Plant Extracts and Fine Chemicals
in Cosmetics
Ed Galley
History
• Long history of use
• Egyptian, Greek,
• Actives and fragrance
Current Uses
NATURAL FOCUS
Radox shower gel – claims a blend of natural herbs and
minerals
ingredients list:- Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulphate,
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Eucalyptus
Globulus Oil, Citrus Medica Liminum Oil, Citric Acid, Perfam,
Limonene, Polyquaternium 2, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance
ingredients and colours
Supersoft Yoghurt and Peach Smoothie Shampoo – claims
with Yoghurt Protein and Peach Kernel Oil
Ingredients list:-Sodium Laureth Sulphate, PEG7 Glycereth,
Cocoate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride,
Glycerol Distearate, Laureth-2, Sodium Benzoate, Glycerine,
Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate,
Parfam, Laureth 4, Salycylic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine,
Panthanol, Hydrogenated Caster Oil, Niacinamide,
Polyquternium 10, Prunus persica, Yoghurt, Limonene,
linalool,
Current Uses
Performance Focus
Cyclopentasiloxane
Aqua
Butylene glycol
Dimethicone cross polymer
Cyclohexasiloxane
Glycerin
Dimethicone copolyol
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
Polysorbate 20
Magnesium sulphate
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium PCA
Retinyl palmitate
Methylparaben
Propylene glycol
Lupinus albus
Carbomer
Butylparaben
Ethylparaben
Propylparaben
Isobutylparaben
Panax ginseng
Morus Alba
Tocopherol
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3
Needs
• Sunless tanning actives
• Colours
• Emulsifiers and
surfactants
• UV absorbers,
• Antimicrobials
• Polymers
Delivering consumer needs through
natural products
Requirements of new natural materials to interest a
major cosmetics company
• Differentiation
• Sustainability
• Regulatory
• Safety and efficacy
• Supply
• Cost
• IP
Differentiation
Spider profile to show attribute comparison between 2 facial
moisturisers
* = Significant difference
• Unique ingredient
• Same plant but proven
better performance
• Safer/less impurities etc
• More reliable source
• Cheaper
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Placebo
Active 1
Active 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Shiny appearance
10
Fragrance remaining
Thick/creamy
8
*SMOOTH/SOFT AFTERFEEL*
6
*GLIDES*
4
2
Greasy/coated afterfeel
Easy absorbency
0
Tacky afterfeel
Greasy/coated appearance
Greasy initial feel
131 - Day cream with Cationic Guar
Strong initial fragrance
*GREASY INITIAL APPEARANCE*
Tacky initial feel
662 - Day cream placeabo
Sustainability/Ethical Trading
• Source
• Fully characterised plant variety
• Fully tracked “Identity Preserved” base raw
material from field to factory
• Preferably cultivated
• Environmental impact
• If wild harvest full environmental impact
assessment prepared
• If field grown ensure not displacing
endangered species
• Production methods
• Low carbon as possible
• low impact solvents – water, ethanol. SC
CO2
• Yield
• Actives preferably in plants at above 1%
• Fair trade
• Fair returns throughout the supply chain
Regulatory
• REGULATION (EC) No 1223/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on cosmetic products –
came into force Jan 2010 - 3.5 year implementation period
– Animal testing
– Positive lists – colours, preservatives, sun filter
– Efficacy/documentation
• EU regulation on the Registration, Authorisation, Evaluation
and Restriction of Chemicals (REACh)
• Biocides Directive 98/8/EC – insect repellents
• Advertising Standards/Trading Standards
Safety and Efficacy
Safety
• Meet the requirements of Cosmetics and
REACh regulations as appropriate
• As much In-vitro or human ex-vivo data as
possible
• Issues around animal testing
• Supported by as much published literature
data as possible
• Challenging compounds – enzymes, small
proteins, estrogenics
Efficacy
• Data from “test tube”, in-vitro skin models
and preferably human studies
• Placebo controlled and comparative data
against the best competitor on the market
• Some formulation compatibility/stability data
Supply
• Variable Volumes
– Stage Gate Stop/Go strategy at
each milestone
– Customer demand hard to
predict – can go up or down!
• Quick response
– Need to be able to respond to
demands what ever the season
– Delivery to factories around the
world
– Logistics to deliver on time in
full
– short lead times
Costs
• Realistic cost analysis at start of the
development
– Development, raw material, processing, capital
etc
• Understanding market cost sensitivities
– Small change in cost of goods has large change
in selling price
• Economies of scale
– Essential to have many end users in a number of
industries, reduces cost and risk
Intellectual Property
• Understand
the patent
landscape
• Protect the compound/
plant/ process/ end use/
combinations where possible
• Think about research
disclosures
• Remember a patent stops
other people using your
invention – it does NOT
allow you to use your
invention
Example
•
•
•
•
Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow)
Long history of use
Source of polysaccharides/polyphenols
Current sources too variable in
performance and quality
• Known activities:
– Immunomodulating, anti-eczema and
psoriasis, general skin soothing
protecting and moisturising, dental gum
health, digestive aid
Novel growing system
Hydroponics
- Chosen due to its greater yield
potential (tops vs. root growth)
- Roots (source of actives) more
easily harvested and likely to be
of consistant quality
- Allows pesticide free and
unwanted heavy metals free
growing conditions
- Higher yield of active
compounds and consistent quality
Choice of extraction technology
• Driven by interest in
both polysaccharides
and polyphenols need to maximise
yield
• Alcohol extraction
not appropriate due
to poor solubility of
polysaccharides.
• Focus on
superheated water
due to specialist
knowledge of a key
collaborator
Outcomes – efficacy testing
• COMET
assays carried
out to determine
DNA protective
effect against
UVA damage
• Statistically
significant
reduction in DNA
damage for
hydroponically
sourced material
compared to
conventional
Blank control
C MM only control
H MM only control
UVA only control
C MM + UVA
H MM + UVA*
0
10
20
30
40
Median DNA Damage (%)
50
60
70
Outcomes – efficacy testing
Prevention of lipid peroxidation in human
skin lipid model
irradiated
hydroponic
irradiated soil
grown
Series2
irradiated
control
unirradiated
control
0
100
200
peroxide content (nmol/L)
300
The final outcome
Summary
• The cosmetics industry needs new
extracts and fine chemicals from plants
• By careful consideration of the factors
involved in the development of new
actives it is possible to deliver exiting new
materials that delight the customers