Croda UK biotech center poised to accelerate beauty innovations

Croda has inaugurated a global research center at Sci-Tech Daresbury, UK, which is positioned to strengthen its capabilities in biotechnology, biocatalysis, and synthetic biology in personal and hair care innovation.

While the facility’s focus will span beauty and pharmaceuticals, it also aims to boost the development of Croda’s KeraBio K31 — a biotechnology-derived keratin ingredient for damaged hair — demonstrating its relevance to personal care formulators.

According to Croda, the new center will translate scientific discoveries into commercially viable ingredients and technologies for consumer and life sciences brands. 

Steve Foots, chief executive of Croda, says: “Biotechnology will play an increasingly important role in how we deliver sustainable innovation for our customers and create long-term value.”

The investment places biotechnology among Croda’s major future growth platforms. Foots attributes the company’s selection of the Daresbury site to the strength of the UK’s science base and innovation ecosystem.

Biotechnology reaches hair repair

KeraBio K31 was developed by Croda scientists last year and is now being commercialized globally. The vegan keratin alternative uses synthetic biology to emulate peptides found in human hair, allowing it to interact with damaged fibers and support internal bond repair.

The company positions KeraBio K31 as a way for formulators to achieve hair-repair performance, demonstrating how the UK’s science resources can be translated into consumer products that address growing demand for premium hair care solutions. 

The ingredient is designed to strengthen hair, reduce breakage, and support cumulative repair. It can be incorporated into rinse-off and leave-in conditioners, shampoos, and styling products.

The technology used differs from conventional protein treatments by functioning as a bond builder that reinforces internal hair structures.

Last year, KeraBio K31 received an INCI name, supporting consistent ingredient identification and commercial formulation. 

With 99% natural origin content and ISO 16128 compliance, it also meets industry standards for clean and sustainable beauty. It is currently available across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. 

Biotechnology boosts beauty performance

Croda’s new center announcement arrives as biotechnology continues to gain ground across personal care. Innovations within biotechnology increasingly offer manufacturers tools to design molecules with targeted properties. Increased biotechnology-powered offerings can reduce dependence on petrochemicals, animal-derived materials, and resource-intensive crops.

Croda says fermentation and bioprocessing are expanding the range of biotechnology-derived ingredients available to personal care formulators. Molecular engineering can also tailor bio-based ingredients for greater potency or specific functions, including peptides, growth factors, and delivery systems.

Croda identifies industrial scale-up and reliable feedstock supplies among the barriers limiting broader adoption. The Daresbury center is poised to close this gap between early-stage biotechnology and commercial production.

Other suppliers are similarly connecting biotechnology with beauty performance. Givaudan recently opened an innovation center to accelerate the creation of high-precision beauty ingredients. The company’s CEO calls the White Biotechnology Innovation Centre a milestone in creating sustainable and scientifically supported cosmetic ingredients. 

Meanwhile, IFF’s Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials platform uses enzymes and renewable sugar feedstocks to produce customizable, biodegradable polysaccharides. Its Aurist AGC conditioning polymer targets hair gloss, manageability, and heat protection. 

AmphiStar is combining biotechnology with waste and side-stream feedstocks to produce cosmetic ingredients while reducing reliance on virgin agricultural resources. The company views fermentation and synthetic biology as routes to improved production consistency, resource efficiency, and supply resilience. 

These developments demonstrate how beauty biotechnology is moving beyond its sustainability-led positioning. Ingredient suppliers are also increasingly using it to engineer ingredient potency, consistency, biodegradability, and application-specific performance.