The Indonesian Cosmetic Ingredients (ICI) 2025, held at the JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, was a landmark event in the beauty industry. Spanning three days from 14-16 May 2025, the trade show featured over 500 exhibition booths, bringing together industry professionals, suppliers, and innovators from across the globe. Organised by PERKOSMI (Persatuan Perusahaan Kosmetika Indonesia), this event served as a pivotal platform to showcase the latest trends, technologies, and innovations in cosmetic ingredients, with an added emphasis on sustainability and responsible sourcing.
Exemplifying this was a powerful panel titled “Positive Beauty Corner”, which explored how responsible sourcing and ethical practices can transform beauty into a force for environmental and social good. Moderated under the unifying theme, “Dari Kita, Untuk Kita”—From Us, For Us—the talk was a gathering of experts and changemakers from across the value chain.
Representing From This Island, Erna Subroto, Ph.D., Head of Research & Extract, emerged as a key voice in the conversation, sharing invaluable insights into how Indonesia’s abundant natural resources can pave the way for a more ethical, scientifically-backed, and community-centered future for the cosmetics industry. She highlighted how the fusion of local wisdom with modern scientific research is the cornerstone of From This Island's approach—creating skincare that is not only sustainable and high-performing but also aligned with the values of today’s conscious consumer. This holistic philosophy is what drives the brand's commitment to delivering beauty products that prioritise both efficacy and environmental responsibility.
Responsible Sourcing is No Longer Optional
With customers becoming more conscious about where their skincare and beauty ingredients come from, it’s more important than ever for the industry to rethink how it sources and uses natural resources. From ingredient transparency to responsible harvesting and climate-friendly production, every part of the process needs to evolve to meet growing expectations for sustainability and accountability.
Erna explains that Indonesia is uniquely positioned at the intersection of this transformation, thanks to its abundant natural resources, deep-rooted cultural traditions, and the emergence of a new generation of innovative local beauty brands. Ultimately, this convergence presents not only a competitive edge but also a responsibility—to uphold higher standards and ensure that local ingredients are harnessed ethically, sustainably, and with global relevance. As consumer awareness deepens, so does the expectation for stable, high-performing formulations thus highlighting the growing need for scientifically validated ingredients that meet both efficacy and sustainability benchmarks.
Erna Subroto (second from the right) at the “Positive Beauty Corner” panel, highlighting Indonesia’s potential as a global leader in ethical ingredient sourcing and science-backed skincare.
Erna’s perspective echoes the ethos of From This Island: to share Indonesia’s beauty wisdom with the world by merging centuries-old botanical traditions with cutting-edge science. Our commitment is to create skincare that is effective, safe, and powerful. A core example is our hero ingredient, Papua Red Fruit — a nourishing, multipurpose fruit that has been used for generations by Papuan communities for medicine, skincare, and nourishment. Being able to harness this highly potent botanical in our formulations reflects the incredible potential that emerges when ancestral knowledge and innovation come together to pave the way for the future of beauty.
In a market where the line between clean beauty and greenwashing is increasingly blurred, it is this authenticity in sourcing, science, and storytelling that distinguishes truly responsible and transparent brands.
What This Ultimately Means for From This Island
Our participation in the “Positive Beauty Talk” reaffirmed our core belief: beauty should be regenerative. At From This Island, we are proud to contribute to a movement where local wisdom meets global standards, and beauty becomes a force for restoration.
“It’s important that natural ingredients are not only safe and sustainably sourced, but also backed by science—so they’re not just used locally, but can truly compete on a global scale,” Erna notes, summing up the broader mission that guides our every formulation.
We’ll continue to champion practices that protect Indonesia’s natural biodiversity, honor traditional wisdom, and promote science-backed innovation. At the end of the day, the best kind of beauty is not just skin-deep—it’s a beauty that is socially and environmentally nurturing.
