Source: The Business of Fashion
Verisk Maplecroft's audit of eight common cosmetic ingredients found that major beauty brands lack visibility into labor conditions across their supply chains. Investors and regulators are demanding human rights due diligence, and the gap is widening. Beauty ingredients like mica, palm oil, and certain minerals are sourced from regions with minimal labor enforcement. Brands marketing "clean" or "ethical" products may be funding exploitation without knowing it. Supply chain audits and ingredient substitution are becoming competitive advantages for premium brands. Mass-market players face mounting pressure to prove sourcing compliance.