L’Oréal Group has signed an agreement with Debut, a US-based biotechnology pioneer, to develop more than a dozen bio-identical ingredients to replace conventional ingredients currently used across L’Oréal’s global brands across the skin, hair, color cosmetics and fragrance categories.
The impacts of climate change, increasing demands on natural resources, and pressure from governments and consumers mean the beauty industry must find a way towards more sustainable sourcing.
A number of strategic acquisitions, partnerships and initiatives have firmly positioned the French multinational at the forefront of new scientific innovations across various beauty segments.
Cosmetic biotechnology based on “potency, purity and performance”
Debut, a vertically integrated biotechnology company, produces scientifically designed, biobased, and clinically proven products and brands at scale, claiming that its practices are “driven by potency, purity, and performance.”
The San Diego-based company said it is focused on facilitating the beauty industry’s transition from traditional ingredients derived from petroleum and cultivation to high-performing, yet potentially more sustainable, biotech ingredients.
The collaboration with Debut will complement L’Oréal’s global research and development efforts and position the company as a key partner in helping L’Oréal achieve its “L’Oréal for the Future” sustainability commitments.
Guieve Barouche, Global Managing Director, Extended Beauty and Open Innovation, L’Oréal Group, commented: “Through this exciting partnership and the adoption of groundbreaking technologies, we are well positioned to drive the development of more sustainable and effective products that meet consumer demands and meet our duty of care to the planet.”
Baruch said the long-term agreement with Debut is an example of the company’s commitment to an open innovation ecosystem and “building the future of beauty through collaboration with best-in-class partners.”
A new generation of bioactive ingredients for cosmetics
Joshua Britton, founder and CEO of Debut, said: “Green science, like Debut’s groundbreaking biotech process, creates a new generation of cosmetic bioactive ingredients and products that combine the goodness of nature with supply chain transparency, safety, purity, consistency, quality and science-backed data.”
He said producing bio-identical ingredients at scale will help “preserve global biodiversity and ensure responsible ingredient supply chains while continuing to prioritize quality and product performance.”
He added: “Debut is committed to using bio-based formulations in all its beauty products and has unparalleled capabilities in biotechnology, formulation and scaling to drive this transformation in beauty.”
“Our mission is to lead the biotechnology transition. We capture value across the supply chain, ensuring Debut’s bioidentical, novel ingredients and products meet the huge global market demand for next-generation sustainable beauty.”
What is the current state of cosmetic biotechnology?
Brands using biomimetic ingredients are currently a hot topic in the beauty industry, with many major companies investing in the sector.
For example, Unilever is a biomimetic Hair brand K18 and earlier L’Oreal, Unilever and Kao have invested in a venture led by biotech company Geno to develop more sustainable alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products.
L’Oreal’s Green Science division has previously said it would “replace conventional ingredients with bio-based alternatives,” and now that’s starting to happen.
Biomimicry itself is a form of biotechnology that creates ingredients and products that mimic natural biological processes and structures – for example, moisturizers that mimic the moisturizing abilities of certain plants or the regenerative properties of natural enzymes.
One of the main reasons why many cosmetics companies are embracing the biotechnology boom is the issue of sustainability and availability of natural ingredients, and the resulting loss of biodiversity both on land and in the ocean.
Innovation in beauty biotechnology ingredients
There is a lot of innovation happening not just in finished products but also in raw materials.
The Danish start-up says the natural, bio-manufactured cellulose-based feedstock has the potential to replace petrochemicals in a range of industrial applications, including cosmetics.
Meanwhile, French natural ingredients company Robert Group has partnered with Italian green biotech company Aeterra Biotec to develop a new ingredient, and will launch a new patented “rose” extract at the In-Cosmetics Global Show in Paris in April 2024.
Going forward, the two companies plan to collaborate in the field of biotech plant complexes, in what they term a “sustainable and visionary partnership” that combines Robertet Group’s expertise in natural ingredient sourcing with Aethera Biotech’s scientific innovation.
The two companies said they wanted to redefine industry standards for plant-derived active ingredients while promoting sustainable development and preserving biodiversity.
