Biodegradability is a beauty buzzword that currently lacks regulation. There are no set standards that must be met for a brand to call a product, packaging, or ingredient “biodegradable,” just as the terms “pure,” “natural,” or “hypoallergenic” are not regulated. .

That’s not to say that any brand that uses it is green – in fact, many great brands have truly biodegradable packaging or formulation options. However, this means that the consumer must be aware of this nuance, and the brands themselves must offer clarity about exactly what they mean when they use it.

“I’m really pleased to see so many companies doing the right thing with biodegradability testing,” she says. “Unfortunately, I think a lot of that data hasn’t been sufficiently incorporated into the process yet, but I can see that change is happening.”