Reframing Clean Beauty: Governance, Transparency, and Biodiversity-Related Practices in the Global Cosmetics Sector with Implications for Japan

Abstract

The rapid global expansion of clean beauty, which relies extensively on natural capital, raises questions about its environmental impact, particularly in relation to biodiversity conservation. While the industrial demand for natural ingredients continues to rise, empirical assessments linking clean beauty practices and biodiversity outcomes remain limited. This study presents an exploratory, governance-oriented assessment of biodiversity-related practices among clean beauty brands, based on publicly available disclosures. This study develops a quantitative scoring framework for evaluating 10 major international and Japanese clean beauty brands using a small-10 pilot design across five domains: (1) sustainable sourcing, (2) biodiversity conservation initiatives, (3) supply-chain traceability, (4) ESG disclosure, and (5) environmental innovation. Japan's comparison is institutionally motivated. The results indicate that biodiversity performance is determined less by the use of natural ingredients or market scale and more by governance mechanisms, such as structured sourcing programs, third-party certifications, and transparent reporting systems. International brands consistently outperform Japanese brands, reflecting stronger institutional environments and higher biodiversity literacy abroad. In contrast, domestic brands showed lower disclosure levels and greater performance variance, partly due to weaker national standards and limited public awareness of biodiversity issues. The findings suggest that clean beauty should be reframed not as a category defined by naturalness, but as a governance model that enables coexistence with nature. In addition to standardisation by industry organisations, policy implications include the need for standardised biodiversity metrics in Japan and potential governmental support, such as subsidies to help small- and medium-sized enterprises obtain internationally recognised sustainability certifications. Future research should integrate and evaluate industry standards and life-cycle assessment to assess biodiversity impacts in the cosmetics sector.