Here Cosmetics Design looks at selection of ingredient makers making and selling consumer goods to help demonstrate the quality and marketability of their ingredients, be they biotech, plant-derived, or unique clays.
United States
In May of this year, Texas-based AlgEternal Technologies launched its AlgAllure skin care brand. The first four products from the brand comprise an anti-aging line called AlgaRiche. The hero ingredient is a proprietary red microalgae extract known as PhycoDerm.
“We are excited to be offering AlgAllure AlgaRiche,” David Ramjohn, CEO of AlgEternal Technologies, told the press at the time. “Research into the application of microalgae to heal the planet’s soil, reverse global warming, and clean contaminated waters, resulted in the rediscovery of an unparalleled anti-aging skincare ingredient,” he explained, adding that the company partnered with skin care pros to formulate the brand's cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and night cream.
Amyris is another US-based example of an ingredient maker leading a beauty brand. The specialty ingredient maker launched its Biossance skin care brand in 2015 and has been growing it retail footprint ever since. In February 2017 the brand landed in select Sephora locations and since this past summer Biossance is in every Sephora store that’s within JCPennys—over 650 doors. The brand is also available in Canada and Brazil.
And comments from the brand’s president Caroline Hadfield underline the company’s proof of concept strategy: “We continue to be encouraged by the momentum in our clean beauty business,” Hadfield, told the press in July. “Consumers across a variety of geographies continue to embrace Biossance’s Clean Beauty Commitment, which calls for only using a few simple and safe ingredients in products that achieve ‘best in class’ results and come in sustainable packaging. This” she said “is fostering broader market penetration and solid business performance for Biossance.”
Europe
The French natural ingredient maker Alban Muller has a collection of consumer products as well. The company makes ingredients by drying plant and extracting useful inputs. (Learn more in this video interview on Cosmetics Design.)
Now that ‘natural’ is such a flexible term in beauty and personal care, the company is showcasing its plant-based ingredients (as well as its turn-key manufacturing offering Ready to Beauty) with a small section of products: an anti-pollution day fluid made with prickly pear, an anti-aging night cream, a chocolate mousse face mask, and a body cream featuring horsetail.
“Alban Muller presents his first exclusive collection of four products with unseen and original formulas,” announces the company site. “The Collection will be sold directly from producer to consumer, through the brand e-commerce website,” says the page about the Alban Muller Collection, adding, “Plants are our stars!”
South America
Brazilian Kimberlite Clay is an ingredient company that has been in business only three years, but there’s already an in-house consumer brand too.
Kion Cosmetics has a rather comprehensive product portfolio, spanning skin care, hair care, body care, and men’s grooming. Kion products are sold not only in South America but also in Europe, Asia, the US, and the UAE.
In a recent interview with Cosmetics Design, Luciano Didier, the company’s international business development director explains, “When we realized that we needed to show the applicability of our clays in cosmetic product [formulations] we designed and launched KION.”
“Then,” he says, “our products just boomed in the market, so we decided to keep our own brand and go for the two verticals: raw ingredients and finished products with our clays.”
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.