cosnova's democratization of beauty
High-quality cosmetics, produced in an environmentally friendly way and stylishly packaged, used to be expensive. But our founding couple Christina Oster-Daum and Javier González wanted to do things differently. When the couple founded cosnova over 20 years ago, they had a clear mission: beauty should not be a luxury, but affordable for everyone. Their products should meet the highest standards of quality and innovation - and at fair prices. With our brands essence and Catrice, we are still committed to the mission “Make everyone feel more beautiful”.
For cosnova, the combination of beauty and environmental awareness is a matter of course
When cosnova was founded in 2002, sustainability was hardly an issue in the cosmetics industry. That has changed. A recent cosnova survey* shows that around half of German consumers now pay attention to environmental and ethical aspects when choosing their cosmetic products. The avoidance of animal testing, the avoidance of harmful ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging are particularly important to them.
cosnova also aims to be a pioneer in terms of sustainability. Our make-up products have always been cruelty-free, and the essence and Catrice ranges are already free from microplastic particles and cyclic volatile silicons - long before legal requirements stipulate this. “It is important to us to make our products ever more sustainable, which is why we are continuously working on ever better, environmentally friendly formulations, regardless of legal requirements and deadlines,” explains Silvia Steinert, Director Corporate Responsibility.
cosnova is also breaking new ground in terms of packaging: “We are the first company in the mass market to do away with the conventional aluminum ferrule for essence make-up brushes. This change alone saves us 172 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.
Packaging & Recycling
Sustainable packaging
Packaging protects our products and makes them unmistakable. To ensure that they are also as sustainable as possible, we focus on three main aspects.
“Good and affordable” is not an empty advertising promise
Most consumers are familiar with the situation: they are looking for an ecologically sound product and have to dig deep into their pockets to find it. But there is another way. cosnova does not invest in expensive marketing campaigns, but in product quality and efficiency. We rely on innovative technologies such as an AI-based platform that analyzes the ecological footprint of our products along the entire supply chain and thus makes improvements possible in real time, or artificial intelligence that supports our teams with the consumer's perspective on sustainability in product development. Transparency is the central element for the democratization of beauty.
Consumers need knowledge to make informed decisions. cosnova meets this challenge with radical openness: on our brands' websites, over 1,900 ingredients are described in detail, their function explained and their role in the respective product disclosed. Information on the packaging materials used is also available to consumers.
“For us, the democratization of beauty means giving everyone access to safe, more sustainable and high-quality cosmetic products - for more equality, independence and self-fulfillment. Because in the end, it's about more than just beauty: it's about a world worth living in tomorrow and more joie de vivre in the here and now,” says Silvia Steinert.
*YouGov on behalf of cosnova GmbH, n=2,066 respondents, 24-27.05.2024
Interview with founder Christina Oster-Daum
Our vision for a more sustainable economy
Corporate responsibility and sustainability have been core values at cosnova since our foundation. In this interview, founder Christina Oster-Daum explains how this conviction is put into practice at cosnova and what influence it has on our company's success.
