Under the terms of the commercially exclusive agreement, Dow has selected one extract from Deinove’s bacterial bank with a view to integrating it into its current product portfolio. A subsequent product launch is expected early 2021.
"We have chosen Deinove for its widely recognised expertise in biotechnology and valuation of rare microorganisms,” said Fabienne Bizeray, Dow’s global strategic marketing leader, skin & sun care.
“We will rely on its cell biology laboratory in Seneffe (Belgium) to bring this cosmetic active to commercialisation early 2021 and intends to make it available globally.
“After the launch of AgeCap Smooth in April 2018, this agreement will allow Dow to quickly develop a new natural cosmetic ingredient for our customers. This first collaboration with Deinove is perfectly aligned with our strategy of expanding and transforming our portfolio dedicated to skin care."
Skin care plans
Dow’s move into using bacterial-based active ingredients for skin care compliments its current activities within its business focus and its emphasis on healthy ageing.
"On 1st April Dow completed the separation and the new Dow came into being,” said Bizeray.
“Our company name no longer includes the word ‘Chemical’, which is appropriate in personal care as we are selling concepts, formats and experiences to customers.
“Our new brand line “Seek Together” emphasises our new commitment to our customers, our people and the future. We invite the personal industry to leverage our premium ingredients to create new chemistry to boost sustainable products and natural connections for beauty brands.”
Responding to consumers embracing ageing as a natural process, Dow’s offerings now include a range of formulations designed to protect the skin from harmful sunrays and free radical damage.
AgeCap cosmetic ingredient is the firm’s alternative to current antioxidant innovations contributing to healthy skin ageing by softening wrinkle appearance and delivering skin smoothing effects.
According to Dow, the ingredient “passively traps the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by intercepting them before any skin damage is incurred”.
Dow also made available its Soltex INO Polymer last year and is a technology designed to enhance the SPF performance of sun care products by improving the dispersion of inorganic particle such as titanium dioxide (TiO2).
This enables sun care formulators to utilise less mineral-based materials to achieve equivalent or better SPF protection.
Deinove activiites
Meanwhile Deinove’s Dow deal represents the firm’s latest botanical-based agreement having struck a partnership with Univar for the distribution of its Phyt-N-Resist anti-aging active ingredient, its first carotenoid ingredient for cosmetics.
The deal allows Univar to distribute the ingredient to the entire EMEA region from the 1st of October 2018. Created by Deinove, Phyt-N-Resist is a pure Phytoene concentrated into organic jojoba oil.
Obtained through the fermentation of natural sugars by the bacterium Deinococcus geothermalis, Phytoene helps fight against skin ageing by reducing oxidative stress and accelerating skin regeneration.
This follows an agreement earlier in the year with Greentech, a French plant biotechnology firm, to launch Hebelys, a natural active ingredient produced by the fermentation of Sphingomonas, a bacterium belonging to the Deinove’s proprietary strain library.
Through tests, Hebelys demonstrated its ability to preserve youthful skin, via action on the expression of the p16 IINK4A protein, a key factor of premature cellular ageing.
"We are proud that a big industrial leader such as Dow has been convinced by our expertise and attracted by the richness of our bacterial collection,” said Emmanuel Petiot, CEO of Deinove.
“This agreement values the quality of our R&D approach and our portfolio of cosmetic actives.”