DEVELOPING ECO-FRIENDLY INGREDIENTS THROUGH GREEN CHEMISTRY, BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND ADVANCED BOTANICAL EXTRACTION

The focus on sustainability in various industries has grown significantly in recent years. Companies are recognizing the value and responsibility of addressing sustainability across multiple aspects, from sourcing, manufacturing, and end of life considerations, not to mention social responsibility. It is important for suppliers to create sustainable solutions that will solve the sustainability challenges of their customers without sacrificing performance.

When it comes to sustainable solutions, it goes beyond simply focusing on naturality. Responsible sourcing of feedstocks, the use of eco-friendly processes in manufacturing, and reducing the environmental impact of ingredients - with lower footprint and biodegradability – are key factors.

In this article, we will explore three means of developing eco-friendly and renewable cosmetic active ingredients: Green Chemistry, biotechnology, and subcritical water extraction.

Green Chemistry

Green Chemistry principles have been guiding the development of eco-friendly processes for many years. These 12 principles provide a framework for designing and improving materials, products, and processes to minimize the impact that chemicals and their synthesis have on the environment and human health. By adhering to these guiding principles, new cosmetic active ingredients can be developed with more renewable content, fewer raw materials and reduced environmental impact. At Lubrizol, a focus on safety and sustainability means addressing Green Chemistry principles in various technologies such as polymer and peptide synthesis.

Solid Phase Peptide Chemistry, a technology recognized with a Nobel prize (1) (2), is widely used in industrial peptide manufacturing. This technology offers high efficiency of the process, allowing for the production of peptides with high purity without extensive purification needs. It operates at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, further enhancing its sustainability attributes. However, there is room for improvement in terms of the reagents used and waste generation. Efforts have been made at Lubrizol to develop less hazardous chemical synthesis processes with waste prevention and reduced derivatives.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology has been identified as a strategic technology for reducing the chemical industry’s dependence on fossil resources. While forecasts for the use of biotechnology in certain areas were not fully realized, the pharmaceutical industry has made significant advancements. Biotechnological medicines already account for a substantia percentage of the total, with over 50% of the top-selling products being biotechnological drugs (3).

Specific to the cosmetics industry, fermented ingredients represent over 20% of the total active ingredient market.

Lubrizol utilizes biotechnology to create molecules of interest for Beauty customers. The process involves exploring exclusive microorganisms from different geographical and ecological niches around the world, screening and unraveling their chemistries for beauty applications. Active compounds are isolated from these microorganisms, and manufacturing and production are carried out with stringent quality controls. The process utilizes renewable carbon and nitrogen sources, and no other raw materials apart from mineral salts are used.

Microorganism itself does not need to be harvested from nature for every production process. Once it has been isolated from water or soil samples, it can be kept and expanded in the laboratory without any further harvesting need. Also the impact on land is very minimal: With only ~10kg of sugar, we can produce 1MT of a readily biodegradable ingredient.

The clean process comprises fermentation to culture the microorganism and afterwards only physical operations are used to purify the active ingredient. Other than water, in most cases no solvents are used in the process. Furthermore, the microorganism used has not been genetically modified and is classified as non-pathogenic, adhering to the minimum biosafety level (BSL 1).

Finally, it is important to preserve the environment in the native region where the microorganisms grow. Lubrizol is acting by sponsoring local NGOs to ensure return to nature for the microorganism we use.

Subcritical Water Extraction

Botanicals actives can be obtained via different conventional extraction techniques using a variety of solvents including water. The range of phytoactives extracted are linked to the solvent type used. Subcritical water extraction is an eco-friendly technology for botanical extraction offered by Lubrizol. This process manipulates water temperature and pressure in such a way that the water transforms itself and modifies its own characteristics.

It is a sustainable alternative to conventional and chemical solvents, offering a short extraction time, no thermal degradation, and a broader recovery range of phytoactives (polar and apolar) in higher concentrations from plants. In an internal study conducted in 2022 on green tea, subcritical water extraction demonstrated several sustainability benefits, including the elimination of chemical solvents, 26% less feedstock required, 7 times shorter extraction time, 27% energy savings, 64% water savings, and 100% compostable biomass post-extraction.

In summary, sustainability in the industry extends beyond product naturality and biodegradability. Sourcing of feedstocks and the manufacturing process play crucial roles in minimizing environmental impact.

The industry pays attention on how the products are made to ensure the process has minimum impact on the environment. Addressing the principles of Green Chemistry, especially for synthetic products, utilizing clean manufacturing technologies such as biotechnology and subcritical water extraction, and priotizing resourcing sourcing are all key factors in achieving sustainable solutions.