Biopolymers enhance your beauty products’ sustainability but lack the performance that synthetic polymers provide. They are a natural alternative to synthetic polymers and contain a multitude of benefits if unlocked. Advanced biopolymer derivatives are enhanced biopolymers, where the biopolymers are modified to unlock the various health and environmental benefits that they provide.
Biopolymers and Beauty
Polymers impart several characteristics to the personal care and cosmetics products manufactured and used every day – thickness, solubility, emulsification, preservation, conditioning, or exfoliation properties, among others.
Traditionally, synthetic polymers have constituted these properties in your products. With the rising awareness about the health and environmental problems that synthetic polymers can cause, consumers are demanding the use of more natural, perhaps vegan ingredients that can be used to replace synthetic ones.
With trends like ‘skinimalism’ and multifunctional ingredients taking over, it’s necessary that brands not be left behind and take steps to make sure they stay relevant. Advanced biopolymers, such as Greenitio’s, help brands stay on these trends and provide several other benefits.
Biopolymers and Brands
Even when brands have recognized the challenges of sustainability and climate change, and noticed an increased awareness in consumers’ demands, it has usually been difficult for them to switch to completely sustainable ingredients due to a lack of high-performing sustainable alternatives.
Initially, biopolymers in their primary form were the only alternative to synthetic polymers. While different biopolymers boast different excellent properties and bioactivities, brands faced issues when integrating them into their products as they would lack performance.
With the sudden change in consumer demands and regulations post-2020, brands have had to accelerate their plans to transition to natural ingredients and stay compliant. Almost 24,000 formulations have been reported to have no ready alternatives.
Bridging the sustainability gap between beauty and brands
Bridging the sustainability gap requires changing formulations and ingredients to more natural ones. A fundamental component of formulations are biopolymers, and to prevent brands’ hesitation in adopting biopolymers, the shift towards advanced biopolymer derivatives is necessary.
These innovative compounds offer a compelling solution to the pressing need for sustainable alternatives in personal care products. They exhibit higher performance at par with synthetic ingredients while retaining its primary characteristics, such as biodegradability and bioactives.
Here are 7 benefits to brands using advanced biopolymers in their formulations to bridge the sustainability gap:
- Embrace Sustainability: Biopolymers offer a sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic polymers, which are derived from non-renewable resources. Brands can reduce their environmental footprint, tackle greenwashing, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
- Meet Consumer Demand: There is a growing demand from consumers for eco-friendly and natural products, which brands can meet by adopting advanced biopolymers and ultimately enhancing brand reputation and loyalty.
- Comply with Regulations: As regulations governing the use of synthetic polymers become stricter, brands may face challenges in complying with these regulations. Biopolymers offer a viable solution, as they are often derived from natural sources and are generally considered safer and more environmentally friendly.
- Enhanced Performance: Advanced biopolymers have been developed to offer performance characteristics comparable to synthetic polymers. Brands can leverage these innovative biopolymers to ensure that their products deliver the same level of performance while meeting sustainability goals.
- Visible Innovation: Adopting biopolymers allows brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded market by offering innovative and sustainable products. This can help brands attract new customers and stay ahead of competitors who have yet to embrace biopolymer technology.
- Boost Brand Image: Consumers are increasingly conscious of the environmental and social impact of the products they purchase. By using biopolymers, brands can enhance their image as responsible corporate citizens committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
- Stay Cost-Effective: Advancements in technology and increased demand are driving down the costs of biomaterials. In the long run, investing in biopolymers will lead to cost savings through improved efficiency, reduced waste, and enhanced brand reputation.
Chitosan as a biopolymer
Chitosan stands out as a truly remarkable substance, renowned for its diverse range of applications and impressive properties. It’s a versatile ingredient, and its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties make it a favorite in the fields of medicine, agriculture, wastewater treatment, personal care, and cosmetics. As a natural, renewable resource, chitosan embodies the principles of sustainability, offering a promising solution to the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives.
Plant-based chitosan, derived from fungal sources like mushrooms, embodies all of Chitosan’s properties, and is, most importantly vegan. If you’d like to learn more about chitosan, we previously did a more detailed article, which you can find here.
Unlocking vegan chitosan for multifunctional benefits
Chitosan is an extremely difficult biopolymer to unlock for its additional benefits. Greenitio, with its technology and process, has been able to develop products that meet the sustainability requirement of consumers, and the performance requirement of brands.
Additionally, Greenitio has pioneered multifunctional benefits from vegan chitosan, where, in addition to its existing properties such as anti-microbial properties, Greenitio’s products also unlock benefits like anti-acne and anti-aging. These multifunctional benefits help reduce the overall cost of the end product by lowering the count of ingredients and the cost that would have to be paid for these ingredients.
Multifunctional benefits also promote the current practice of ‘skinimalism’, one of several trends that consumers are adopting as they shed excessive and unwanted products and purchases.
Chitosan derivatives, especially, vegan chitosan derivatives, are the next big ingredient to be unlocked for beauty, as they find use from products in personal care to cosmetics.
Chitobela™ and Chitobe™ at a glance
Chitobela™ and Chitobe™, the two advanced multifunctional vegan chitosan-based ingredients from Greenitio find applications in skincare, haircare, and sunscreen boosting.
These are versatile ingredients, complemented by their bioactivities and environmental benefits, such as:
Chitobela™
A plant-derived versatile biopolymer developed for skincare and haircare products. Its bioactive properties fight off microbes, ageing, and acne, giving your skin and hair a rejuvenated look and feel.
- Use cases: Moisturising, emulsifiers, thickeners
- Bioactivity: Anti-microbial, anti ageing, anti-acne
- Applications: Skincare and haircare products
Chitobela™ can be used in a variety of personal care products such as creams specialising in anti-aging and anti-acne treatments, lotions, serums, shampoos, and many more.
Chitobe™
A plant-derived versatile biopolymer developed for skincare, haircare, and sunscreen product applications, and complemented by its nourishing effects and film-forming capabilities. It ensures comprehensive care and also boosts UV protection.
- Use cases: Film forming and conditioning
- Bioactivity: Anti-microbial, anti-acne, antioxidant
- Applications: Skincare, haircare, and sunscreen products
Chitobe™ can be used in a variety of beauty products such as sunscreens, hair masks, conditioners, serums, lotions, creams specialising in anti-acne treatments, and many more.
To learn more about the products, please visit Greenitio.
Why Greenitio?
Greentiio started out with a clear goal in mind – save the planet, one ingredient at a time. And that’s what we’re doing – we’re bridging the gap between consumer calls and brand requirements with high-functioning biopolymers.
Both Chitobela™ and Chitobe™ exemplify Greenitio’s mission to deliver sustainable, high-performing ingredients that meet the evolving demands of consumers and brands alike. By harnessing the power of plant-derived biopolymers, Greenitio is not only transforming the beauty industry but also paving the way towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.
When choosing Greenitio, brands align themselves with a partner committed to driving positive change in the beauty industry. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and performance, Greenitio empowers brands to meet consumer expectations while contributing to a greener, more ethical beauty landscape—one ingredient at a time.
