Fashion, cosmetics and fragrances exist at the crossroads of identity, sensory experience and chemical innovation. From surfactants in cleansers to polymers in fabrics and fixatives in perfumes, these industries rely heavily on chemistry to transform raw materials into everyday essentials. We use them to express ourselves and enhance how we feel — yet increasingly expect them to be “natural,” “clean” and “sustainable.” Therein lies a paradox: consumers want fewer “chemicals,” but still demand the performance, safety and durability only chemistry can provide. As the engine behind lab-grown scents, biodegradable textiles and traceable supply chains, the chemicals industry isn’t just supporting these sectors — it’s shaping their future. Progress in beauty, fashion and personal care will depend not only on cultural trends but on chemistry’s ability to reconcile efficacy with environmental and human health. Fortunately, performance and sustainability no longer need to be at odds — especially in personal care and fragrance, where chemistry is becoming more intelligent, traceable and green. Symrise, a global leader in flavors and fragrances, is helping lead this transformation by blending advanced chemistry, sustainable sourcing and AI-powered product development. “We have a strong background in chemistry, where we operate six chemical plants that help us remain backwards-integrated in specialty fragrance ingredients,” explains Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot, CEO of Symrise. When sourcing natural raw materials, the company embeds green chemistry principles into innovation to reduce environmental impact. This approach is further strengthened by digital tools, particularly AI, which guide product development across both personal care and food sectors. “We also use AI for formula simplification, optimizing CO2 footprint and ensuring that we can deliver innovative products efficiently. Our AI tools help our customers create products with specific, tailored characteristics, whether it’s a soup in Vietnam or a fragrance in the Middle East.” By integrating classical chemistry with modern science and data, companies can use specialty chemical production to enable sustainable innovation at scale.
This blending of nature and science reflects a broader consumer desire for authenticity and transparency but also for high-performing, sensorially rich experiences. Technologies like green chemistry, fermentation and synthetic biology are becoming foundational to this effort, enabling everything from bio-based fragrances to biodegradable beauty formulations. Increasingly, these advances fall under the umbrella of specialty chemicals — a rapidly growing segment of the chemicals industry focused on designing tailored, high-performance ingredients for beauty and personal care. The same tension — between natural appeal and the chemical precision needed to achieve it — also plays out in the fashion and textiles sector. Though often overshadowed by personal care, fashion remains a critical arena for chemical innovation, especially around durability, biodegradability and end-of-life impact. Functional additives, specialty polymers and textile coatings are all part of the expanding chemical toolkit reshaping the industry. Davis Warlick, COO of Parkdale Mills, points to one such innovation: “Our patented textile ingredient, Ciclo, allows synthetic fibers and textiles made from polyester and nylon to biodegrade naturally within four-and-a-half years, compared to the centuries these products remain in our environment.” Synthetic fibers dominate global markets due to their low cost and durability. “Polyester, for example, went from a 30 percent market share globally before the 2000s to 65 percent today,” Warlick added. Ciclo exemplifies how chemical modifiers — in this case, functional additives embedded in polymer chains — can alter degradation pathways, offering a new class of materials aligned with circular design principles.
Achieving true textile-to-textile recycling at scale will depend on further chemical breakthroughs: solvent-based fiber separation, chemical depolymerization and advanced catalysts for selective recycling are all areas of active research and commercialization within the sector. Eddie Ingle, CEO of UNIFI, recently launched a program that sources at least 50 percent of its material from recycled textile waste. “The biggest shift is a move toward textile circularity, focusing on recycling textiles into textiles rather than just using recycled bottles. Currently, only about 10 percent of polyester garment production inputs come from bottles, with minimal textiles recycled back into textiles.” Yet true circularity remains elusive. As Christian Schindler, director general of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), explains: “The industry’s current focus is circularity — true textile-to-textile recycling. While recycled PET bottles are commonly used for fibers, actual garment recycling remains below 1 percent.” Ingle agrees: “The biggest challenge lies in building supply chains for recycled textiles. Unlike relatively uniform bottles, textiles vary greatly in material and color.” One potential solution lies in designing for recyclability from the outset. “The key lies in designing for circularity. By creating 100 percent polyester garments that mimic the feel and performance of poly-cotton blends, we can significantly increase the recyclability of textiles,” said Ingle. Here, too, specialty chemicals — from fiber treatments to engineered resins — will be essential to reconciling consumer expectations for comfort, functionality and environmental responsibility.