Scientist Transforms Leftover Fruit Into Eco-Friendly Makeup

The beauty industry offers a wide range of colors, textures, and scents for makeup fans around the world, but there can be environmental and ethical concerns behind the vibrant shades. Not all ingredients are sourced sustainably, and for people who avoid animal by-products, determining which makeup aligns with your ethics can be tricky. Not to mention, a growing number of people are concerned with the rights and safety of workers who farm and create these beauty products.

Confronted with this conundrum, Terence Chung, set out of find a solution. The British biochemist created the world's first line of lip balm made out of organic fruit waste and plant-based ingredients. Interestingly, Chung doesn't have a background in the beauty and fashion industry. In fact, Chung first realized there was an issue in the market when he was a school teacher.  

As he told the Huffington Post, "In a lesson one day everyone got their cosmetics out of their bags, and we realized none of them were sustainable. Brands may say that their products are green or natural, but if they really are they're likely to be premium, and therefore expensive.” Chung created FRUU to solve this issue and started using food waste from places where leftover fruit is not sustainably managed. Right now, FRUU gets it’s ingredients from factory leftovers in France and Italy, but hopes to source local fruit from the UK soon.  

FRUU balms are sustainable in more ways than one. To begin with, the lips balms have totally eco-friendly ingredients. The balms are made of 15 different kinds of fruits and are completely biodegradable. The line includes 98 to 100 percent natural and moisturizing ingredients, like avocado oil and mango butter. To keep lips soft, some of the balms include banana extract or ale vera. This organic skin care line is European Union safety assessed and created by using the lowest temperature possible, to make sure it retains as many natural nutrients as possible.  

As an added bonus, this makeup is vegan and cruelty-free. Not one stick has been tested on animals, and the product itself is created with zero animal products. Even better? When you buy this PETA-certified balm, a portion of that goes to the World Wide Fund For Nature. The lip balm also helps support small fruit famers. The company even helps their customers raise money for their own fundraisers. and supplies lip balm at cost for any charity sales. 

Chung believes that more brands are not committed to sustainability because of potential costs associated with changing, but he hopes to set a new standard with FRUU by proving that eco-friendly cosmetics can not only be possible, but affordable. If you’re interested in trying one of these fruity lip creations, FRUU ships worldwide, and the balms are made on demand in order to make the freshest product possible. To keep these fruity balms fresh, they should be stored in a cool, dark spot.