CEO Don Frey On Helming Independent Beauty Association In ‘Unprecedented’ Climate

Exclusion from procurement processes, confiscation of revenues, and a fine of at least 4% of annual turnover are some of the penalties the European Parliament is considering for greenwashing as part of its position on the EU Green Claims Directive. 

Joining IBA from The Honest Company, where he headed up innovation, Frey aims to promote networking and collaboration within the group’s membership in an environment where in-person events – and travel budgets – still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Frey spoke with HBW Insight about his career to date and his goals for IBA in the near and longer terms.

With biotech, “the entire tree of life starts to become accessible to us ethically and sustainably,” says Arcaea CEO Jasmina Aganovic. Her company, launched in October 2021, is developing custom keratin molecules for skin and hair, as well as new UV filter technology, among other innovations to expand formulators’ toolkits, not just replace problematic ingredients.

The cosmetics industry has an “optics” problem, and that is creating other issues, namely a growing body of state legislation to address perceived gaps in federal regulatory oversight.