Amyris Launches Plant-Derived Silica to Promote Clean Beauty
Aprinnova Inc, an Amyris Inc. joint venture focussed on high-performance clean beauty ingredients, is commercialising plant-derived silica made from sugarcane ashes.
Silica, used widely in personal care and cosmetics, is traditionally sourced from non-renewable sand dredging which requires significant energy consumption and emits large amounts of C02. The new ingredient branded ‘Biosilica™’ can be used in foundations, creams, lotions and other applications as a sustainable and better-performing alternative to traditional silica. In addition, it offers an alternative to microplastics which are being phased out of many cosmetic products.
This ingredient innovation has been led by Amyris, a synthetic biotechnology company in the Clean Health and Beauty markets and a top supplier of sustainable and natural ingredients, in partnership with the Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (UCP) in Porto/AICEP Consortium Project.
As of last year, Grand View Research, Inc. projected that the colour cosmetics market is expected to be valued at about $87 billion in retail value by 2025, with a CAGR of approximately 6% and according to an analysis of Mintel GNPD, over 10% of new colour cosmetic product launches over the last five years contained silica.
Biosilica™ is available for sampling in August with commercial-scale volumes expected to begin in 2021 and allows brands to participate in the circular economy based on the concept that materials and products are never wasted, but always reused or recycled. Cosmetic brands can get on the list to request samples online through Aprinnova.
In consumer perception studies, both pressed powders and liquid foundations made with Biosilica™ is said to have demonstrated great skin performance when compared with formulations using industry benchmark silica. The plant-derived silica c unique sphericity, high oil absorption, particle size and oil/water absorption ratio. These characteristics offer premium benefits such as elegant texture, sebum control, mattification, and anti-ageing effects without drying the skin.