Beyond The Headlines: Cellugy raises €4.9M for petrochemical replacement, Innersense Organic Beauty offers clean hair colors

24 May 2024 --- In industry news this week, Cellugy raised funds to scale its ingredients that replace petrochemicals, Innersense Organic Beauty launched Color Purity and NuLiv Science released a study on Verbasnol for treating women with acne.

Business collaborations
Cellugy, a Danish industrial biotechnology start-up, raised €4.9 million (US$5.3 million) in seed funding to scale up production of its EcoFlexy dry cellulose product, which replaces petrochemical ingredients in personal care products. Led by International Chemical Investors Group Ventures and Unconventional Ventures, with participation from Joyance Partners and existing investors, the funding will expand manufacturing capacity and support product co-development partnerships. Cellugy’s technology leverages bacteria to produce high-purity cellulose, offering a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to fossil-based materials.

L’Oréal launched the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program in the SAP MENA region, providing start-ups with L’Oréal-funded commercial pilot opportunities and a year-long mentorship program. With an emphasis on co-creation, start-ups are encouraged to address various challenge themes such as consumer experience and new commerce. The program facilitates connections between start-ups and industry leaders, offering mentorship and resources to scale their innovations.

DoorDash and Ulta Beauty expanded their partnership, offering on-demand delivery from over 1,350 Ulta Beauty stores across all 50 states. This marks the first time all of DoorDash’s monthly active users can order from a beauty retailer nationwide. Consumers can shop Ulta Beauty’s assortment of over 25,000 products on the DoorDash app. 

AI and tech
L’Oréal also unveiled new Beauty Tech innovations at Viva Technology Paris 2024, including advanced skin and hair diagnostics, AI-powered personal beauty assistants and hair drying technology. The company showcased Skin Technology by L’Oréal, a bioprinted skin that mimics natural human skin. Additionally, L’Oréal introduced the Creaitech GenAI Beauty Content Lab and partnered with Meta to empower the next generation of beauty creators.

L’Oréal launched the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program.Reliance’s venture, Tira, introduced AI-driven personalized cosmetic recommendations in India’s beauty market, aiming to stand out amid established players like Nykaa and Tata’s Palette. Tira strategically launched 12 physical stores and an online platform, leveraging chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani’s influence and targeting India’s rapidly expanding beauty consumer base.

Innovation and research
Innersense Organic Beauty, an award-winning clean beauty brand, introduced Color Purity, expanding into professional hair color. Born from five years of development, Color Purity targets performance without compromising health, offering non-toxic color for all hair types. The collection includes 40 True Color shades, Clean Developers and Pure Brilliance Lighteners, all featuring adaptive dye blends with innovative 2MD chemistry for gentler coloring. By limiting the color's ability to sensitize, the company says 2MD Technology enhances the salon experience without sacrificing performance. Key features include clean color chemistry, pure performance and environmental impact consciousness. 

NuLiv Science released a study on Verbasnol, a plant-based extract, for treating moderate to severe acne in women. The study published in a medical journal showed that 80% of participants experienced acne improvements over two months. The research focused on women with poor Global Acne Grading Systems scores, revealing significant skin condition and quality improvements. Richard Wang, NuLiv Science CEO, highlighted the opportunity for skin care brands to enhance product formulations based on the study’s findings.

At the 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, The Estée Lauder Companies shared research findings across various skin science domains. Key presentations highlighted the penetration and effects of cosmetic peptides in human skin, skin care ingredients’ antioxidant and anti-glycation properties and the critical role of miRNA-146a in skin aging pathways. Additionally, studies emphasized the importance of cellular synchronization, collagen boosters and the anti-inflammatory effects of Macrocystis pyrifera ferment.

By Venya Patel