5 exciting new developments in cosmetic science
Enzymit’s cell-free hyaluronic acid
Synthetic biology company Enzymit has found an enzymatic process that leverages computation protein design algorithms to create cell-free hyaluronic acid (HA), which it said is less complex and will reduce costs for cosmetics companies by as much as 50% compared to traditional fermentation methods.
Leveraging its expertise in computational enzyme design and carbohydrate synthesis, Enzymit said it achieved enzymatic bioproduction of HA with tailored molecular weights ranging from low to high for a wide range of applications.
"Our success in synthesising hyaluronic acid demonstrates the viability of novel enzyme design to drive cell-free bioproduction of specialty chemicals, replacing outdated and unsustainable production methods," explained Gideon Lapidoth, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Enzymit.
"Our cell-free approach to manufacturing hyaluronic acid removes the need for complex downstream processing and significantly reduces overall costs, while enabling easier and more efficient production at scale."
Cambrium’s ex vivo efficacy for NovaColl™
In March this year, German molecular design technology company Cambrium launched NovaColl™, which it claimed was the first micro-molecular and 100% skin-identical, vegan collagen.
NovaColl™ has just shared that its claims have now been scientifically validated in third-party in vitro and ex vivo studies, which demonstrated a broad range of activities to protect, maintain and enhance native collagen.
“The results corroborate our key claim,” Cambrium’s Head of R&D, Lucile Bonnin. “NovaColl™ is the only micro-molecular, skin-identical, vegan collagen ingredient which protects, maintains and enhances the native collagen of our skin.”
Mixer & Pack’s integrated RFID encoding tunnel for fragrance production
As more beauty brands demand RFID technology, Mixer & Pack has integrated a RFID encoding tunnel into its fragrance production line.
According to Mixer & Pack’s Chief Operating Officer Lorenzo García Expósito, the company’s new creation could have four main benefits for the beauty and personal care industry: to enhance companies’ ability to manage and control their stock; protection against counterfeiting and control of resale through unauthorised channels; traceability; and enhancing the customer experience during the payment process.
In an industry with an increasing need for this type of technology, García Expósito says potential clients are now coming to the company to find out more about its innovation.
“We are working with some of our clients on using this technology to control product resale and counterfeiting,” he said. “Additionally, in the medium term, we aim to collaborate with our main suppliers to implement this technology into the supply chain. This will enable us to manage inventory of components and raw materials in our production process.”
Snow fungus as an alternative to hyaluronic acid
Polish researchers found that a cosmetic formulation made with edible mushroom snow fungus could provide a natural alternative to hyaluronic acid.
The research team conducted tests on 20 volunteers and discovered that a formulation containing snow fungus was able to reduce trans-epidermal water loss from skin by 12.4% compared to a formulation without this active ingredient. They said the extract helped to draw or retain water loss from deeper layers of the skin leading to increased hydration.
Coffee-based sustainable and natural SPF booster
Danish bioscience company Kaffe Bueno upcycles coffee by-products into functional ingredients.
It has recently launched KAFFAGE™, an upcycled amphiphilic biopolymer with high antioxidative and anti-glycation activity, which the company says can act as a natural SPF booster. It comes in different shades that can help formulators mimic the natural skin tone while reducing the need for iron oxides. It also has natural emulsifying and antimicrobial properties, which makes it ideal to formulate colour cosmetics such as BB creams, foundations, concealers.
