Cosmetics, nutricosmetics & wellness

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 & REACH | OECD: industrial-biotech | Regulator: FDA (US), NMPA (CN), REACH (EU)]

Cosmetics, nutricosmetics and the broader wellness industry are undergoing a structural shift from petrochemical- and animal-derived ingredients toward fermentation- and cell-culture-produced actives — hyaluronic acid, recombinant collagen, bio-identical squalane and skin-microbiome-targeted molecules. China’s Bloomage Biotech, formerly Bloomage Freda Biopharm, pioneered microbial-fermentation hyaluronic acid production starting in 2000 and has grown into one of the world’s leading HA suppliers, feeding both the medical and cosmetic segments. Giant Biogene, a Hong Kong-listed recombinant-collagen producer behind the consumer brand Kefumei, had its second recombinant-collagen implant medical device approved in China in 2026, extending its product line beyond topical cosmetics into medical aesthetics. In the US, Geltor’s fermentation platform has moved beyond conventional peptides with HumaColl™21 Select, a Type XXI collagen-based matrikine complex for topical beauty, and PrimaColl®, a vegan signaling-collagen ingredient now sold as a ready-to-drink supplement through a partnership with TOSLA. Biossance, launched by biotech firm Amyris in 2016, commercialized lab-made bio-identical squalane fermented from sugarcane-derived sucrose using engineered yeast, replacing shark-liver-derived squalane with a scalable, sustainable alternative. In Europe, Givaudan’s Active Beauty division continues to expand its biotech actives portfolio, including PrimalHyal NeuroYouth (a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid and amino acid complex targeting a newly characterized “neuro skin ageing” pathway) and Illuminyl™ 388 (a prebiotic skin-brightening ingredient).

The key directions of cosmetics, nutricosmetics and wellness biotech are:

1. Fermentation-derived actives: producing hyaluronic acid, squalane, collagen and other cosmetic ingredients via microbial or yeast fermentation instead of animal extraction or petrochemical synthesis.
2. Recombinant collagen: engineering yeast or bacteria to produce human-identical collagen types (e.g., Type XXI), avoiding the BSE risk of animal collagen and the fishy odor of marine collagen.
3. Skin-microbiome-targeted ingredients: pre-, pro- and postbiotic actives designed to support a balanced skin microflora rather than broadly antimicrobial formulations.
4. Nutricosmetics (ingestible beauty): oral collagen, biotin and ceramide supplements, increasingly paired with personalized formulation based on individual skin/gut data.

Sectoral value chain

[Feedstock/Strain Selection] ──> [Precision Fermentation or Cell Culture] ──> [Purification & Formulation]
                                                                                       │
                                                                             (Efficacy/safety validation)
                                                                                       │
                                                                                       ▼
[Cosmetic/Nutricosmetic Product] <─── [Regulatory Registration]

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Microbial hyaluronic acid fermentation: producing HA via bacterial fermentation (e.g., Streptococcus zooepidemicus) rather than extraction from animal tissue, the dominant global HA production route.
• Recombinant collagen expression: engineering yeast or E. coli to express specific human collagen types (e.g., Type XXI matrikines), yielding a molecule structurally identical to human collagen without animal-sourcing risk.
• Fermentation-derived squalane: converting sugarcane-derived sucrose into bio-identical squalane via engineered yeast fermentation, replacing shark-liver oil as the traditional squalane source.

02US

The US cosmetics-biotech sector is shifting from “clean beauty” (natural-ingredient positioning) toward science-backed, fermentation-derived actives, alongside a large ingestible-wellness market.

fermentation-based collagen and squalane, ingestible-beauty growth, MoCRA regulatory reform

• Geltor: has extended its fermentation platform beyond conventional peptides with HumaColl™21 Select, a Type XXI collagen-based matrikine complex for topical beauty, and PrimaColl®, a vegan signaling-collagen ingredient now sold as a ready-to-drink supplement through a partnership with TOSLA.
• Biossance: launched by biotech firm Amyris in 2016, commercialized lab-made bio-identical squalane fermented from sugarcane-derived sucrose using engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, positioning “clean beauty” as scientifically rigorous rather than purely natural-marketing-driven.
• Regulatory reform: the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA, 2022) introduced the first major overhaul of US cosmetics regulation in 85 years, adding mandatory facility registration and adverse-event reporting, while the FTC’s Green Guides require substantiation for “natural” and “sustainable” marketing claims.

