These findings enabled the Sustainability team to prioritise areas for improvement, and understand how to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the selected No7 products.

We also provided the team with a detailed understanding of the environmental effects of the specific ingredients within each formulation.

We identified the 15 most impactful ingredients for each of the five categories. These hotspots will help No7 Beauty Company to prioritise and refine its selection of ingredients, driving improvements in the environmental profile of future No7 products.

In parallel, we analysed and identified the ingredient categories with the greatest environmental footprint by evaluating the average impact results across all formulations. In cases where specific ingredient information is unavailable, this analysis provides No7 Beauty Company with a high-level estimate – and a valuable benchmark – for assessing the environmental impacts of new formulations.

Our analysis delivered insights at the ingredient level as well as the product level.

Highlights from the Life Cycle Assessment

During this ‘cradle-to-gate’ Life Cycle Assessment of 30 different formulations, we found:

1. Most of the environmental impacts came from the raw materials and manufacturing processes involved in creating each ingredient within the base formulation.
2. Analysing the trade-offs between environmental impacts was particularly important. For example, some ingredients that had a negative effect in one category had a less significant contribution in another. We identified instances of these trade-offs and flagged them across the results.
3. It’s vital to engage with suppliers up and down the supply chain, enabling transparency and the smooth exchange of detailed information on materials, processes and environmental impact. Sharing data and developing a joint understanding of the changes needed will improve relationships and open up opportunities to collaborate.

“No7 Beauty Company has worked with 3Keel on quite a number of projects over the years, so there was no better team to turn to for a comprehensive sustainability analysis of our No7 beauty brand,” said Emilia Matchett, who was Global Head of Sustainability at No7 Beauty Company (Boots) until July 2025.

“I always value the support we receive from 3Keel, and this Life Cycle Assessment of our No7 products is no exception. It’s allowed us to really get under the skin of our No7 product formulations, understand their impacts on the environment and, crucially, understand how we can move forward.”

Looking ahead

As a result of this work, we set recommendations at two levels. The first relates to ingredient innovation and sustainability strategy. The second pertains to supply-chain engagement.

Ingredient innovation and sustainability strategy

By identifying the formulations and ingredients with the highest environmental impact, we were able to confirm that effective ingredient selection and substitution presents an opportunity to substantially reduce the environmental footprint of the selected No7 products.

We also shared recommendations with the Sustainability team for prioritisation based on the robustness of each environmental category. Because each ingredient’s impact profile varies depending on the environmental category in question, analysing the trade-offs between these different effects is crucial.