The demand for natural ingredients in hair and skincare has exploded in recent years.  But what does natural beauty mean, exactly? And are natural ingredients really better than synthetic or lab-grown versions?

The answer: not necessarily. 

The truth is, the term natural in this context lacks clear definition, regulation, and in practice can even be harmful. Natural ingredients, often marketed as safer, can cause allergic reactions and harm the environment through resource gathering.  Synthetic biology offers safer, purer, and more sustainable alternatives, enabling the creation of high-performance ingredients and innovative products like K18PEPTIDE™ and patented odorBIND™ smart-release biotechnology.

Let’s explore why some natural ingredients aren’t necessarily better for you and can sometimes be worse than synthetic or fermented ingredients in terms of safety, environmental impact, and efficacy.

what does natural mean, exactly?

When we think of the term natural, we may associate it with being safer for humans and for the environment. But that often isn’t the case.

There’s no strict definition of natural in beauty products—this term is primarily used to help consumers make informed choices relating to the types of ingredients used in certain products. Beauty brands will typically call their products natural to indicate that their ingredients were harvested from sources like plants as opposed to being synthesized or produced chemically in a lab. 

Ironically, there are no legal or regulatory guidelines for using the label natural. This means that natural products may not be as safe for you because they did not undergo testing, while synthetic and fermented ingredients are required to go through rigorous safety testing. 

In fact, some natural ingredients can be actively harmful to skin and hair. A 2023 study shows that almost all skincare products labeled as all-natural contain ingredients such as essential oils like tea tree and lavender oil or minerals that can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. 

Natural ingredients can also contain trace amounts of other ingredients because they are not as pure as those produced and purified in a lab.

some natural ingredients can be harmful to the planet

In addition to being potentially harmful to your skin, natural ingredients can be extractive and harmful to the environment. For instance, palm oil, a natural ingredient derived from African oil palm plantations, is found in 70% of cosmetic products and is associated with widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Similarly, harvesting natural squalane, a common skincare ingredient often derived from the livers of deep-sea sharks, leads to overfishing of shark populations.

why synthetic biology is safer for you and the environment

The good news? There are ways to produce forms of the natural ingredients we know and love without the environmental impact. 

Synthetic biology is a subset of biotechnology that allows us to engineer the genetic code of organisms and living systems to produce more sustainable versions of natural ingredients—or, novel high-performance ingredients with unique benefits.

Genetically engineering microorganisms to produce natural ingredients is a less resource-intensive, more effective process that gives us the same ingredients found in nature with a higher yield and purity than nature can achieve. Plus, you can edit out any of the potentially irritating side effects from certain ingredients. 

how synthetic biology better delivers natural ingredients

Microorganisms produce natural ingredients via fermentation, the same process that we use to make products like wine and beer. Fermentation enables us to produce the same natural ingredients we know and love without harming the environment.

We can use genetic engineering to create new ingredients that are customized to solve challenges in beauty. Take K18’s new AirWash™ dry shampoo, for example. AirWash™, the reinvention of dry shampoo, contains a novel fusion protein that combines the functionalities of two different proteins.