The scalp is exposed to daily aggressions, particularly from the exposome. This can influence hair health. In fact, in China, over 90 % of hair product users believe that scalp care can improve the health of their hair*. 

Seppic therefore decided to re-explore the potential of Alariane CV (Inci: Aqua/Water - Butylene Glycol - Alaria Esculenta extract) to offer a dual effect on the scalp: protection of hair follicle cells and scalp lipids against the exposome.

Alariane CV is an extract of Alaria esculentaa food traditionally consumed along the coasts of the far north Atlantic Ocean, for its excellent health properties and its binding/detoxifying effect against heavy metals, also known as "Irish wakame". 

Tests were carried out during exposure to cadmium, a heavy metal present in global pollution from cigarette smoke or phosphate fertilizers, for example.

In contact with cadmium, the scalp is weakened and subjected to inflammation, so hair follicles are no longer able to produce healthy hair.

Seppic points out that the use of Alariane CV has demonstrated, through protocols in vitroA significant 2 7% reduction in hair follicle inflammation compared to an untreated follicle, after Cadmium stress.

Microscopic observations of cells in the presence of Alariane CV showed an increase in their number and an improvement in their morphology, similar to cells not exposed to Cadmium.

Seppic claims that Alariane CV has a protective action on the hair follicle against Cadmium-induced inflammation, and helps preserve scalp function and maintain healthy hair. According to the company in vitro have also shown protection against lipid peroxidation after UVB stress.

<sub>Sources :
* Mintel
** Bailey, Susan E., Trudy J. Olin, R.mark Bricka, and D.dean Adrian. "A Review of Potentially Low-cost Sorbents for Heavy Metals." Water Research 33.11 (1999)</sub>

The search for effective, sustainable ingredients remains constant in a rapidly evolving cosmetics industry. Startup Gaia Tech uses food by-products to create high-performance ingredients that meet the industry's need to respond to growing consumer and regulatory pressure for sustainability.

Peels, pulp, pomace, pits, shells, hulls, skins, seeds and other food by-products are often a burden for producers and must be disposed of at some cost. Gaia Tech founder Claudio Reinhard has seen first-hand how large quantities of olive oil production residues create environmental problems in Spain. 

Back at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, he developed a process for extracting high-quality antioxidants from olive pomace. 

The innovative treatment begins by separating the solid and liquid components of the olive pomace. The liquid part then passes through a material specially designed to absorb the antioxidants. The absorber is made from a fully biodegradable material and can be used several times before being applied as an agricultural fertilizer at the end of its life cycle. In the final stage, the antioxidant extract is purified for incorporation into industrial products.

The demand for natural antioxidants is strong in industry. The startup's first product, an antioxidant olive extract, is currently being tested by leading industrial partners for a variety of applications, from anti-aging cosmetics to natural food preservation. One cosmetics industry researcher claims that Gaia Tech has "the best antioxidant technology they've tested to date". Analytical trials have been launched in the cosmetics sector, and a dossier has been submitted to Efsa (European Food Safety Authority) for use in food.

Following a successful spin-off from ETH Zurich, Gaia Tech has closed a first round of financing and secured support from the Migros Pioneer Fund, Innosuisse, the Berne Economic Development Agency and the University of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL). The company aims to expand its product range and apply its technology to other types of agri-food by-products, to help the industry fully replace synthetic and fossil ingredients. 

Specializing in plant-based ingredients and proteins, French company Roquette Beauté presented its new ingredient, Beauté by Roquette ST 320 (Inci Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate), at the Cosmet'Agora trade show held in Paris on January 16 and 17, 2024.

Made from non-GMO corn¹Vegan-friendly and biodegradable, this new ingredient is a versatile thickener and stabilizer designed for gels and emulsions. Easy to use, it offers great flexibility in the formulation of stable cosmetics in a multitude of applications and viscosity ranges. The aim: to meet consumer demand for naturally-sourced cosmetics that combine efficacy with a pleasant sensory experience.

Roquette Beauté states that various tests have been carried out to demonstrate the benefits of Beauté by Roquette ST 320 :

• Easy to disperse in hot or cold water
• Strong increase in viscosity after baking
• Very stable over time in emulsions and gels
• Stabilizing effect in emulsions (reduction in droplet size)
• Synergistic thickening effect with emulsifiers and cationic agents
• Easy adjustment of viscosity by adjusting concentration

Efficiency and sensoriality

According to Roquette Beauté, Beauté by Roquette ST 320 also acts as a "sensory enhancer bringing comforting, cocooning textures to cosmetic formulations."

This is particularly true as the holistic beauty trend continues to gain ground in the beauty and personal care market, with consumers increasingly aware of the impact of their beauty routines on their overall well-being.

"The addition of this product to our range perfectly illustrates our desire to bring the cosmetics industry plant-derived solutions that meet consumer expectations for safer products, with the right balance between nature and technology, nothing more and nothing less. We focus on the development of high-quality, versatile and sustainable plant-derived ingredients, and develop multifunctional solutions combining high performance and sensoriality."explains Bénédicte Courel, General Manager of Roquette Beauté.

_{1. Complies with EU GMO regulations 1829/2003 and 1830/2003}