The agreement is the next step in the working co-operation between the two companies, which to date has included a year long collaboration in which Solazyme’s renewable algae oils were tested in a range of Unilever products.
Algae has been used in a broad range of personal care products for many years, but is increasingly being included in formulations on the back of growing interest in natural- and organic-based formulations.
Traditionally algae has been used as thickening agents, water-binding agents and antioxidants – the latter having characteristics that make it a very useful ingredient in a range of anti-aging formulations.
Algal oil has lots of benefits for cosmetics
“Algal oil provides important benefits in personal care applications,” said Jonathan Wolfson, CEO of Solazyme.
Wolfson went on to explain that the oils have been developed to meet growing requirements by personal care companies to provide products that are sustainable, as well as being naturally derived.
As well as increasing its use of natural-based ingredients, Unilever has been a particularly staunch supporter of sourcing sustainable ingredients.
In particular it has led the way in the sourcing of sustainable palm oil for food and personal care products, an initiative that has been spearheaded by CEO Paul Polman.
Unilever leads the way in sustainable oils
He co-founded the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) back in 2004, in association with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), aimed at persuading industries to switch to the sustainable sourcing of palm oil.
The partnership that Unilever has established with Solazyme is part of its commitment to explore alternative sources of renewable oil for use in its products, and in this specific case for personal care.
“Exploring sources of alternative natural oils is one of the most important aspects of our greater sustainable sourcing strategy and working with Solazyme’s algal oils is an excellent fit,” said Peter Gallagher, VP of Unilever Global Skin R&D.
Unilever outlines plans to reduce environmental impact
Paul Polman recently revealed ambitious plans to expand the business while reducing the company’s environmental impact.
He detailed his plans for the business in a speech he gave at the Economist’s Sustainability Summit, which was held in London at the end of February.
He also said that the key to Unilever achieving its objectives would be persuading consumers to switch to a more sustainable lifestyle through the product purchases they make.