Agricultural and Collection Practice guidelines. Additionally, our in-bound and out-bound transportation is tracked and continuously improved. We prioritise long-term partnerships and collaboration with local manufacturers. As a result, more than 90 % of the RAHN-Cosmetic Actives are produced at production sites in Switzerland and Germany. On our pathway towards Net Zero we act responsibly, and we align and connect to the UN SDGs. This means avoiding, reducing, and offsetting the produced carbon emissions and on top of that support nature conservation projects.

Environmental Responsibility

We strive to protect the environment by respecting biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. Our active ingredients are not derived from rare, protected, or endangered plants (CITES). We use renewable agricultural resources, upcycling- and repurposed materials, or controlled wild collection. For our production processes we pay attention on heat and energy consumption. The use of the same biomass for the CO₂- and aqueous extraction ensuring optimal and best use of the precious plant materials. By prioritising the use of environmentally friendly solvents and preservation with natural ingredients, we actively live the cradle-to-cradle approach. All our actives are readily or inherently biodegradable, without microplastics and are completely harmless for water and land eco-systems.

Social Responsibility

Involving all stakeholders and finding a joint approach is the key to sustainable business patterns – Do not leave anyone behind! Thanks to dedicated partnerships, we take social responsibility in three areas:

- We contribute to securing jobs in remote rural locations

- We support 5 climate projects worldwide and contribute to all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

- We support education and knowledge sharing, regularly collaborate with universities, provide internships and support the preparation of final theses by young academics

Regulatory Compliance and Safety

We respect the guidelines for natural cosmetics, and we comply with global regulations. Our products conform to standards such as ISO 16128, COSMOS and Nature. We recognise the importance of the Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit Sharing principles and we took an active part in the public consultation on the Nagoya ordinance in Switzerland. We are members of Ecovadis and RSPO. We agree on all sustainable development goals of the EU Green Deal roadmap and are implementing the requirements at all stages of development.

We select the plants and raw materials with great care. Whenever possible: we use organic cultivated plants. If organic acquisition is not possible: we screen on all possible impurities such as heavy metals, pesticides, allergens and residual solvents. Our safety data sheets, toxicological package and claim substantiation dossiers are very comprehensive and complete. We are always compliant to the latest chemical and cosmetic regulations.

We from RAHN-Cosmetic Actives have set ourselves the task to deliver cosmetic actives for skin and hair that are easy to use, are based on cutting-edge science with a prove efficacy and transparency throughout the whole supply chain. We never settle for less!