The Solanium Complex and Sopex ingredients are due to be platformed at the forthcoming in-cosmetics Global event, held in London in April, and will highlight the specific advantages of saponins.
Saponins are compounds derived from plants and the research team at Bioprocol believe that they have tapped into native plant species that are particularly rich in this chemical.
All about the Saponins
“Saponins are chemical compounds found in particular abundance in various plant species. They are amphipathic glycosides, a term describing a chemical compound possessing both water-loving hydrophilic and fat-loving lipophilic properties,” said Paula Martens, technical manager at Bioprocol.
“This means that their structure is identical to the biological membrane, which allows a fluent communication with the skin cells.”
The upstart is that these saponins have shown very effective results in skin care formulations thanks to their soothing, anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties - particularly in sensitive skin, which has all been backed up by clinical trials.
As part of a lengthy quest, the research team derived the active properties for each of the ingredients from two different plant extracts.
The phyto-ingredient Solanum Complex is derived from the rare Solanum genus plant popularly known as “love apple”, while the phyto-ingredient Sopex comes from the Solanum genus plant popularly known as “wild lulo”.
Eco-friendly and efficacious
Cosmetics Design asked Martens about the specific advantages of the two ingredients that the company is about to launch. And besides, efficacy from low dosing and ease of formulation, it appears that the benefits go further.
“Using Solanum fruit extracts enables us to capture the youth-protecting properties of Andean super-fruits and transfer it to skincare products,” she said.
“In addition to the cosmetic attributes, the consumer also benefits from “green attributes” as the fruit is grown in harmony with agro-ecosystems, while also involving communities, fair trade and benefit sharing according to the multiyear access contract with Colombian government.”
In line with these credentials, Martens stressed that approved methods to propagate, harvest and process the crops, while also preserving water resources are all used in the sourcing of the plant extracts.
Ultimately the applications for these multifunctional ingredients are likely to be wide-reaching, but Solanum Complex is likely to be most successful for its anti-wrinkle action and reducing expression lines, while Sopex will be defined for its anti-aging properties and as a preservative. But the possibilities do not end there.
Using both ingredients together
The company is also recommending the use of both ingredients together in a formula, claiming it can exert a synergy to beautify the skin and naturally preserve the formula without undesirable side effects.
“Bioprocol has validated these two ingredients in a cosmetic product (IDONA – Bio Revitalizing Cream 4 in 1) that has shown its safety and anti-aging efficacy reducing expression lines and wrinkles of about 36%,” said Martens.
“This formula does not contain any paraben or other preservative ingredient besides Sopex, which is revolutionary in skin-care.”