In 2025, cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers continue to face increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and meet evolving regulatory and consumer expectations. One major challenge is addressing Scope 3 emissions, which can account for up to 90% of a company’s carbon footprint, according to a 2022 report by McKinsey & Company.
In response, innovative ingredient solutions like endurocal calcium carbonate (ECC) are emerging as critical tools for reducing environmental impact without sacrificing product performance.
According to the company, launched by CarbonFree, an organization specializing in carbon capture technology, endurocal is the world’s first zero-carbon mineral. Unlike conventional calcium carbonate, typically mined from natural sources, endurocal is created from recycled carbon dioxide captured directly from industrial emissions through CarbonFree’s patented SkyCycle process.
The result is a net-zero carbon footprint ingredient with superior brightness, whiteness, and performance properties tailored for formulations in cosmetics, personal care, and other industries.
In this CosmeticsDesign Q&A, Martin Keighley, CEO of CarbonFree, explains how endurocal offers cosmetics formulators an innovative, cost-competitive solution to reduce their carbon footprint while improving product quality.
CDU: Can you elaborate on how endurocal distinguishes itself from other calcium carbonate products on the market, particularly for cosmetics and personal care formulations?
Martin Keighley (MK): endurocal calcium carbonate (ECC) is made from recycled carbon. More specifically from carbon dioxide directly captured from point source emitters that is then reacted with calcium chloride.
The calcium chloride is made onsite with in-process produced hydrochloric acid and calcium recycled from inert material that has not been used before in paints, plastics, healthcare and cosmetics or personal care applications. The process allows for control of particle size and particle size distribution (PSD) as well as brightness.
Cosmetic and personal care formulators will be able to take advantage of superior brightness to conventional calcium carbonate sources, both synthetic and natural.
CDU: What are the key benefits of using endurocal for cosmetics manufacturers, and how does it improve the performance of traditional PCC or GCC in formulations?
MK: ECC has a better whiteness and color than conventional Precipitated Calcium Carbonates (PCCs) or Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCCs). This will allow for lower use of optical brighteners and other whitening agents in the formulations.
CDU: How does endurocal align with current industry trends prioritizing sustainability, such as reducing Scope 3 emissions?
MK: ECC being derived from recycled materials allows C&PC formulators to lower their Scope 3 emissions in a directly accountable manner. The process to make ECC, uses CarbonFree’s patented SkyCycle technology which has a negative carbon footprint as modeled by a highly regarded 3rd party consultant group, Trinity Consultants, Inc.
However, the ECC is being marketed today as net-zero carbon calcium carbonate, the first of its kind in the world. Utilizing ECC directly in formulations will lower Scope 3 emissions for customers and formulators.
CDU: What is the potential impact of adopting endurocal on the carbon footprint of cosmetics companies? Are there quantifiable benefits you can share?
MK: For each substituted amount of calcium carbonate, whether PCC or GCC, there is a direct benefit of reducing the carbon footprint to zero for that amount substituted. For example, PCC’s carbon footprint is anywhere from 1.0 to 0.78 100-Year Global Warming Potential (GWP) or another way, 1.0 to 0.78 metric ton CO2e/metric ton PCC.
ECC effectively takes that value to 0 as marketed today. Another benefit of the SkyCycle process is that the output is an inert powder, and the amount of CO2 captured is easily accounted for by simple mass balance.
Chemistry becomes the accountant.
CDU: Can you share more details about the SkyCycle process used to produce endurocal? How does this technology contribute to the product’s zero-carbon footprint?
MK: The SkyCycle process is a chemical cycle that utilizes magnesium at its core. As CO2 reacts with magnesium hydroxide it creates magnesium bicarbonate.
The magnesium bicarbonate reacts with calcium chloride to precipitate out calcium carbonate – the endurocal. What is left is magnesium chloride.
There the process would stop. However, if you heat the magnesium chloride you can generate magnesium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.
The magnesium hydroxide we saw before is used in the start to the reaction and the hydrochloride acid is either sold or used to dissolve calcium out of waste materials to generate the calcium chloride used previously in the process.
Because the process uses CO2 that would otherwise be waste to the atmosphere, combined with utilization of on-site waste calcium source it can be demonstrated as a negative carbon-footprint process.
CDU: For cosmetics applications, what advantages does endurocal provide in terms of absorption, texture, and opacity compared to other options?
MK: We have observed significant hydrophobicity and oil absorption for ECC. This can benefit structure build as well as texture enhancement.
Having a very high whiteness can lead to higher opacity as well.
CDU: How does the high purity and customizable particle size of endurocal enable innovation in developing personal care products like powders, creams, and lotions?
MK: ECC has no detectable crystalline silica in its composition, in fact it has no silica detected. ECC can also be made to pharmaceutical grade, so its purity is very high.
The particle size has been demonstrated to be in the low micron range with very few fines or oversize.
CDU: What feedback have you received from cosmetics and personal care formulators regarding endurocal’s performance in their products?
MK: While we have not yet received specific feedback from formulators in the cosmetics and personal care industries, we are optimistic given the highly positive responses from other application sectors. Many have praised endurocal for its enhancements in product quality, including improved texture and absorption, as well as its environmental benefits.
CDU: Cost can be a significant factor for manufacturers. How does endurocal compare in cost to traditional calcium carbonate products, and what cost advantages can it offer over time?
MK: ECC will be cost-competitive to most calcium carbonates used today. Beyond that, the reduction in Scope 3 emissions that formulators experience may be monetized on their side for those using ECC in their formulations
CDU: What role do you see sustainable minerals like endurocal playing in shaping the future of the cosmetics and personal care industry?
MK: As suppliers to the C&PC industry, we have an obligation to reduce our emissions. All mineral companies are working diligently to do just that.
However, all the sources today start with a mined source, which is a natural storage point for CO2 in the case of calcium carbonate. By mining that “stored CO2 source” the CO2 is actually liberated to the atmosphere, in the case of PCC manufacturing, or the carbon footprint of direct mining, sizing, and delivering that calcium carbonate is still significantly high.
The more inputs in the process that come from sustainable resources can lower those carbon footprints. For endurocal, it is a true sustainable mineral as it already comes from a process that is carbon negative, a claim no other mineral manufacturer can make today.
We see technologies like endurocal becoming widely used by cosmetics companies as consumers continue to demand more sustainable and ethically sourced products. There are also studies out there that pinpoint consumer interest in the science behind their products, and those mindful consumers will appreciate the innovative process used to create their favorite products.
CDU: Beyond cosmetics, are there lessons or strategies from other industries adopting endurocal that could be valuable for personal care manufacturers?
MK: As already mentioned, ECC is a direct Scope 3 reduction strategy. All formulations that can substitute their existing calcium carbonate with ECC will directly benefit from a Scope 3 reduction that is accountable.
Furthermore, if a formulation can be further optimized by taking the full advantage of ECC formulators may be able to substitute other high carbon footprint materials like TiO2.
CDU: What are the biggest challenges or barriers to entry you anticipate for cosmetics companies looking to integrate endurocal into their formulations?
MK: One big trend in the cosmetic industry is the use of natural and biologically sourced materials. ECC does come from a synthetic source. However, when you look at the whole picture, the actual chemistry is simple salt chemistry, which occurs naturally every day.
We are just directing that process in a controlled manner.
CDU: What’s next for CarbonFree and endurocal? Are there any upcoming developments or enhancements on the horizon for this technology?
MK: We are working both domestically and internationally with point source emitters as well has large industry leaders that see the value of using endurocal today.
We anticipate some announcements in early 2025 along those lines.
