We Are Nature: Why the Future of Skincare Is Not White
- Kaffe Bueno
- Mar 31
- 6 min read
By Alejandro Franco, Co-founder of Kaffe Bueno
As the beauty and personal care industry rushes to embrace naturalness, sustainability, and bioactives, there’s a contradiction standing in plain sight — yet rarely questioned.
We say we want nature, but reject its colours. We promote “natural skincare” but still insist on creams and lotions that are white or transparent. If we are truly aiming to embrace nature, shouldn’t our products look like nature too?
In this article, I want to challenge you — as formulators, brand managers, marketers, and decision-makers — to reflect on this:
If consumers are demanding real, natural products, why are we still formulating them to look sterile, clinical, and unnatural?
The future of skincare is not white — and neither is nature.
Problem 1: The
“White = Clean” Myth —
A Legacy Holding Us Back
The association of “white equals clean and pure” has deep roots in 19th-century Western sanitation campaigns — and even deeper roots in colonial, Eurocentric beauty standards [1]. This legacy still shapes how we formulate and market skincare.
Yet, if you think about it: Nature is anything but white.
The white bias persists:
• Sunscreens that leave a white cast — the number one complaint from consumers globally [2].
• Brands hesitating to adopt natural ingredients that provide the desired efficacy, because they are not white or transparent.
• Formulators asking ingredient suppliers to bleach moringa oil, turmeric extracts, or coffee oils to fit outdated visual standards, stripping them of much of their bioactivity in the process [3].
And here’s where the damage is twofold: Most often than not, when the pigments naturally present in natural ingredients are stripped away, the bioactive compounds providing the benefits are gone along with the colour — the very benefits consumers are seeking.
Nature’s colours are not just decoration — they are function. Polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophyll, curcumin, and carotenoids: all highly bioactive molecules that give plants their hues and provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin-repairing properties [4].
When we filter out these colours for the sake of whiteness, we are literally throwing away nature’s pharmacy — all in the name of an outdated aesthetic.
Problem 2: Consumer Skepticism vs. Industry Practice — A Trust Gap
Ironically, while brands insist on maintaining the white standard, consumers are increasingly skeptical of products that are “too perfect.”
• 42% of US consumers question the efficacy of natural skincare because of greenwashing [5].
• 68% of Asian consumers distrust “natural” claims, largely due to inconsistent standards [5].
Consumers today are not only asking for natural — they are asking for transparency and authenticity. And yet, we offer them products that look so stripped-down and sterile, they wonder if there’s anything natural left inside.
Nature does not look perfect. A naturally-derived cream from upcycled coffee, turmeric, or algae should show signs of its origin. Instead, we are offering them what is essentially a white lie.
Problem 3: Sustainability Talk vs. Measurable Action — The Colour Barrier
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now requires companies to measure and report on carbon emissions, including raw material sourcing.
Yet, the industry remains constrained by the priority to make formulations white or transparent, even when this means continuing to use unsustainable growingly unpopular materials, such as petrochemicals.
Why? Because a coloured product is still seen as risky — “What if consumers think it’s spoiled?”
However, consumers are evolving faster than brands. They are looking for meaningful sustainability — beyond recycled packaging — and want to see the ingredient’s story in the product itself.
Industry Irony 1: Sunscreen Paradox — Why Are We Still Doing This?
Let’s address the sunscreen paradox head-on.
Consumers hate white cast — it’s one of the most documented consumer complaints worldwide [2]. They want protection that works and looks good on all skin tones.
And yet, formulators continue to insist that sunscreens must be white or transparent — perceiving as too bold shifting to natural UV-protective ingredients like red raspberry oil or coffee-derived KAFFAGE®, that could remove white cast entirely and add anti-wrinkles, hydration, firmness and elasticity benefits.
Why do we keep solving a problem we’ve created, instead of embracing nature’s ready-made solutions?
Industry Irony 2: Inclusive Exclusion — The Colour Bias of “Universal” Products
We’ve applauded brands like Fenty Beauty for inclusivity in colour cosmetics, but in skincare, the exclusion continues [8].
Products advertised as “universal” — moisturisers, serums, sunscreens — are nearly always white or transparent, as if darker skin tones don’t deserve products that reflect their needs or heritage ingredients.
Liquorice extract (brownish), coffee biopolymers and oils (brown or golden), and chlorophyll (green) are excellent for treating hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and oxidative stress — issues common in melanin-rich skin [4]. Yet we bleach them out, perpetuating the cycle of exclusion.
What does “universal” mean if nature’s own palette isn’t included?
What if… The Industry Did Things Differently?
Let’s start seeing natural hues as signatures of authenticity:
• KAFFOIL® = golden oil antioxidant-rich, skin barrier enhancing.
• Green chlorophyll serums = detoxifying and calming.
• Amber moringa oil = anti-inflammatory, vitamin-rich.
Imagine marketing colours as bioactivity indicators, proudly telling consumers: “This colour means real natural ingredients inside.”
Brands Embracing Nature’s True Colors
Several skincare brands are leading the way by embracing the natural hues of their ingredients:
• Typology: This French skincare brand offers products like tinted serums that showcase the inherent colours of their natural components, providing both aesthetic appeal and functional benefits.
• Dr. Hauschka: Known for its commitment to natural ingredients, Dr. Hauschka’s products often retain the original colour of their botanical components, reflecting the brand’s dedication to authenticity.
• Weleda: This brand utilises biodynamic farming methods to source its ingredients, resulting in products that naturally exhibit the vibrant colour of the plants used, such as the rich green of their chlorophyll-containing formulations.
• Forest Essentials: An Indian brand that specialises in Ayurvedic preparations, Forest Essentials incorporates natural ingredients without altering their inherent colours, aligning with traditional practices that value the therapeutic properties of these elements.
• Neera Naturals: Focusing on eco-friendly and sustainable products, Neera Naturals offers items like herbal shampoos and oil blends that maintain the natural hues of their plant-based ingredients, emphasising purity and effectiveness.
Educate Consumers — They’re Ready
Transparency is the new luxury. Consumers want to know why a product looks the way it does.
Instead of hiding colour, explain it:
• “Golden hue = coffee polyphenols for antioxidant defence.”
• “Amber = high tocopherol content from moringa.”
• “Green = chlorophyll for inflammation and redness.”
Brands like Youth to the People and Dr. Jart+ are already doing this — and thriving because of it.
Prioritise Real Sustainability — Not Just Packaging
With CSRD in place from 2024-2028, brands now must measure CO₂ impacts [6]. This is a chance to rethink the obsession with white:
• Switch titanium dioxide for natural clays or mineral pigments.
• Use upcycled ingredients like coffee that come with colour — and story.
• Prove sustainability through colour authenticity and CO2-eq data, not just eco labels.
Conclusion: It’s Time to Face the Industry’s Ironies
We say we want natural, but we refuse to embrace nature in its truest form.
We obsess over white sunscreens, knowing consumers hate white cast.
We preach inclusivity, but formulate for a “universal” that excludes most of the world’s skin tones.
The future of skincare is not white — it’s every shade that nature gives us.
If we are to move forward — truly forward — we must let go of the fear of colour and embrace nature’s diversity.
Because we are nature — and nature never comes in just one colour.
Let me leave you with this:
What if we stopped fearing nature’s colours and started celebrating them?
What would that mean for your formulations? For your brand? For the planet?
We at Kaffe Bueno are ready. Are you?
Want to Know How Your Formulation can Align with Nature’s True Colours?
Take our quiz below to discover how your current or planned formulations align with the future of truly natural, inclusive, and bioactive skincare.
Let colour guide your next product — not limit it.
References