03CN

China is the world’s leading hyaluronic-acid producer and a fast-growing hub for recombinant collagen, with domestic brands increasingly competing on fermentation-based and dermatological science credentials.

hyaluronic acid fermentation leadership, recombinant collagen commercialization, domestic brand science positioning

• Bloomage Biotech: pioneered microbial-fermentation hyaluronic acid production starting in 2000 (as Bloomage Freda Biopharm) and has grown into one of the world’s leading HA suppliers across medical, cosmetic and food-grade segments.
• Giant Biogene: a Hong Kong-listed recombinant-collagen producer behind the consumer brand Kefumei (可复美), which had its second recombinant-collagen implant medical device approved in China in 2026, extending beyond topical cosmetics into medical aesthetics.
• Winona: a dermocosmetics brand focused on sensitive-skin barrier repair, positioning itself with a dermatological/clinical-science identity in the competitive domestic skincare market.
• Regulatory tightening: China’s Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation (2020) and its efficacy-claim evaluation rules (2021) require clinical substantiation for new cosmetic ingredients and functional claims, raising the bar for new-ingredient registration.

04EU

The EU operates under the world’s strictest cosmetics framework, driving both ingredient innovation (fermentation, upcycling) and a “clean and circular beauty” positioning across its major national industries.

biotech active ingredients, strict regulatory framework, circular/upcycled sourcing

• Givaudan (Active Beauty division, Switzerland): continues to expand its biotech actives portfolio, including PrimalHyal NeuroYouth (a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid and amino acid complex targeting a newly characterized “neuro skin ageing” pathway) and Illuminyl™ 388 (a prebiotic skin-brightening ingredient).
• Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: the world’s strictest cosmetics framework, banning animal testing since 2013 and tightly restricting CMR (carcinogenic/mutagenic/reprotoxic) substances and nanomaterials without specific safety assessment.
• Microplastic restriction: the EU’s ban on intentionally added microplastics (in force since 2023, with the REACH Annex XV synthetic-polymer-microparticle restriction) has pushed the exfoliant and glitter segments toward biopolymer alternatives.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

Modern cosmetic-biotech ingredient production rests on the following technology stack:

1. Microbial fermentation for hyaluronic acid:
   • Bacterial fermentation (e.g., Streptococcus zooepidemicus) produces hyaluronic acid at scale without animal-tissue extraction, the dominant global production route feeding both medical and cosmetic HA demand.
2. Recombinant collagen and matrikine expression:
   • Engineered yeast or bacterial hosts express specific human collagen types and derived matrikine fragments (e.g., Type XXI), producing a molecule structurally identical to human collagen for topical or injectable use.
3. Engineered-yeast bio-squalane fermentation:
   • Sugarcane-derived sucrose is fermented by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce squalene, which is then hydrogenated to bio-identical squalane, replacing shark-liver oil as the traditional feedstock.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline for fermentation-derived cosmetic active ingredient production

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Production strain      │ ───> │ 2. Fermentation in         │
│    selection/engineering   │      │    bioreactor               │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                 │
                                                 ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Formulation with       │ <─── │ 3. Downstream purification │
│    excipients/carriers     │      │    & concentration          │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Efficacy/safety testing│ ───> │ 6. Regulatory filing &    │
│                            │      │    market launch            │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Production strain selection and engineering

A production host (bacterial strain for HA, engineered yeast for collagen/squalane) is selected or genetically engineered to express the target molecule at commercially viable yield.

Stage 2: Fermentation

The engineered strain is fermented at scale in a stirred-tank bioreactor, converting feedstock sugars into the target active ingredient over a multi-day fermentation cycle.

Stage 3: Downstream purification and concentration

The fermentation broth is filtered, chromatographically purified and concentrated to yield a cosmetic-grade active ingredient meeting purity specifications.

Stage 4: Formulation

The purified active is combined with excipients, carriers and preservative systems appropriate to its final delivery form — cream, serum, injectable filler or oral supplement.

Stage 5: Efficacy and safety testing

The formulated product undergoes safety testing and functional-claim substantiation studies required by the target market’s regulator.

Stage 6: Regulatory filing and market launch

The product is registered with the relevant national regulator (NMPA, FDA cosmetics framework, EU Cosmetics Regulation notification) and launched to market through retail, professional or digital-commerce channels.