Hallstar and Deinove at work on new biotech cosmetic active ingredient

In early 2016, the global specialty chemical supply company Hallstar acquired ingredient maker Oléos. And the Oléo-éco-extraction technology that Hallstar picked up in that deal features prominently in company’s new partnership with Deinove. 

According to a Hallstar press release about the partnership, “Our Oléos line of next-generation natural, 100% eco-designed cosmetic ingredients, [are] based on [a] patented Oléo-éco-extraction technology. These products rely on the synergy between the properties of vegetable oils together with the bio-molecules naturally present in plants, flowers, fruits and minerals.”​

The biotech company Deinove has a collection of “6,000 rare or unexploited bacterial strains”​ and “a genetic, metabolic and fermentation engineering platform capable of customizing these natural ‘micro-factories’ to transform them into new industrial standards.”​

Better together​

“The goal”​ of this endeavor, according to the release “is to develop a new 100% natural cosmetic active ingredient combining the exclusive properties of Deinove bacteria and the patented Oléo-éco-extraction technology.”​

Hallstar chose one active bacteria strain from the Deinove catalog, and “Deinove will now work to optimize the strain production performance, while Oleos will formulate an innovative ingredient by applying its extraction process to this bacterial biomass,” ​according to the press release.

The goal is to generate a stable, oil-based active with efficacy that can be clinically proven, is easy to formulate product with, and is in line with industry regulations. The two company’s plan to launch their ingredient by the end of 2018.

Future forward​

Both companies are completely invested the potential of biotech to manufacture the next generation of ingredients for the personal care and beauty care industries.

“This new partnership reinforces our strategy for the development of biosourced cosmetic ingredients,” ​Emmanuel Petiot, CEO of Deinove, tells the press, “We are excited to collaborate with Hallstar to develop what will be our third innovative active ingredient.”​

If things go according to plan, one day those thousands of ‘unexploited’ bacteria will be generating as many novel ingredients. As Anne Rossignol-Castera, general and scientific manager of the Oléos line at Hallstar, says, "We were attracted by the innovative nature of Deinove’s approach. The strain catalog is very promising in terms of diversity and efficiency, which fits perfectly with our differentiation strategy and innovation model.”​

This article was updated on 02-Feb-2018 to clarify that since being acquired by Hallstar in early 2016, Oléos is no longer a stand-alone company or subsidiary but rather a product line of Hallstar.​

---​

Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.

 ​