Industries
Cosmetics
What changes this industry: bio-solutions with evidence, technologies, suppliers and open money.
Overview of the industry
Animal-derived and persistent-petro ingredients in cosmetics — shark squalene, rooster-comb HA, animal collagen, polyethylene microbeads — and their fermentation, algal and bio-based replacements already on the market.
Cosmetics need notification/authorization (EU Cosmetic Products Regulation 1223/2009; in Russia/EAEU: TR CU 009/2011). The articles are overviews, not safety dossiers.
Built with a direct join to the 1,320-company vendor index: 21 active companies carry the ha-collagen-cosmetic tag — including several of the world’s largest fermentation-HA producers.
Articles#
| ID | Problem → alternative | Replaces | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| CM01 | Ingredient sourcing → sugarcane squalane, fermentation HA, recombinant collagen peptides | Shark-liver squalene, rooster-comb HA, animal collagen | Replace (HA, squalane) / Partial (collagen) |
| CM02 | Exfoliants → jojoba/wax beads, cellulose and silica particles, biodegradable glitter | PE/PP/PET microbeads, micro-glitter (EU restriction 2023/2055) | Replace |
| CM03 | Cleansing → sophorolipid/rhamnolipid biosurfactants, APG sugar surfactants | Petrochemical SLES/SLS, ethoxylate chains (dioxane traces) | Partial (premium now, commodity as capacity scales) |
Related articles elsewhere#
- Household cleaning biosurfactants: E10
- PFAS-free packaging of cosmetics: PK01
- Algal colour/omega ingredients: FI01
Reviewed but SKIPPED (no proven bio-alternative)#
| Substance / use | Hazard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| UV filters (oxybenzone/octinoxate) | Coral-reef toxicity, bans in some jurisdictions | Mineral filters (ZnO/TiO₂) are the substitute — not biological; UV-filter watchlist stays open |
| Formaldehyde-releaser preservatives | Carcinogen classification | Alternatives are synthetic organic acids; bio-preservatives (ferment lysates) only partial |
| Keratin hair straightening (formaldehyde) | Carcinogen exposure in salons | No proven biological equivalent; process change and regulation |
What it replaces 3
| D3 | Biodegradable scrub particles and exfoliants instead of polyethylene microbeads Replaces: Polyethylene (and PP/PET/PMMA) microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics: face/body scrubs, toothpastes, shower gels; glitter (polyester/alu particles) | 4 | COSM |
| D1 | Biosurfactant and APG cleansing — sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, alkyl polyglucosides — instead of petrochemical SLES/SLS Replaces: Petrochemical anionic surfactants (SLES/SLS) and their ethoxylated feedstock chain (1,4-dioxane contamination risk at trace levels, palm/petro … | 6 | COSM |
| D1 | Fermentation cosmetic ingredients instead of shark-liver squalene, rooster-comb hyaluronic acid and animal collagen Replaces: Shark-liver oil squalene (deep-sea shark fisheries); hyaluronic acid from rooster combs; bovine/porcine collagen extracts (and their supply-chain, … | 6 | COSM |
Technologies 27
| Bio-anti-dandruff with antifungal enzymes Anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments that pair a natural antifungal active — neem oil, tea tree oil, piroctone olamine — with prebiotic or probiotic … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-antimicrobial consumer hygiene Hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps built on plant-derived ethyl alcohol (sugarcane or coconut-sourced) and botanical extracts rather than petrochemical … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-antiperspirants, next-gen Aluminum-free deodorants built on live or fermentation-derived probiotic and prebiotic cultures (Saccharomyces ferment among them) that work with the underarm … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-cosmetic production equipment The high-shear rotor-stator mixers, multi-shaft dispersers and monobloc cosmetic filling and packaging lines that turn oil and water phases plus recombinant … | Cleanroom & facilities |
| Bio-insect repellents DEET-free personal insect repellents built on plant essential oils — citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geraniol, peppermint — sold by specialist brands (Murphy's … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-sunscreens (melanin & DNA-repair enzymes) Sunscreen actives built on biology rather than mineral filters — photolyase DNA-repair enzymes (ISDIN Eryfotona DNA Repairomes, Neova), mycosporine-like amino … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-synthetic perfumes A thin category — finished consumer perfume brands built around fermentation-derived or biotech-sourced fragrance molecules, distinct from the B2B … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-synthetic retinol alternatives (bakuchiol) A pathfinder-reserve category — bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol-alternative cosmetic active, produced and branded by a dedicated ingredient specialist — one … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-tattoo care products Plant-oil and beeswax tattoo aftercare balms built on botanical actives — helichrysum, tamanu, calendula, rosehip — sold by natural personal-care brands (Barker … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bioactive cosmetic peptides & growth factors Anti-aging serums built on signaling peptides and growth factors — human fibroblast conditioned media, copper peptides, epidermal growth factor, neuropeptide … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biodegradable microbeads for cosmetics Biodegradable exfoliating microbeads for cosmetics — cellulose-acetate and microcrystalline-cellulose spheres, konjac glucomannan hydro-gel particles and … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosurfactants Microbial surface-active glycolipids (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, MELs) produced by aerobic fermentation of plant oils and sugars — biodegradable, low-toxicity … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosynthetic hyaluronic acid Microbial precision fermentation of hyaluronic acid to a defined molecular weight and pharmacopoeia-grade purity — a B2B biopolymer API for ophthalmic … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosynthetic musk & aromas The confirmed 2026 commercial market for non-animal musk is dominated by established macrocyclic ketone/lactone brands — Givaudan's Velvione (a 16-membered … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosynthetic specialty & fine chemicals (precision fermentation, biocatalysis, biorefinery) High-value molecules — flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and bio-based monomers — produced by precision fermentation, biocatalysis and lignocellulose … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Cell factories for flavors & fragrances Engineered-microbe cell factories and flavor-house biotech platforms producing flavors and fragrances — fermented vanillin, biosynthetic terpenes and … | Food & alt-protein |
| Cosmetics, nutricosmetics & wellness Fermentation-derived hyaluronic acid, recombinant collagen, bio-squalane and ingestible actives replacing animal- and petrochemical-derived cosmetic ingredients … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| DNA-personalized skincare Skincare formulated against a genetic or epigenetic read of the buyer's skin — a cheek swab typed for ageing-related variants, then matched to actives — sold … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Enzyme-based deodorants Deodorants that use probiotic bacterial strains or fermentation-derived ingredients to manage odor-causing armpit bacteria at the source, rather than masking … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Fermentation-based hair care Shampoos, conditioners and scalp treatments built around a fermented active — fermented rice water, multi-strain probiotic complexes, proprietary bio-ferments — … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Marine peptides & nutraceuticals Bioactive peptides, low-molecular-weight collagen and omega-3 recovered from fishery by-catch (heads, skin, bones) by enzymatic hydrolysis, tangential … | Aquaculture & seafood |
| Microbiome cosmetics (skin microbiome) Cosmetic bio-actives — prebiotics, postbiotics and bacterial lysates — and biome-friendly bases that nourish the skin's commensal flora (not live drugs): a … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Probiotic oral care Live-bacteria lozenges and dissolving tablets that seed the oral cavity with health-associated commensals — BLIS Technologies' Streptococcus salivarius K12/M18 … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Recombinant botulinum toxin (biosynthetic Botox) Recombinant and next-generation engineered botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) — expressed via DNA technology or reformulated as complex-free / ready-to-use liquids — … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Recombinant collagen for cosmetics Precision-fermentation collagen engineered specifically for skincare and injectable aesthetic medicine — matching the human collagen sequence, free of prion and … | Fibers & textiles |
| Silk fibroin (recombinant, biomaterials) Recombinant silk fibroin and spider-silk proteins — expressed via microbial precision fermentation (Spiber Brewed Protein™, AMSilk Biosteel, Bolt Threads … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Terpenes & terpenoids as platform molecules Fermentation-derived terpenes and terpenoids — farnesene, limonene, valencene, squalane — replacing petrochemical and plant-extracted equivalents in cosmetics, … | Platform chemicals |
Opportunities 0
No open tender or grant matched right now.