Kensing and AmphiStar upscale cosmetics biosurfactants with localized US production
Kensing has partnered with AmphiStar to upscale biosurfactants for cosmetics in North America. By targeting industrial-scale onshore US production by 2030, the partnership aims to provide localized access and reduce environmental impact while delivering novel, upcycled personal care solutions.
The products target formulators seeking mild and sustainable formulas for body lotions, creams, shampoos, body wash, and makeup removers.
AmphiStar’s biosurfactants are produced entirely from upcycled biowaste, such as cooking oil and waste sugars.
The partnership advances the development of modern designer molecules and marks Belgium-based AmphiStar’s debut in the North American personal care market.
“The partnership provides AmphiStar with unique access to Kensing’s fatty acid-rich by-products and side streams generated during the extraction of natural products from vegetable oils,” Denis Bendejacq, SVP of global research and innovation at Kensing, tells Personal Care Insights.
“This upcycling of waste into higher-value biosurfactants ensures a manufacturing process free of fossil feedstocks, like olefins, or resource-intensive crops, like palm, that are currently essential to manufacturing conventional surfactants.”
He explains that a pilot-scale production could start as early as 2027.
Industrial-scale production in the US is expected to ramp up by 2030.Cosmetic applications
AmphiStar’s high-purity biosurfactants can be used in various personal care products, including body lotions, creams, shampoos, body washes, and make-up removers.
“Biodegradable, extremely mild, and multifunctional, [the biosurfactants] are ideal for premium, indie brands whose consumers value sustainability, upcycling, and naturality,” says Bendejacq.
As an alternative to palm oil-based surfactant ingredients, AmphiStar’s technology delivers high environmental sustainability while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and resource-intensive crops.
“The platform has different aspects. The first is our synthetic biology technology, which enables us to produce many different molecules and tailor them precisely to different applications — varying properties such as levels of surface tension, solubility, antimicrobial activity, and mildness on the skin,” Sophie Roelants, co-founder of AmphiStar, tells Personal Care Insights.
“On the other hand, we have a platform of different biobased waste and side streams that can be used in the fermentation processes to produce our biosurfactants.”
“Having a variety of molecules offers solutions to the cosmetics industry because it is a major user of different types of surfactants in everything from hand cream to soap to makeup remover. Our biosurfactant platform lets us take molecules with properties we know and refine them as needed,” explains Roelants.
The partners will develop AmphiStar’s sustainable biosurfactant technologies.“Innovation platform”
The two companies will further develop AmphiStar’s library of over 80 sustainable biosurfactant platform technologies to expand the commercialization of personal care products.
“This partnership is more than a distribution agreement — it is a co-innovation platform. By combining AmphiStar’s breakthrough technology with Kensing’s industrial scale and market access, we’re setting a new standard for sustainable surfactants in personal care and household cleaning.”
Bendejacq says the partnership enables formulators to meet evolving consumer expectations for performance and sustainability.
We recently spoke with experts from Kensing about how the industry’s move toward biodegradable ingredients has the potential to meet rising ecological demands.
