In the race for cleaner, smarter beauty, a quiet revolution is unfolding – not in the laboratories of Paris or Seoul, but in the deserts of Riyadh and the fields of Kerala.

As sustainability moves from trend to requirement, India and the Middle East are becoming powerful epicentres of raw material innovation. While the beauty and personal care industry leans into conscious formulations and low-impact practices, these two regions are stepping up — not just as suppliers, but as creators of a new kind of chemistry.

A new frontier in sustainable beauty

Across the globe, beauty is redefining what innovation looks like. From Estée Lauder’s investments in biotech labs to L’Oréal’s Green Sciences roadmap, big beauty is no longer just about formulas, it’s about ecosystems that are future-ready.

While the West rushes to patent clean actives, regions like India and the Middle East are quietly building the future from the ground up: with laboratories, land, and legacy.

What is green chemistry?

At its core, green chemistry is a smarter way to build beauty —one that protects both your skin and the planet. It’s a framework that replaces wasteful, chemical-heavy methods for cleaner techniques like using natural ingredients, reusing leftover crops (like coffee or fruit peels), and using less energy in production.

For example, using plant-derived actives that break down naturally—like coconut-based surfactants or fermented botanicals—prevents pollution in water systems. Or by using ingredients made from food or farming by-products—like coffee grounds, fruit peels, or rice husk—that turn waste into high-performance skincare.

Rooted in region

From upcycled ingredients to low-energy extraction methods, green chemistry is no longer niche, it’s a necessity.

In India, ingredient labs are blending Ayurvedic knowledge with low-impact extraction methods to bring out the best in nature without environmental damage. Think botanical actives such as ashwagandha, moringa, and manjistha being stabilized for skin compatibility and long-term health, or saffron processed without solvents.

Meanwhile, start-ups in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are exploring waterless formulations, solar-powered processing units, and ingredients sourced from desert-resilient flora. These methods aren’t just efficient — they’re essential in regions where sustainability isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for longevity.

Tradition meets technology

India’s strength lies in its biodiversity and ancient wisdom. From turmeric to tulsi — once seen as folk remedies — traditional actives are now being clinically evaluated for anti-inflammatory, brightening, and barrier-repair properties. Labs are standardizing extracts to retain microbiome integrity and boost skin tolerance, giving traditional ingredients new appreciation in global markets.

In contrast, the Middle East’s superpower is survival. Native plants like desert date, ghaf tree, and prickly pear, are known for their ability to thrive in extreme heat. When formulated in skincare, they offer barrier repair, adaptive hydration, and antioxidant protection against oxidative stress and pollution.

Together, these ecosystems show how local biology can meet global beauty needs — not through extraction, but through existence across time.

Global eyes on local labs

The West is watching and taking notes. Global ingredient houses are increasingly investing in regional partnerships. DSM, BASF, and Croda have all made strategic moves in India and the GCC. They’re not just sourcing, they’re developing ingredients collaboratively.

Following this strategic shift, indie brands are also tapping into these regional ecosystems for ingredient authenticity, cultural resonance, lab access, and a rich sustainability story. In a world where greenwashing is rife, these partnerships are driving a wave of intentional innovation. This shift isn’t cosmetic, it’s foundational.

India and the Middle East are exemplifying what it means to build beauty at the root. Slow, not rushed. Green chemistry is no longer a Western ideal — it’s becoming a global standard, powered by local ecosystems that have always known how to adapt, evolve, and endure.

In these emerging hubs, what was once regional progress, is now a global signal.

References

L’Oréal Group (2021). L’Oréal’s Green Sciences: Roadmap toward more sustainable ingredients by 2030.
Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (2023). Estée Lauder expands R&D investments in sustainable biotech.
BASF (2022). BASF advances green chemistry with biodegradable and upcycled ingredients.
Croda International Plc (2023). Croda strengthens sustainability R&D with India-based innovation centres.
DSM-Firmenich (2023). DSM expands regional ingredient partnerships across the Middle East and India.
Vogue Business (2023). How apple peel found its way into your bathroom shelf: The rise of upcycled beauty.
Inolex (2023). Green chemistry for cosmetics: Designing safer, sustainable formulations.
Mintel (2023). Indian and GCC beauty trends: Ayurveda, desert botanicals, and climate-smart skincare

Feeling inspired?

Then why not visit one of the in-cosmetics events around the world?

BROWSE SHOWS

How tradition, innovation, and a skin-deep philosophy are quietly shaping the future of beauty

Beneath every healthy complexion is an entire ecosystem—a city of microscopic organisms that protect, hydrate, and heal the skin.

Across Southeast Asia, where glowing skin is almost cultural currency, the quiet secret may have always been the microbiome. As science begins to catch up with centuries-old traditions, microbiome beauty is becoming less of a trend and more of a movement.

