Natura invests in biotechnology to reduce impacts and improve product performance
Behind the ultra-moisturizing of the new product line Raspberry and Pink Pepper from Natura Tododia, there is a large and pioneering biotechnology project that has managed to bring a new sensory experience, while helping to reduce environmental impact: oil production from microalgae.
Noemi Vieira, a researcher in the advanced research group of the Natura ingredients area, took part in this process. She is responsible for bringing biotechnological ingredients to Natura products. "This project was developed in partnership with Solazyme, an American biotechnology company that was building a plant in Brazil. We had a mutual interest in working with a technology that would help reduce environmental impacts", she said. In this partnership, Solazyme was responsible for developing the oil, while Natura carried out feasibility tests on the cosmetic use of the product.
Among the benefits of the new ingredient there is the reduction in the implementation costs of the products, and the reduction in environmental impacts, as the carbon emissions required to produce this oil are lower than those of other oils in line : "Because it is produced from the fermentation of a renewable source, i.e. sugar - the microalgae feeds on sugar to produce oil - the environmental impact was reduced by about 60%, compared to the canola oil we were using in the products", the researcher explained.
"We also managed to achieve a great performance," said Noemi. The new ingredient provides a drier, velvety touch and this sensory characteristic is transferred to the product.
Another advantage of the use of biotechnology is that factors such as seasonality do not interfere with the final product: the oil produced will always have the same composition. "When we work with plants, we have some problems related to the harvest and seasonality, which can alter some of the components of the oil. In biotechnology, the process is well controlled. Using the microalgae as a biofactory, it is possible to produce an ingredient in a reproducible form, always maintaining the same product type, without much variation", she explained.
For Noemi, the biggest challenges were to explain the process of development of the ingredient, and to convince people that the microalgae oil is not "engineered", but comes from a biofactory (microalgae) capable of producing the ingredient under optimized conditions. Noemi points out that the goal was not to compete with oils from the biodiversity already used by other lines, but to offer a sustainable solution for the development of a new product. She explained that this has opened many doors for the development of more projects in biotechnology.
Researcher Priscilla Ramos of the Natura formula development area was responsible for developing the exfoliating oil line. She explained that the product has an oily base, and its composition includes a high concentration of vegetable oils and the microalgae oil.
"The important difference is that besides exfoliating, it also moisturizes the skin for up to 24 hours. As exfoliating particles, it contains golden organic sugar and golden flaxseed. We use natural exfoliants that cause no damage to the environment", she argued. According to Priscilla, the fact that the microalgae oil is obtained through a very sustainable process, with less impact, makes it very attractive for Natura.
"We faced some challenges in learning about this technology; how to apply it and make it viable within a project. In terms of the development of the formula, the main challenge was to achieve a good sensory effect. The oil itself usually has a slightly heavier feel and we wanted a texture that would moisturize, but provide a light, pleasant feel", the researcher recalled.
Talita Sandolin, researcher of the Natura body category, points out that the sensory effect was very important, because as the line has several products, it was essential that each of them would provide a different experience. She also explained that the goal was to bring products with unique sensory effects that would evoke a touch of femininity and sensuality in women. "These are products that bring this femininity, so we look at this concept and bring it into the lab". According to the researcher, the concept was well accepted by the public. "It's something that, perhaps, is not part of women’s everyday lives," she said.
Concerning the participation in the project, Talita ensures that the contact with biotechnology was very interesting. "It's a technology that is here to stay. We see other potential raw materials that can be obtained by biotechnology. It’s not only about the cost, or the sensory effect; it’s about a series of possibilities to innovate even more in the products and deliver something unique to the consumer", she concluded.
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