Syensqo speaks on blurring chemistry and biology for hair care tech

Syensqo is responding to a shift in the personal care industry, where consumers are increasingly demanding eco-conscious and bio-sourced ingredients, by partnering with Bota Bio. Bota Bio specializes in bio-fermentation to develop biomimetic ingredients for product formulations.

Personal Care Insights dives deeper into the collaboration details with Vincent Miralles, global segment leader for Hair Care at Syensqo, and Thoma Canova, head of corporate R&I and Renewables and Biotechnology Platform at Syensqo.

“Through this five-year agreement, Syensqo will leverage Bota Bio’s performance protein technology to develop biomimetic ingredients addressing hair and scalp care, with a focus on key market needs such as hair repair from within or hair growth,” says Miralles. 

Biomimetics is a scientific approach that involves drawing inspiration from nature’s processes. In the personal care industry, this approach can create beauty ingredients that mimic the body’s natural repair and regeneration mechanisms.

“Bota Bio uses bio-fermentation to produce tailored peptides, with a top-notch accuracy on biological sequences to deliver the desired attribute existing in nature,” says Miralles. Bota’s nature-inspired peptides offer the potential to rebuild damaged keratin from the inside out by penetrating the hair shaft.

Canova outlines that the first ingredients will reach the market in early 2026.

We speak with Canova and Miralles to explore how this collaboration fits into beauty trends, the science behind biomimetic ingredient development, and the challenges of scaling biotechnology in beauty. 

How does this partnership fit into broader trends in the personal care industry?

Miralles: With this partnership, we will be able to address some key beauty trends, such as ethical and eco-conscious beauty, meaning a growing emphasis on bio-sourced and biodegradable products.

The market is seeking ingredients that care more about sourcing and the regenerative legacy for the planet while improving performance.

Another trend is customized hair care and repair. This entails an increased interest in personalized hair care routines, with products tailored to individual needs based on factors like hair type, texture, and specific concerns.

Repair, be it internal or external to the fiber, is also a growing need in all regions. This partnership is answering this need in hair care and extending the reach to scalp care.

What are the biggest challenges in scaling up biotechnology-based ingredients for the beauty industry?

Canova: The biggest challenge is meeting the purity and accuracy of biological sequences at large scales. Through this partnership, Syensqo and Bota Bio will have a unique capacity to meet these requirements on a large scale in the beauty industry.

Syensqo will leverage Bota Bio’s performance protein technology to develop biomimetic ingredients addressing hair and scalp care.How does this partnership fit into Syensqo’s long-term sustainability and innovation strategy?

Canova: Syensqo has launched a growth platform focused on renewable materials and biotechnology, combining life sciences with chemistry. This platform focuses on fostering the adoption of more renewable carbon in Syensqo’s product offering by combining the power of biology with chemistry.

Syensqo’s innovation strategy centers on aligning our scientific expertise with the evolving needs of our customers and the planet and addressing key megatrends that drive growth and sustainability.

This partnership is not just about innovation, it’s about delivering high-performance, sustainable beauty solutions that address key consumer concerns such as hair repair and growth. 

Syensqo’s experience in hair care, combined with Bota Bio’s biotechnology, will create products that are effective and environmentally friendly. Our collaboration underscores a shared vision to meet the growing demand for eco-conscious beauty products.

The collaboration with Bota Bio expands Syensqo’s beauty care portfolio toward more natural and high-value specialty solutions. It also broadens its technology portfolio with more active ingredients. It underscores the pivotal role of biotechnology in the rapid expansion of our specialty ingredients portfolio.

What makes Bota Bio’s protein technology unique compared to existing solutions?

Miralles: For formulators in the beauty industry, this partnership opens a unique forum to express their needs at the interface between key market priorities in the hair fiber space. The chemical industry is currently tackling, for example, hair repair from within, and strong emerging needs in scalp care while this technology is calling in biology or even dermatology skills, such as scalp redness or hair loss.