Strong consumer demand has cosmetic companies seeking biotech solutions backed by science

13 Aug 2024 --- As sustainability becomes the new normal in the personal care industry, more companies look past marketing to focus on scientific biotech solutions that cater to growing consumer demand.

Personal Care Insights speaks to Dr. Jelena Šuran, CEO at Apiotix Technologies and Joshua Britton, the founder and CEO at Debut, as they champion solutions in the biotechnology space for cosmetic applications.

“Personal care brands increasingly seek novel biotech ingredients that deliver the ultimate competitive edge beyond merely bio-alternatives. We believe the current set of active ingredients will become obsolete and entirely new ingredients that we have only dreamt about will become mainstream,” Britton tells us.

Biotechnology trends
Šuran names social media and personalization key trends in biotech solutions for the personal care industry, with AI technologies enabling tailored skin care solutions for individual needs.

“There is a growing trend for products with scientific backing to ensure safety and efficacy, which we fully support. While strong marketing will be important, it won’t be enough — scientific validation will be essential to meet consumer expectations.”

Debut believes “the winning beauty and personal care brands will be those that deliver next-generation biotech products with superior performance and new sensorial experiences.”

Joshua Britton, founder and CEO of Debut. “The derm-focused trend we are seeing in skin care extends to personal care as consumers seek specialized, high-performing products underpinned by sustainability. Caring for one’s skin does not stop at the neck. It’s about understanding body care on a deeper level and incorporating products and tools that deliver truly personalized care,” explains Britton.

“At Debut, we have known for quite some time that beauty and personal care brands have been wanting to harness biotech, but they didn’t have the expertise, proprietary ingredients and ability to invest in the technology.”

Cultivating solutions
Debut recently launched BiotechXBeautyLabs, a formulation development and contract manufacturing business that creates “high-performing, sustainable” biotech products through custom formulation and private labels.

“With this new business division, we have made biotech innovation accessible to all beauty brands globally, making it possible for them to develop cutting-edge, high-performance, 95% bio-based formulations minus the heavy upfront investment associated with biotech R&D,” says Britton.

The company works with the molecular level of the skin, studying gene pathways and proteins and how they are affected by novel ingredients. Its scientists test 30,000 genes per molecule, examine “every effect” that compounds have on the cell and activate new pathways using AI.

“When brands work with us, they gain access to our IP portfolio consisting of more than 7,000 proprietary ingredients. Leveraging our proprietary in-house consumer insights and data, we optimize our novel ingredients to address emerging consumer needs and trends, enabling brands to grow with full transparency, personalization and performance,” Britton continues.

He explains that the company specializes in topical skin care but also works across various categories and addresses areas including inflammaging, epidermal barrier repair, skin brightening and anti-aging.

BiotechXBeautyLabs is described as the “first” biotech, end-to-end contract manufacturer.

“We deliver better clinical effects and claims than existing cosmetic ingredients, without any investment into the science by the brands themselves.”

“When we screen for new molecules, we test across a huge range of skin types and geographies, and we innovate our proprietary molecules using these findings. We then rank new ingredients compared to existing market ingredients and ensure that ours achieve unequivocally superior results,” Britton emphasizes.

Plant-based anti-aging
Apiotix Technologies developed Apinol360, a plant-based retinol alternative crafted from propolis. The patented biotechnology extraction process isolates potent compounds, including p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, caffeic acid and CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), which originate from tree buds.Dr. Jelena Šuran, CEO of Apiotix Technologies.

“This innovation provides the benefits of retinol without irritation, supported by in-vitro, in-vivo, and clinical trials,” says Šuran.

“Apinol360 offers antioxidative, anti-aging, and antimicrobial benefits. Looking ahead, we aim to expand this technology into a full brand, further enhancing ingredient potency and sustainability through biotech advancements.”

Apinol360 is touted as a gentle and suitable for all skin types, unlike traditional retinol.

The company’s recent partnership with NextGen Actives brought the solution to the North American market.

Phasing out pesticides and toxic solvents
Debut says its ingredients and formulations are 95% bio-based and not cultivated or derived from petroleum.

“There is no need for pesticides or toxic solvents in advanced biomanufacturing processes. Our entire manufacturing is conducted in a tightly controlled facility where safety, purity, consistency, reproducibility and quality are hardwired in all that we do,” conveys Britton.

He points to the increasing cosmetic ingredient bans in the EU — most recently retinol — and sees BiotechXBeautyLabs providing a safe, sustainable and science-forward approach to novel ingredient and formulation creation.

“We’re seeing a significant shift toward natural and sustainable products. Consumers increasingly prioritize eco-friendly brands and are willing to pay more for products labeled as ‘clean’ and ‘natural,’” adds Šuran.

By Sabine Waldeck

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