LibraGen launches range of stable polyphenols for cosmetics
The company now has nearly 50 ingredients as part of its Ineovol collection, based on naturally occurring polyphenols, which are both water soluble and stable.
Six of these compounds are fully developed with all the necessary toxicological and efficacy tests completed, and, the remaining actives are ready to develop exclusively for customers who need them, explained CEO Renaud Nalin.
Looking for partners
“We know how to synthesise them and we know what they will do but all the necessary tests have not yet been done. In order to develop these we are looking for partners,” he told CosmeticsDesign.com.
So far the range has been geared towards cosmetics formulators but the company is looking to launch the compounds on the nutrition market in the future, and hopes to benefit from the growing ‘beauty from within’ trend.
Conquering the nutrition market may take longer, according to Nalin, as the regulatory situation is more complex.
Insolubility and instability limits use
Although the benefits of the naturally occurring compounds, such as green tea and caffeic acid, are well known in the industry, their insolubility and instability severely limits their use in cosmetics.
However, using an enzyme controlled bioprocess LibraGen modifies the natural compounds by grafting a sugar onto the molecule which results in water soluble, stable compounds.
According to Nalin, this ‘green chemistry’ process using natural enzymes is one of the reasons the first six compounds have gained Ecocert approval.
Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties
All compounds in the Ineovol range are chosen for the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant characteristics, but according to Nalin the benefits don’t stop there.
“Beyond their general anti-oxidant characteristics, each compound has a specific action, including anti-wrinkle, smoothing, and anti-UV damage,” he said.
Further to this first Ineveol range the company is also planning a second generation portfolio with an additional 20 actives.
This second collection will be based on the same green chemistry process but will use different substrates.
“It will be a more exhaustive list, with more and different compounds, with better water solubility and stability,” Nalin claimed.
