The efficacy of cosmetic active ingredients obtained through biotechnology

There is a branch within the chemical industry that has specialized in the development and procurement of processes and substances that are 100% respectful of the environment and people, using the minimum amount of resources and generating the minimum amount of waste: green chemistry.

This is the philosophy we follow at Herbera, both in the selection of our ingredients and in our manufacturing processes and shipping methods.

But in addition to pursuing efficiency in our processes, we also aim to achieve the greatest efficacy in our cosmetic products, and for this, at HERBERA we turn to BIOTECHNOLOGY.

WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

It is the technology that uses living organisms, such as plants, bacteria, or fungi, to create or modify substances or processes for specific uses. Its applications are numerous:

• Biosanitary applications: to obtain new active ingredients for the treatment of diseases.
• Environmental applications: for example, to treat waste through the use of microorganisms, eliminate polluting substances, or recover inorganic substances.
• Agricultural applications: to improve plants' tolerance to extreme conditions and their resistance to pests.
• Industrial applications: developing biodegradable products for industrial, cosmetic, or food use.

The cosmetic industry is evolving, and in recent years many advances have been made in R&D&I, such as the use of biotechnology to obtain raw materials in a new, more efficient, sustainable, and completely natural way, meeting Ecocert standards.

This allows us to obtain active ingredients with a clear and specific function on the skin in concentrations much higher than through conventional extraction methods, creating cosmetic formulas of the highest quality and efficacy, providing the skin with everything it needs to recover all its beauty and fullness.

Shall we look at an example? If we want to formulate an illuminating serum, we know we have to include 10-20% Vitamin C. The natural source with the highest concentration of Vitamin C is acerola, which has 1.7g per 100g. We also know that Vitamin C is water-soluble; therefore, extracting Vitamin C from acerola using traditional methodology would involve making an aqueous extract of 1 kilo of acerola to get 17g of Vitamin C. But, of course, we cannot incorporate a whole kilo of acerola into a 30g serum, and of course, we do not want to formulate our products with synthetic Vitamin C.

Biotechnology transforms that liter of acerola extract into powder by evaporating, purifying, and then crystallizing it. This way, we can obtain pure, natural Vitamin C to then include it in a 30ml serum at 10%.

From our beginnings at Herbera, we set out to formulate cosmetics that were not only ecological but also highly effective. That is why, in our laboratory, we not only formulate with oils, floral waters, butters, waxes, and essential oils—all of ecological quality—but we also incorporate 100% pure and natural active ingredients obtained through biotechnology.

I will explain the importance of our ACTIVE INGREDIENTS and where each one is obtained from:

HYALURONIC ACID

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body—in the eyes, joints, cartilage, and primarily in the skin—lubricating collagen and elastin fibers. However, as the years go by, its proportion decreases, which is why it is important to help our body maintain and regenerate it. It is a hygroscopic substance, meaning it has the ability to increase its weight in water by 1000 times; in other words, it swells and acts like a sponge, hydrating the joints, the eye, and the skin when it needs it most.

How is it obtained? Hyaluronic acid can be of animal origin (rooster combs, shark fins, cow or ox eyes), marine origin (also from eyes or fins), synthetic origin, and plant origin, which is the one we use at Herbera.

Plant-derived hyaluronic acid is obtained through a biotechnological process that consists of the fermentation of wheat proteins. Let us remember that fermentation is a metabolic process present in certain bacteria and yeasts, the final product of which is an organic compound (it generally converts carbohydrates into acids).

In this case, the carbohydrate is glucose (which will be the carbon source), wheat proteins are used as the nitrogen source, and lactic bacteria are responsible for naturally biosynthesizing the hyaluronic acid. The hyaluronic acid molecule produced by these bacteria is identical to the endogenous one produced by human fibroblasts.

It is then collected, purified, and dehydrated to form a powder that, when added to water, forms a more or less textured gel.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is one of the most potent natural antioxidants that exists.

To have Vitamin C available in the concentrations indicated by scientific studies as necessary to fulfill its cosmetic functions, and to ensure it is of natural origin, we turn to biotechnology. The mechanism of procurement is to extract the ascorbic acid from corn and then combine it with a glucose molecule to create its natural derivative, ascorbyl glucoside, which does not present all the dermal incompatibilities that ascorbic acid does (it has a very acidic pH and is highly photosensitive).

Ascorbyl glucoside is stable at a neutral pH and therefore does not irritate the skin, which means it can be used by sensitive skin types. It also does not oxidize with light or oxygen, so it can also be used during the day.

Once on the skin, enzymes degrade it into ascorbic acid + glucose; the ascorbic acid goes straight to our cells and helps in the generation of collagen and elastin, as well as in reducing melanin (both by inhibiting tyrosinase and by decreasing accumulated melanin), and the glucose has a humectant effect, which will help us have more elastic and hydrated skin.

FERULIC ACID

Also, thanks to plant technology, we can extract this magnificent antioxidant from rice, pineapple peels, or oats and thus include it in the indicated concentrations so that it can exert its cosmetic effect.

Because the concentrations in which it is present in rice oil are not sufficient for it to exert its wonderful properties. If you want to know more about ferulic acid, click here.

It is important to know that the most effective antioxidant cosmetics are those that combine Vitamin C with Vitamin E and ferulic acid in their formulation, as they enhance and stabilize each other's properties.

PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS

At Herbera, we were clear about this from the beginning, and since our start, we have used probiotics and prebiotics in our products. You can recognize them on our labels with the INCI: Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, and Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate.

How are probiotics obtained? In the first case, we start from a coconut substrate, and in the second, from radish; bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus are added to these substrates so that after a fermentation process, they generate proteins that function as natural preservatives, providing broad-spectrum protection against bacteria, yeasts, and molds.

Their use allows us to do without other types of preservatives, enabling us to manufacture 100% natural and preservative-free cosmetics.

REISHI

It is a large, dark edible mushroom with a shiny exterior and a woody texture. Its Latin name is Ganoderma lucidum.

To benefit from this active ingredient, the mushroom is cultivated through a green agriculture process using rice husks, sawdust, and wooden logs as a culture medium, which undergo a natural fermentation process where the Ganoderma lucidum spores are inoculated. We obtain the extract from this.

If we want to maintain the natural beauty of our skin for as long as possible, it is not enough to formulate with oils, butters, waxes, floral waters, and essential oils. One must turn to active ingredients to achieve visible effects on the skin. In the past, these active ingredients were exclusively of synthetic origin, but today, the chemical industry has advanced a lot, and starting from this philosophy of minimizing its impact on the environment—as green chemistry does—we can have all these 100% natural active ingredients available.