Danish industrial biotechnology startup teams up with biotech skincare company for the launch of a new day cream, comprising 100% biodegradable ingredients and packaging.
Cellugy is a biotech startup based in Søborg, Denmark, developing natural and high-performing cellulose solutions to reduce petrochemical pollution and has raised over €7M from a combination of VCs, private investors, and public funding. Together with Danish biotech skincare and research company Bioli, Cellugy now presents the first commercially available product to include its newly developed biofabricated cellulose-based ingredient, EcoFLEXY.
Formulated for all skin types, Bioli’s new product Moisturizing and Protecting Day Cream, is described as a mild yet effective and more sustainable product, using entirely biodegradable ingredients and packaging. It’s based on bioactive enzyme technology for antioxidant protection and EcoFLEXY is incorporated as a biobased rheology modifier (a substance to increase viscosity and control the finished product’s properties and characteristics in a desired manner, Ed’s note) to achieve a high-quality texture. Most of these modifiers currently used come from petrochemical sources, but EcoFLEXY is a biobased, fully biodegradable alternative made from high-purity, crystalline cellulose derived from the bioconversion of sugar using Cellugy’s first-of-its-kind fermentation platform.
– In EcoFLEXY, we’ve developed a solution that’s now ready to be adopted by manufacturers looking for the high-performance of petrochemical rheology modifiers with the sustainability benefits of biobased options. It’s fantastic to see it put to use as an ingredient in a commercially available product for the first time, says Dr. Isabel Alvarez-Martos, CEO and co-founder at Cellugy.
Fossil-based petrochemicals are present in over 70% of products on the market but stricter sustainability regulations are putting the cosmetics industry under pressure. Other rheology modifiers, such as xantham gum, are available, but they have limitations, including a sticky and unpleasant feeling texture and lower efficiency than their petrochemical counterparts. One of the most critical factors in Bioli’s selection of EcoFLEXY was its ability to provide a superior user experience and sensorial texture without compromising on other performance factors, like the preservation of sensitive active ingredients.
– A key challenge in premium skincare is finding sustainable ingredients that deliver both performance and a superior user experience. EcoFLEXY provides that essential high-quality texture and a silky-smooth feel that doesn’t grain up on the skin. It delivers all this while at the same time ensuring our products remain biodegradable and environmentally friendly, says Aldo Seguel, Chief Science Officer at Bioli.
– In our mission to launch high-quality bioactive products with the lowest possible environmental impact, including biodegradability, we have been searching for the right ingredients. Cellugy aligns perfectly with this. The collaboration also shows that when ambitious, forward-thinking companies come together, how rapidly and agilely we can move from R&D to market-ready products, says Nina Wiberg Rosenquist, CEO of Bioli.
Moisturizing and Protecting Day Cream (pictured) is the first product in a series, with more to follow soon. Meanwhile, discussions are underway for distribution deals for EcoFLEXY covering eleven key cosmetics markets in the EU and the US. Cellugy now aims to scale up production to commercial volumes and targets a full commercial launch in April 2025 at the In-cosmetics Global exhibition in Amsterdam.
– We’re ready to show the world that it’s possible to meet the strict performance standards demanded in high-end personal care products with biobased, biodegradable ingredients, Alvarez-Martos concludes.