Is the future of beauty really found in a lab? Or does true sustainability still lie in the soil, the roots, and the traditional ways of working with nature?
In the final part of her thought-provoking four-part series, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier looks ahead at the shifting definitions of sustainable beauty, and asks whether the next big divide won’t be natural vs synthetic, but harvested vs lab-grown.
Following on from last week’s powerful Green Beauty Conversations episode on how beauty marketing often fuels shame and overconsumption, this final episode explores the rise of biotech, the fading of the natural vs synthetic debate, and what it will mean for formulators, consumers and ecosystems when brands choose between petri dishes and lavender fields.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to shape – not just follow – the future of sustainable beauty. Tune in now!
“I believe the next big battle in beauty isn’t going to be about whether something is synthetic or natural. It’s going to be about whether it was harvested from nature or grown in a lab.” — Lorraine Dallmeier
Key takeaways:
- Why the old natural vs synthetic debate is fading: The natural beauty movement was once defined by its opposition to synthetic ingredients, but consumers and brands are now asking more nuanced questions. Where does an ingredient come from? How is it made? What’s the environmental and social cost? These are the new markers of sustainable beauty, and they don’t fit neatly into binary categories.
- The rise of biotech – and why it’s happening fast: Biotech offers big brands consistency, purity, traceability, and supply chain control. It’s already mainstream (think hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides), but it’s about to get even bigger. The key question is not whether biotech is “good or bad,” but how it’s marketed and whether it’s used to truly support sustainability, or just sell more products.
- What happens when science becomes a smokescreen: There’s nothing wrong with lab-made ingredients – unless they’re used to bypass ethical scrutiny or distract from deeper systemic issues. When brands start using “science-backed” language as the new face of greenwashing, it risks repeating the same extractive patterns beauty has always followed. Innovation must serve people and the planet, not just profit margins.
- Why the future of beauty might be a patchwork: There’s no single solution. Some ingredients will be best grown in the lab; others will thrive because of their deep connection to place, people and traditional knowledge. The beauty industry’s future should be built on context, transparency and flexibility, not false choices between “nature” and “science”.
- Choose awareness, not sides: Whether you’re a formulator, founder or conscious consumer, your power lies in the questions you ask. Don’t be dazzled by biotech claims or nostalgic natural branding. Ask who benefits, who’s impacted, and what sustainability really means in each situation. Because the future of beauty is being built right now, and we all have a say in what it becomes.
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.
