Faced with environmental and societal challenges, the world of cosmetics is turning a corner, with more and more players reviewing their practices to adopt more sustainable, transparent and fairer approaches. From June 11 to 13, Saint-Malo's Palais du Grand Large was the venue for Cosm'ing 2025, a must-attend event for over 25 years for experts in biotechnology-based cosmetic ingredients. Organized by Biotech Santé Bretagne, the event brought together professionals to share their latest advances. Their aim was to show how the synergy between nature, science and technological innovation can support the sector's transition to a more responsible future.
Ethics, the compass of progress in cosmetics?
The word "ethics" is increasingly becoming a pillar of cosmetics discourse. This is what Michèle Barbier, a researcher at the Inria Centre at the Université Côte d'Azur, emphasized at the start of her talk. In her view, adopting an ethical approach means above all taking a long-term view, where technological and scientific advances must benefit both society and the environment. This means meeting major challenges: preserving biodiversity, limiting the depletion of natural resources, and above all, striking a balance between innovation, preservation of the planet and society. In a field such as biotechnology, which is largely based on the exploitation of living organisms, sensitive questions arise: what place should be given to GMOs? What limits should be set to new genome-editing techniques? The same is true of emerging digital tools such as artificial intelligence and digital twins... What social acceptability should be given to all these new technologies?
Towards the optimization of bioproduction in cosmetics
Cosm'ing 2025 showcased the very latest innovations in the bioproduction of cosmetic ingredients, thanks in particular to the many micro-organisms that have become cellular factories promoting the diversity of metabolic pathways. These include Saccharomyces cerevisiae Givaudan for the production of low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, and Lantana Bio for the production of anthocyanins. Mibelle Biochemistry has developed the biotechnological production of moss biomass, called mossCellTec. Last but not least, Roelmi HPC France's SeidoTech Lux process uses a strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum to produce a bioactive complex rich in polyphenols, polysaccharides, proteins and fibers.
New concepts are also emerging, such as Codif International's SKin-Biotech, in which the skin microbiota acts as a micro-factory for active ingredients via fermentation. Lallemand is demonstrating that marine bacteria and some present on human skin, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, can coexist and interact to protect and regenerate the skin. Seppic relies on a bank of rare macroalgae, cultivated sustainably to enrich cosmetic formulations. Finally, STH Biotech exploits the hair roots of hemp, promising for their protective metabolites, particularly in anti-aging.
Plants and microbiota: holobionts at the heart of bio-inspired innovation
The holobiont approach places the plant in a dynamic, co-evolving ecosystem. Today, it is the inspiration for numerous innovations in plant biotechnology. Such is the case at Bioeurope, which has drawn inspiration from the fungus Pseudozyma flocculosa to develop a glycolipid active against Staphylococcus aureus, targeting sensitive skin. At Croda, they use a polysaccharide derived from coral microbiota, plexaurane, to protect skin against pollution. Last but not least, Greentech uses the fermentation of Gentiana lutea to regenerate the cutaneous holobionte of mature skin.
Exosomes attack beauty
Today, exosomes are at the heart of advanced dermocosmetic research. Naturally produced by cells to communicate with each other, these tiny extracellular vesicles are attracting growing interest for their ability to transport active molecules (proteins, RNA, lipids) directly to skin cells. Used as vectors for targeted ingredients, they promote skin regeneration, stimulate collagen production and enhance tissue repair. For example, Capacités is exploring the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from Chlorella, a promising freshwater microalga. EVerZom offers an innovative industrial platform dedicated to the production, engineering and characterization of exosomes, via a CDMO service (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization). Finally, Vytrus Biotech has developed a pioneering strategy for isolating and characterizing exosomes from cell cultures of Centella asiatica and Curcuma longarich in peptides, with proven effects on skin and hair, through tests in vitro and clinical trials.
The new keys to scientific investigation
Analysis techniques are evolving thanks to the convergence of "omics" approaches (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics...) and bioinformatics tools. At the Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique d'Orléans, researchers are highlighting the growing interest of molecular networks to more rapidly identify bioactive compounds in complex mixtures. Phytox, in collaboration with the Rocher group, carries out guided fractionation of diatoms Cylindrotheca fusiformis and adopts the molecular network approach to reveal bioactive clusters. In addition, new tools such as the ExAdEx 3D tissue model or BioHive skin organoids offer advanced platforms for testing the efficacy, safety and repositioning of cosmetic actives in a more personalized approach.
What about artificial intelligence in cosmetics?
Although ethical issues are emerging, notably concerning the management of personal data and the transparency of algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) is also profoundly transforming the cosmetics sector. In R&D, AI accelerates the discovery of active ingredients, optimizes formulations and predicts product efficacy. It also plays a key role in personalized skin diagnostics via mobile applications or connected tools, and in production, it improves manufacturing processes and traceability. It also helps reduce animal testing by simulating biological responses using predictive models. Artificial intelligence is thus becoming a major driver of innovation in cosmetics. As part of the European CYPher project, the Biomolecules Center at Ghent University is proposing a standardized production platform for terpenes and flavonoids, combining AI and synthetic biology. Other initiatives reinforce this trend towards using AI for greater performance. For example, MorphGen uses generative AI to design new copolymers, MeNow identifies bacterial bioactives via a structure-activity modeling platform, and Elysia Bioscience accelerates proteomic data processing with its ElyOm software. Finally, Cargill Beauty is exploring intelligent polymer mapping to develop more natural alternatives to petro-based polymers. AI thus paves the way for eco-designed, personalized and high-performance ingredients.
All the topics discussed at this symposium point to new promises of results in the more or less long term, which will certainly be highlighted at the next edition of Cosm'ing 2025, scheduled for June 30 to July 2, 2027!
| Étonnants découvreurs" competition: science in stand-up mode!Developed in partnership with the GDR Cosm'actifs, this competition is aimed at doctoral students, whose mission is to present their thesis work in an original way, in 180 seconds. The 2025 prize was awarded to Morag Davidson, who completed her thesis in the LABCiS laboratory at the University of Limoges, on the eco-extraction of bioactive compounds from red fruit pomace. The aim is to develop an innovative extraction process based on the principles of green chemistry. In a single step, using a combination of enzymes, water and ultrasound, it produces bioactive compounds that reveal, via tests in vitroThese antioxidant and prebiotic properties are of great interest for cosmetic skincare products. |
Delphine Pirot-Ayesse
Research and Market Watch Manager - Biotech Santé Bretagne
