Supplier’s Day 2024 preview: Pearlescent pigments, fermented mushrooms and ginseng peptides in beauty innovation

25 Apr 2024 --- The forthcoming New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists Suppliers Day 2024 will spotlight new beauty formulation advances in pigment innovation, including pearlescent mica-based effect pigments and orange-red natural colorants derived from algae and fermented mushrooms.

Among novel advances in peptides, one supplier will showcase “Activated Silk” peptides to boost the skin barrier and promote homeostasis in the dermis. Another will explore how cyclic peptides extracted from prince ginseng can activate the same benefits offered by retinol while being “naturally gentle.”

Personal Care Insights previews upcoming ingredient formulation advances from Evolved by Nature, Sun Chemical and Clariant ahead of the event held in New York City, US (May 1 to 2).

Activated Silk peptides for skin renewal
Biotech company Evolved by Nature, specializing in peptide chemistry, will be debuting two bioactive ingredients. Its showcased ingredients, Activated Silk 33B and Activated Silk 27P will be showcased by Barentz, the biotech company’s North American distribution partner.

The ingredients are the first two peptides to be launched in Evolved By Nature’s Activated Silk platform, designed to promote “three core tenets” of skin health — “homeostasis, regeneration and renewal.”

Activated Silk 33B is a barrier-boosting bioactive designed to advance the appearance of healthy skin by supporting the natural production of claudin, a protein that binds a healthy skin barrier together. 

It is clinically proven to result in healthy, younger-looking skin, reduce transepidermal water loss, and result in a reduction in the appearance of redness, irritation and other signs of a compromised skin barrier — even with symptoms associated with eczema-prone skin, highlights the manufacturer. 

The ingredient is designed to work in formulas including water-based, low-viscosity and high sheer products, where other barrier ingredients such as ceramides and petrolatum cannot be incorporated. Because it remains on skin after rinsing, it can be effectively delivered in rinse-off products such as soaps and cleansers, notes its producer.

Sun Chemical will feature three pigments with distinct two-tone effects from its Intenza Hana line (Image credit: Sun Chemical).Bioactive collagen booster
Meanwhile, Evolved by Nature’s Activated Silk 27P is a bioactive supporting natural collagen production, unlocking “unique and powerful efficacies” for anti-aging formulas. 

Unlike commonly used ingredients like retinol that primarily stabilize existing collagen, Activated Silk 27P claims to actively support the natural production of collagen Type I, the most prevalent form of collagen in the skin, to facilitate a more robust collagen matrix.

“This has been clinically proven to dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, visibly improve skin elasticity, as well as reduce the appearance of redness,” highlights Evolved by Nature. 

“It has been benchmarked against TGF-β, the gold standard for collagen production for scientific collagen studies. Activated Silk 27P also has clear advantages over harsh ingredients commonly used to address aging given that it is non-irritating to skin, even when combined with UV exposure.”

It also has “superior stability” compared to commonly used ingredients such as vitamin C, claims Evolved by Nature.

“With the launch of Activated Silk 33B and Activated Silk 27P, we’re proving that nature and biotechnology can work hand in hand to create the next generation of foundational skin care active,” says Germano Coelho, Evolved By Nature’s vice president, commercial.

“It’s a very exciting time, and NYSCC is the perfect venue for our partner, Barentz, to bring these ingredients to brands looking toward the future.”

Shimmering effect pigments
Sun Chemical will present a range of innovative effect pigments, natural colorants, and ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industries at New York Suppliers’ Day under the theme of “Beauty is colorful. We are the color experts.”

Sun Chemical will feature three shades with “distinct two-tone effects” of its recently launched Intenza Hana line, a new generation of Intenza pigments based on patented technology.

These “unique absorption” effects of the pigments combine the intensity of FDA-certified colors with the pearlescence of natural mica-based effect pigments.

The saturated colors and shimmering effects of Intenza Hana allow formulators to simplify their manufacturing processes by adding bold colors and lustrous effects to finished products in easy-to-use pre-dispersed pigments, highlights Sun Chemical.

Intenza Hana effect pigments provide formulation benefits, such as enhanced bleed resistance and minimized skin staining, compared to traditional blends of organic colorants and effect pigments, claims the manufacturer.

“Sun Chemical continues to innovate and provide colorful and sustainable solutions to the beauty industry by building on the broadest, most comprehensive color portfolio,” comments Ed Webb, global director of cosmetics at Sun Chemical.

“Our expertise in pigment chemistry, combined with our customers’ formulation prowess, makes for endless colorful possibilities.”

Sun Chemical will spotlight its orange-red natural colorants derived from algae and fermented mushrooms (Image credit: Sun Chemical).Extracting pigments from mushrooms and algae
As the beauty industry’s demands for natural colors and products increase, Sun Chemical has extended its product offering to provide more natural ingredients for its customers. Sun Chemical will showcase its new SunPURO Natural Carotenes and Sacranex products.

SunPURO Natural Carotene O N70-2317 and SunPURO Natural Carotene BTO N70-2527 are both globally approved, orange-red natural colorants derived from algae and fermented mushrooms.

Sacranex, an active skin care ingredient, is the first Suizenji Nori extract to be cultivated indoors on a large scale. Sacranex offers skin care benefits ranging from moisturization and pollution defense to reducing the appearance of redness, fine lines and wrinkles.

Sun Chemical’s booth will also highlight the wide range of color travel pigments in its cosmetics portfolio to inspire formulators with “transformative,” color-changing pigments. 

Formulations will feature key effect pigments that highlight Sun Chemical’s patented innovations and technical expertise to maximize color travel effects across a variety of applications. Digital color blends will also be on display to inspire new product development for beauty innovation.

Exploring benefits of cyclic peptides
Clariant will be presenting its CycloRetin natural skin care active at NYSCC, which also recently debuted at In-cosmetics Global in Paris, France. Found in prince ginseng, CycloRetin activates the benefits offered by retinol while being naturally gentle.

CycloRetin’s heterophyllin B molecule is a “groundbreaking” cyclic peptide that enhances skin matrix production, improving collagen and reducing signs of aging, highlights Clariant.

With efficacy “comparable to retinol and bakuchiol,” CycloRetin supports youthful skin without compromise. It is soluble in water and with minimal concentrations needed, making it eco-friendly, highlights its manufacturer.

At In-cosmetics Global, Clariant showcased CycloRetin in two skin care formulations — Firming Mask and Mask Mist.

“While exploring the benefits of cyclic peptides in our lab, we discovered prince ginseng’s outstanding potential to restart the skin matrix production cycle. Highly effective even at low concentrations, peptides play a crucial role in supporting youthful skin appearance,” explains Julie Droux, global technical marketing manager for Actives and Natural Origins at Clariant.

By Benjamin Ferrer