From Scents to Sports: Biotech is Improving Personal Care

Despite rising awareness, the beauty and personal care industry still leans heavily on unsustainable ingredients. 🌍 Over 70% of cosmetic products contain palm oil, and the industry generates 120+ billion units of plastic annually, most of which isn’t recyclable. Meanwhile, emissions from beauty product supply chains continue to burden the environment.

But a new generation of biotech-powered, plant-based, and circular alternatives is making its way into homes, clinics, and even sports arenas. From fermented fats to algae-enhanced skincare, these innovators are rewriting the rules of what goes into — and onto — our bodies.

Let’s explore what’s bubbling up in this month’s lineup:

💼 Business & Product Innovation

🧴 REVÓLEO: Fermenting Agricultural Waste for Alternative Oils

Soon after achieving industrial-scale production for its solutions, the Dutch biotech NOPALM Ingredients launched REVÓLEO, a line of fermentation-based fats and oils catering to the food and beauty industry.

The fermentation process involves agricultural sidestreams, resulting in 99% less land use and 90% fewer emissions than conventional palm oil, according to the company. Their first product REVÓlEO Soft is GMO-free and can replace 100% of traditional fats like margarine or butter — with internet fans already baking up a storm.

🥽 LignoFog: A Clear Win for Sportswear

From Finland, Boreal Bioproducts has developed LignoFog, a 100% biobased anti-fog solution for swimming goggles and dive masks.

Made from forestry waste, it's the first consumer-grade application where lignin is the active ingredient, and will be available in limited quantity across selected sports and swimwear stores.

🧺 Bloop’s Super Bloom: Low-Tox Laundry That Smells Like a Meadow

Super Bloom Natural Laundry Soap is made from plant-based surfactants and packaged in recyclable cardboard. It skips the synthetic additives found in most detergents and still leaves a floral-fruity finish on your clothes — without the overburdening mark on the planet.

🛏️ Antipodean Home: Bedding That Heals the Soil and Your Sleep

New Zealand–sourced ZQ-certified Merino wool is the magic behind this regenerative bedding brand. With materials sourced from 3.7 million acres of ZQRX-indexed farms, Antipodean Home's materials are traceable, moisture-wicking, and linked to a 25% improvement in sleep quality.

🌺 SensiCraft Scents: From Waste to Fragrance

ChainCraft (Netherlands) and Eternis Fine Chemicals (India) are teaming up to explore and develop food waste (like potato leftovers) into high-value aroma chemicals for commerce.

The ChainCraft's SensiCraft line provides biotech-based fatty acids that could replace palm- and fossil-derived ingredients in perfumes and personal care.

🧪 Scaling Algae to Reduce CO₂

Swedish Algae Factory is scaling its Algica ingredient — derived from diatom silica shells — now used in over 60 skincare products globally. These algae are now grown and processed in the company's brand new facility using recycled nutrients and CO₂.

🔎Research

🩸 Biodegradable Pads, Made in Kenya

At MMUST (Kenya), a team led by Ms. Teresia Nyandoro has developed innovative biodegradable sanitary pads using sugarcane bagasse.

While the team is dialoging with collaborators interested in scaling production, a pilot facility is underway to produce 140 pads per minute — to meet menstrual hygiene needs sustainably and affordably.

📈Industry

🧼 What Will Drive Personal Care Formulations in 2025?

As consumers lean towards safe and effective cosmetics, we can expect a rise in natural and climate-positive solutions, as well as responsibly sourced materials and green chemistry. This marks a shift where sustainability is no longer a luxury but an expectation.

Stephenson Group, a leader in personal care formulas, anticipates this new era in personal care as a return to simplicity driven by sustainability, safety and inclusivity.

🍶 Personal Care Packaging to Hit $71B by 2035

The global personal care packaging market is projected to soar past $71.1 billion by 2035. The growth is powered by consumer demand for solutions that tackle environmental problems without losing aesthetic appeal.

As part of the demand for eco-friendly solutions, brands are exploring packaging alternatives like biodegradable plastics, corks and wood-based packaging.

These bio-based breakthroughs show us that cleaner ingredients and smarter processes are no longer niche — they’re becoming the standard. But innovation alone won’t fix a system rooted in overproduction, single-use habits, and extractive supply chains.

True circularity demands more than swapping ingredients — it requires rethinking how we produce, package, and consume. From design to disposal, each step needs to be regenerative, not just sustainable.

Until next time!

Nina Purton🌿