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According to Merck, the ingredient, Luremin, was more sustainable when produced in the laboratory than when extracted from the live plant. However, Ina Höfgen-Müller told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com that this would not be the case for all extracts.
“Sometimes natural extraction is more sustainable, but the concentration of the active compound must be high and harvesting should not necessitate the destruction of the whole plant,” she said.
Other factors that may affect the sustainability of natural extraction include the planting options, farming techniques used and harvesting practices along with transportation costs.
