Skincare Made from Textile-Dye Waste
Published 03 July 2023
Globally, 20% of production waste comes from the textile and apparel sectors (European Parliament, 2022). As well as causing environmental destruction, the remaining chemical impurities from textile-dye formulas pose a huge risk to skin health. Finding a novel, potentially industry-disruptive way to challenge this, Japanese-German textile start-up Aizome has developed a skincare line made from its textile-dyeing factory waste water.
Showcasing its clean production processes and providing a commercial solution to industrial waste, the range – dubbed Wastecare – uses recycled waste water and, instead of synthetic chemicals, plants with medicinal properties that offer natural health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, pain relief and skin rejuvenation qualities. Its debut product, the Night Serum, is composed of waste water and indigo (used to turn the yarn blue and make fabrics anti-inflammatory), delivering benefits for eczema-prone skin and accelerating the healing of injuries. Additionally, rubia can be used to produce a red pigment and “help alleviate menstrual pain”, says the brand, while yellow hues can be achieved with turmeric, a known antioxidant.
“As consumer sophistication changes, this is an era in which a lot of economic potential and new ideas will arise,” co-founder Michel May told American business magazine Forbes. “We decided to embrace the model of a circular economy and the [Japanese] ethos of omoiyari, and turn our waste into something good.”
Aizome’s product and dyes have been recognised by the US National Eczema Association as “an innovation to improve the quality of life for people with sensitive skin”. Among cases of non-occupational contact dermatitis caused by fabrics, nearly 79% are a reaction to the dyes in the fabrics rather than the fabric itself, according to a recent study.
For more innovations within textile waste, see Material Outlook: Textiles 2022 and Beauty Sustainability Round-Up: December 2021.
Aizome