COSMETICS & PERSONAL CARE
Pilot plant at Bio-Sep ’ s Melton Mowbray facilities in the UK
co-products or impurities . Together , these factors make the generation of biobased ingredients extremely low carbon and zero waste .
In addition , the technique requires relatively mild processing conditions , preventing the decomposition of valuable products that is usually caused by hydrolysis and extensive depolymerisation or sulfonation . The process is highly flexible and can be easily adapted to different types of lignocellulosic feedstock , as well as to variations in supply chain or market demand .
Tapping into nature
The microcrystalline cellulose , lignin and hemicellulosic sugars that are produced by this innovative ultrasonic technique can be used in a broad range of applications , including cosmetics and toiletries . Cellulose is abundant in nature – accounting for approximately 40 % of the total material in trees – making it a widely available renewable resource .
Microcrystalline cellulose is a well-known and reliable filler , emollient and emulsifier and is used in many cosmetics . In fact , it is a now a registered replacement for polyethylene within microbeads in personal care products . Bio-Sep ’ s microcrystalline cellulose has short polymer chains and an average particle size of ~ 100 μm , yielding a super-fine powder that can be easily formulated for products such as foundation .
Lignin is known as nature ’ s binder , acting as a glue between cell walls in trees to provide structural integrity and compression resistance . It is the best source of phenolic compounds found in nature , making it an organic antioxidant ; and it possesses inherent antibacterial and UVresistance properties .
The lignin extracted through Bio- Sep ’ s ultrasonic method is high purity , has a low molecular weight (< 1,000 g / mol ), offers good solubility in a range of organic solvents and has no sulfur content . These features make it highly desirable for use in facial creams , such as sunscreen and antiageing products .
The third material generated by the fractionation process is hemicellulose hydrolysate , a mixed sugar syrup containing monomeric mannose , xylose , arabinose , galactose and glucose . Hemicelluloses are the second most abundant natural fibre after cellulose , and so also represent a huge untapped reservoir for biochemicals . Their sugars can be converted to alcohols , xylitol and sorbitol , which are regularly used in personal care – such as in dental care products – and also as hygroscopic moisturisers in a range of common cosmetic items .
Reshoring the supply chain
Bio-Sep produces its green chemicals from responsibly sourced , non-food woody biomass , an inevitable byproduct of the forestry and agricultural industries . Typically , only about 55 % of the material from a felled tree is used , with the remaining 45 % being either burnt or left to rot , wasting a valuable renewable resource and releasing sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere .
Bio-Sep only processes wood waste from UK forestry , recovering this previously undervalued material and highlighting its potential commercial value to the forestry industry . Using home-grown biomass also avoids the need to import materials , eradicating the additional carbon emissions generated by transportation , and ensuring a traceable and sustainable supply chain . This also means that import taxes and shipping fees can be avoided .
Outlook
There is certainly no shortage of wood by-products in the world , making it a plentiful and eco-friendly source of versatile , biosourced chemicals for use in cosmetics . Bio-Sep ’ s ultrasonic processing technology holds much promise for reducing the carbon footprint of the cosmetics industry , providing sustainable ingredient alternatives extracted from the green resources right on our doorstep . ●
Miranda Lindsay-Fynn
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
BIO-SEP J miranda @ bio-sep . com j https :// bio-sep . com /
SEP / OCT 2023 SPECCHEMONLINE . COM
55