Evonik and Jland Biotech provide vegan collagen for skin care products

23 Feb 2024 --- Evonik partners with Jland Biotech to market vegan collagen for cosmetic and personal care applications and invests in the Chinese company through its Venture Capital group. 

Evonik will provide commercial quantities of collagen for applications in skin care, such as anti-aging and hydrating creams. The new collagen products, manufactured in collaboration with Jland, will be launched later this year. 

“Evonik’s life sciences division is using its biotechnology platform to leverage the expertise of its partners and collaborate on precision biosolutions,” says Johann-Caspar Gammelin, president of the Nutrition & Care division.

“We welcome Jland to our partner network. Together with our expertise in active ingredients and delivery systems, we are creating a world-leading portfolio of non-animal derived collagen.” 

Vegan collagen skin care
The ingredient expands Evonik’s existing product portfolio of vegan collagen.

Collagen can be used as a bioactive in cosmetic and personal care products to improve elasticity and hydration in the skin. 

Evonik says current global trends toward sustainability are “driving demand for dermatological solutions with high concentrations of active ingredients.”

“We value Jland’s outstanding approach to innovation and look forward to helping our customers develop the science-based, sophisticated beauty solutions that consumers worldwide are looking for,” says Yann d’Hervé, head of Evonik’s Care Solutions business line.

The chemicals company also says vegan collagen is of “particular interest” for formulators developing cosmeceuticals. Cosmetic products and bioactive ingredients that are effective in the deep layers of the skin “cater to the rising number of consumers following sophisticated skin regimens.”

Non-animal collagen demand
Jland Biotech develops and manufactures non-animal-derived collagen. It produces collagen for multiple cosmetic, medical and food applications. The cosmetic range of collagen is registered with the Vegan Society.

Collagen is a protein found in human and animal structural tissues such as bones, cartilage, skin and nails. Currently, most collagen is derived from animal tissue. 

Evonik highlights that non-animal collagen, produced from bacteria or yeast through a controlled fermentation-based process, is increasingly in demand. 

The company explains that vegan collagen is more accessible to formulate and better absorbed by the skin than animal-derived collagen. Fermentation-based collagen also has low immunogenicity and batch-to-batch variability and is highly reproducible.

Evonik’s Nutrition & Care division is home to the company’s biotechnology excellence center and uses fermentation technologies across various high-growth markets.

By Sabine Waldeck