Lessonia, which is based in Brittany, Northern France, says that performance-driven research into new and natural ingredients has led to the development of its cranberry exfoliators and microzest products.
Cranberry is currently one of the emerging plants in the cosmetic world, meeting consumers demands for healthier and multi-functional ingredients in products. As an ingredient it has a distinctive pink hue and contains a number of naturally-derived active properties.
Sourced in Canada and Lappland, Sweden, the berries have potent anti-oxidising properties due to high quantities of polyphenols toctrienols - a natural source of vitamin E. Likewise the cranberry seeds consist of a balance of omega 3 and Omega 6 unsaturated fatty acids, which is said to allow the restoration of the skin's protective barrier.
"We are certainly one of the first companies to start supplying cranberry-derived cosmetic ingredients in Europe," Christophe Winckler, managing director of Lessonia, told CosmeticDesign.com "The product has been a leading food and drinks in North America for years and its reach has been extended into a host a cosmeceutical applications, an affect that is likely to be mirrored in Europe."
Lessonia, which was set up in 2002 and in 2004 had a €1.5 million turnover, has been working on bringing cranberry powders to the market for 18 months now, and is currenly one of several small companies that is starting to bring the product to the cosmetics market.
According to Winckler, the product is expected to have two main applications, the primary being for retail product and the other being for professional and spa use.
"We are currently in contact with a number of leading cosmetics producers and expect that take up on the ingredient will begin very soon," Winckler said.
Lessonia's cranberry range forms four products: three grades of cranberry exfoliator and a Microzest powder. The company has been manufacturering MicroZest seaweed algae as part of its mainstay product range for two years now, but the continuing success of this product line has encouraged the company to extend it into its other product lines, which include green tea, orange, ginger, red grape and cocoa shell.
"The Microzest product range is proving popular with cosmetics companies that are constantly looking out for new and innovative ingredients with active properties," said Winckler. "The process we have developed for this range allows for an extra smooth powders that is easily absorbed with other ingredient and in turn contributes to an extra smooth texture."
Lessonia's complete range of new Microzest and cranberry powders will be on show at the http://www.in-cosmetics.com/page.cfmIn-Cosmetics exhibition, held in Berlin 12-14 April.