During the last years, well-being has been at the forefront of daily concerns. Cosmetic consumers have started to understand that our body and skin are the reflection of our inner self and happiness. They are now looking for a connection that goes beyond physical appearance. That’s how people noticed that using a beauty care product can impact their sensations and emotions. They recognize that beauty care products go beyond physical criteria. Indeed emotional stress has a direct impact on both skin and mind, in particular by increasing the secretion of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone. It leads to an increase in nitric oxide, a stress marker, causing oxidative damage and inflammation. It also induces the release of a “stress hormone” cortisol which decreases happiness molecule(1,2) levels such as β-endorphins and oxytocins. Moreover, it can also damage nerve endings leading to unpleasant sensations ranging from skin discomfort to pain. These mechanisms are creating a state of sensitive skin (3).

Taking that notion into account, Seppic has been looking for a natural extract that can access holistic beauty.

The Seppic Research & Innovation team has developed a patented natural coriander seed oil (INCI: coriander seed oil) extracted from coriander sourced and eco-cultivated exclusively in the South of France. Coriander is an historically well-known plant for its medicinal virtues used for many purposes, such as therapeutic, culinary and rituals, whether it be with its leaves, blossoms or seeds. Moreover it positively impacts biodiversity as it is a melliferous plant. It needs low quantities of raw materials and maintenance while growing on harsh lands that could not be used for other cultivations.

From its seeds, a special production method without involving solvents has been applied in order to design the ingredient in the most environmentally-friendly way and to ensure its good skin tolerance. Thanks to its composition rich of petroselinic acid, an uncommon omega-12 showing anti-inflammatory (4) and soothing properties, and linoleic acid, a fatty acid with a crucial role in the structure and function of the stratum corneum (5), this coriander seed oil, aligned with the recent holistic beauty trend, has demonstrated a feel good soothing benefit and a proven action targeting the skin and the mind, for an ultimate well-being experience. To demonstrate its full implication on the mechanisms of emotional stress, a whole innovative well-being approach has been developed. It is composed of an innovative in vitro acupuncture-like evaluation, in vitro measurements of the production of happiness molecules by cutaneous cells and neuron extensions after cortisol stress and a sensory and emotional evaluation.

Studies of major depressive disorder have been correlated with reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and symptom severity has been correlated to changes in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodes. Gut microbiota that contain more butyrate producers have been correlated with improved quality of life (1).

A study in healthy women providing probiotic yogurt for four weeks showed an improvement in emotional responses as measured by brain scans (2). A subsequent study by Mohammadi et al. (3) investigated the impacts of probiotic yogurt and probiotic capsules over 6 weeks and found a significant improvement in depression-anxiety-stress scores in subjects taking the specific strains of probiotics contained in the yogurt or capsules. Other studies with probiotics have indicated improvements in depression scores, anxiety, postpartum depression and mood rating in an elderly population (4-7).

Other studies have indicated a benefit of probiotic supplementation in alleviating symptoms of stress. In particular, researchers have looked at stress in students as they prepared for exams, while also evaluating other health indicators such as flu and cold symptoms (1). In healthy people, there is an indication that probiotic supplementation may help to maintain memory function under conditions of acute stress.

The application area lends itself particularly well to the use of AI. Active today in this area is the US company Potion AI (6). The company provides AI-powered formulation tools for beauty and personal care R&D. Their offerings include Potion GPT, next generation ingredient and formula databases and AI document processing. Potion’s work could have a significant impact on the entire surfactant value chain, from raw material suppliers to end consumers. By using their GPT technology, they can help target work toward novel surfactant molecules that have optimal properties for specific applications. By using their ingredient and formula databases, they can access and analyze a vast amount of data on surfactant performance, safety, and sustainability. By using their AI document processing, they can extract and organize relevant information from patents, scientific papers, and regulatory documents. These capabilities could enable Potion AI's customers to design and optimize surfactant formulations that are more effective, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient. A particularly interesting application for this type of capability is deformulation.

Deformulation is the process of reverse engineering a product's formulation by identifying and quantifying its ingredients. Deformulation can be used for various purposes, such as quality control, competitive analysis, patent infringement, or product improvement. However, deformulation can be challenging, time-consuming, and costly, as it requires sophisticated analytical techniques, expert knowledge, and access to large databases of ingredients and formulas.

AI can potentially enhance and simplify the deformulation process by using data-driven methods to infer the composition and structure of a product from its properties and performance. For example, AI can use machine learning to learn the relationships between ingredients and their effects on the product's characteristics, such as color, texture, fragrance, stability, or efficacy. AI can also use natural language processing to extract and analyze information from various sources, such as labels, patents, literature, or online reviews, to identify the possible ingredients and their concentrations in a product.

Coriander seed oil acts on the impact of emotional stresses on skin and limits the damage it induces. Its action on sensitive skin was assessed with some in-vitro tests, in which it showed its ability to reduce emotional stress markers, to protect happiness molecules (such as oxytocin and β-endorphin) from emotional stress, and to decrease skin reactivity by protecting neuronal extensions. Moreover, the sensory and emotional evaluation carried out confirmed the performance of it. Furthermore, it can fit cosmetic concepts as a natural oil providing holistic wellness on both skin and mind. For instance, it can suit creams, face masks, and massage oils.

For a holistic approach, Seppic’s offer includes a nutraceutical ingredient with a soothing and calming action on sensitive and reactive skin. Hence, by combining the nutraceutical and cosmetic grades it is possible to achieve an efficient duo, for a soothing inside out routine, with the same INCI name.

Andréa Nigon holds an Engineer Degree delivered by the School of Industrial Biology as well as a degree in Marketing, Communication and Strategy from the Paris Executive Business School. Prior to joining Seppic, Andréa worked as a Product manager in e-commerce and for the Mustela brand, before joining Unipex where she spent three years as a Sales manager and then as a Marketing and communication officer for their Cosmetic division.

ANDRÉA NIGON

Beauty Care Markets & Digital Manager, Seppic