"With our test, Innov&Sea is helping to transform the quality and sustainability of solar products and make our partners' business more sustainable."says Pauline Cotinat, president and co-founder of Innov&Sea, who holds a doctorate in marine biology from the Université Côte d'Azur.
Founded in 2023 in Nice as a spin-off from the Institut de recherche sur le cancer et le vieillissement (Ircan), the young company Innov&Sea offers brands and manufacturers the opportunity to assess the impact of their suncare products or raw materials on the marine environment, thanks to an innovative marine ecotoxicity test. "We help companies optimize their product formulations by reducing or eliminating the use of certain controversial ingredients, in order to bring to market products that are as harmless as possible for marine ecosystems".explains Pauline Cotinat.
The test is based on in vitro from academic research based on sea anemone cell culture Anemonia viridisa marine invertebrate that is a recognized indicator of coastal marine ecosystems. "This marine organism, a close relative of corals, lives in symbiosis with a microalga and undergoes the same bleaching phenomenon as reef-building corals, making it a relevant model for assessing the state of health of the marine reef ecosystem".says Pauline Cotinat.
An eco-responsible alternative to animal testing
Innov&Sea's test can be carried out at every stage of formulation, from the selection of cosmetic ingredients to the intermediate stages and finished products. It represents an alternative to animal testing, even on farmed animals, and contributes to the protection of marine biodiversity.
According to its developers, the technology also offers greater repeatability, reliability and accuracy than traditional tests. in vivo The test is fast, with results available in less than twenty days. What's more, the test is fast, with results available in less than 20 days, and can be carried out all year round.
Towards more sustainable practices
Innov&Sea reports that the test - adopted by several major brands seeking to position themselves in the eco-responsible products market, as well as by producers of cosmetic ingredients - has proved its effectiveness on a wide range of suncare products and on all types of galenic formulations, revealing impacts ranging from slight to irreversible.
Innov&Sea is supported by CNRS Innovation, Bpifrance and the Provence Côte d'Azur incubator.
