Symrise to expand plant-based actives

The introduction of the Actipone product line is in response to increasing demand within the cosmetics industry for natural actives, according to the German-based company. Ingredients that make up the new range are plant extracts sourced from Asia, Europe and Africa. Examples include Nutgrass (Motha) Root GW extract, which according to the company has both an anti-irritant and skin lightening effect, released last year. The extract is derived from the root of the Cyperus rotondus plant, used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as an anti-inflammatory. Other examples include ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine practices such as the honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua) extract. In addition the range featured herbal extracts such as rosemary, and marine plant extracts such as Laminaria Saccharina. According to the company the range of beneficial effects provided by the ingredients in the new product line are broad, ranging from skin lightening, antioxidant properties and MMP (enzymes that play an important role in skin ageing) inhibitors. Symrise state that they plan to continue expanding the range by searching for new natural raw materials that could be developed into patentable extracts. In addition, the company says it will continue to investigate its own ingredients repertoire to see if any of the extracts contain other beneficial effects that could be marketed. The trend for natural active ingredients is gaining momentum as the market for natural and organic cosmetic products continues to grow. Furthermore, within this sector lately there has been a significant move towards naturals sourced from exotic locations, such as South America and Africa. Cognis, another German-based ingredients supplier, has recently launched a clay exfoliation ingredient sourced from the Amazon, and Beraca, a Brazilian-based company supplies ingredients sourced from the Amazon, to cosmetics manufacturers worldwide. The trend for naturals is set to grow, however this recent move towards exotic ingredients could be hampered by environmental concerns. Euromonitor analyst Diana Dodson noted that there is a conflict emerging between the eco-friendly and natural trends, as using natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients could pose environmental problems. This, said Dodson, could put pressure on manufacturers to ensure that ingredients pose no environmental risk, as well as on regulatory bodies to introduce policies to protect the resources. This could potentially damage sales in the short term, said Dodson.