Biology Beneath the Glow

The human skin is our largest organ. It is our first line of defence, our most visible reflection of health, and the body’s constant interface with the outside world.

It also hosts over a trillion microorganisms, known as the skin microbiome—a living barrier that controls our skin’s inflammation, hydration, and immunity.

Skincare dedicated to the human microbiome has one simple goal: to create balance so your skin’s ecosystem can thrive. When this balance is disrupted—by harsh cleansers, overuse of strong acid-based actives (like high-percentage AHAs or BHAs), or environmental stress—our skin reacts: with acne, dryness, redness, or dullness.

In aesthetic terms, a balanced microbiome shows up as calm, happy, radiant skin. It responds with improved texture, reduced sensitivity, and a strong skin barrier—making it more resilient to climate changes and pollution, especially in humid Southeast Asian environments. Today, ingredients like fermented rice water, kombucha extract, and yoghurt enzymes are appearing on product labels—not just for novelty, but because they work.

A Tradition Modernized

Across Southeast Asia, skincare rituals have long reflected a deep-rooted respect for balance and nourishment.

From herbal infusions to fermented ingredients, these practices have quietly supported the skin’s barrier for generations, long before the term “microbiome” became popular.

In Thailand, fermented rice water has been a part of women’s hair and skin rituals for generations. In Indonesia, jamu—a blend of herbal roots and fermented botanicals—has been consumed and applied to support gut and skin health. And in India, which shares centuries of overlapping rituals, modern skincare is revisiting ingredients like neem, turmeric, and sandalwood for their microbiome-boosting potential.

What’s changing now is how these traditions are being validated and refined. What was once seen as the start of a beauty journey is now being seen as the explanation of its success. It’s almost a living oxymoron: is what once felt anecdotal, now finally becoming measurable?

Why ‘Quiet’? A Cultural Insight

Unlike the West, where trends often dominate through viral campaigns, Southeast Asia’s relationship with wellness is more inward and generational. Consumers are less focused on instant results and more connected to daily rituals and intuitive direction.

Beauty here isn’t performed, it’s practiced. From oil massages to herbal steaming, these rituals speak directly to skin health, even before people understood why. Now, as skin conditions and over-treatment rise globally, the microbiome is emerging as the quiet explanation behind centuries of wisdom. Wellness-driven habits that once ‘just felt right’ are now being reverse-engineered—and finally make sense through the lens of modern science.

Global Interest, Local Intelligence

While Southeast Asian brands are taking a culturally sensitive approach, global conglomerates are taking notice.

In 2023, L’Oréal opened its first microbiome research centre dedicated solely to skin flora, signalling that the future of skincare is no longer just about actives and performance, but about harmony and repair. This centre allows them to tailor solutions with more precision for sensitive skin types, climate-specific conditions, and long-term sustainability.

Meanwhile, Asian brands are expanding globally with microbiome at their core.

For example, Shimmied, through its WASO line, has integrated fermented ingredients and probiotic technology into global launches, adapting Japan’s inward beauty rituals for international audiences.

The microbiome skincare market is projected to reach $2.97 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.2%. What’s so interesting—and so unexpected—is that this time, a global trend is giving local brands an advantage. With access to native botanicals and a generational understanding of slow beauty, brands across Southeast Asia are uniquely positioned to lead the category—not just follow it.

In Southeast Asia, the shift toward microbiome-focused beauty has not arrived with loud claims or disruptive packaging. It has arrived quietly — through fermented rituals, ancestral knowledge, and modern formulations that honor the skin’s natural intelligence.

This is not a trend. This is a return. 

References

L’Oréal Group (2023). L’Oréal opens first dedicated microbiome research center.
Market Research Future (2023). Microbiome Skincare Market Research Report  Forecast to 2030.
Shiseido Company, Limited. (2022). WASO skincare powered by Japanese fermentation.
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The skin microbiome: Current landscape and future opportunities.
Mintel (2022). Beauty and personal care trends in Southeast Asia: Skin microbiome and fermented ingredients

Potion’s Belief in Barrier-First Beauty

At Potion, we believe in formulating not just with function, but with integrity. Every product in our routine, our cleanser, serum, and sunscreen—are pH-formulated at 5.5 and designed to be microbiome-adapted from the start. We use active ingredients that don’t strip the skin’s natural defence, but rather reinforce it. Lactic acid, hibiscus extract, and aloe vera in our Come Alive probiotic serum help hydrate and calm the skin, while tea tree, salicylic acid, and glycerin in our cleanser purify the skin surface without stripping. Our brand philosophy ensures that the skin stays hydrated, supported, and strengthened over time—without ever disturbing its ecological harmony. It’s how we think about skincare from the inside out.

Feeling inspired?

Then why not visit one of the in-cosmetics events around the world?

BROWSE SHOWS