Green chemist Richard Blackburn produces cosmetics, haircare and skincare ranges for his brand Dr Craft which are made from an untapped resource – food waste. The products are created using an energy-efficient and toxin-free extraction process. In his lab at the University of Leeds, the professor of sustainable materials designs mandarin cleansers using dried leftover peel from China's favourite fruit, bodycare products made with grape skin extracts or hair toners made with left over blackcurrent skins from British drink manufacturer Ribena. But, as Blackburn explained, natural isn't automatically better: "Dedicating lots of land to growing crops to make cosmetics is a terrible idea; we should be feeding the world first. But while we're making food, there are great resources. So it's about looking for sustainable sources and interesting chemistries that reliably demonstrate an activity that we can put into a material."
