One of the key reasons vegan cosmetics have been growing in popularity over the past several years is that consumers simply don’t want to harm animals in the formulation of beauty products. But if clean beauty means using ‘natural’ ingredients sourced from nature, is that truly sustainable? After all, pesticides are often used in farming, farmland is dedicated to growing skincare ingredients, and there must be a better way. This is where biotech companies are stepping in with innovative solutions.
Biotech companies can take beneficial, naturally occurring ingredients, such as those found in fruits, and replicate the natural process in a lab. This approach allows them to produce these ingredients sustainably without the environmental costs associated with traditional farming.
Another highly attractive feature of biotech is the ability to test for purity and prove results through extensive clinical testing, similar to pharmaceutical products. This assures consumers that the products they use have been rigorously tested and deliver real results.
All of this testing does, however, require significant funding. When major corporations like L’Oréal back biotech initiatives, it ensures that teams of scientists are employed and the necessary funding for testing, which can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, is available. In fact, one of the best-selling skincare products in the Chinese skincare market is L’Oréal’s SkinCeuticals. Beauty insider experts explain that Chinese consumers particularly appreciate products that have been tested and proven to work.
One of the most interesting skincare brands in the industry is Deinde, owned by the biotech firm Debut. With a team of scientists dedicated to discovering new ingredients, Deinde’s standout ingredient is Naringenin, often referred to as the new Niacinamide. Naringenin is a naturally occurring flavonoid found primarily in citrus peels, and it is known to help with inflammaging (a combination of inflammation and aging).
Deinde’s CEO, a scientist, excels at communicating the benefits of biotech and how it represents the future of normalizing vegan ingredients in skincare. The Breaking Beauty Podcast featured Deinde earlier this year in an insightful episode, where the CEO explains their patented technology and its impact on the beauty industry in easy-to-understand terms.
