In The News: zero-waste ingredient, new packaging material, another multinational in India, grooming

Macro Oceans launches a polysaccharide, JBM introduces water resistant paper, CeraVe launches in India, 5WPR expands to keep pace with growing men's grooming category.

fall leaves in rust and brown shades — Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

🌊💋Planet-Saving Polysaccharide

A California-based biotech research company called Macro Oceans is intent on “helping accelerate the transition away from petrochemicals.” And today that company is launching a first commercial product into the cosmetics ingredient marketplace.

Their Hydrating Marine Polysaccharide is, well…hydrating, as demonstrated in clinical trials; and further (preliminary, small-sample) trials conducted suggest that there are likely anti-inflamatory and antioxidant benefits too. But the real story here is one of zero-waste ingredient production, a fully US-based supply chain, and a “new model of regenerative ocean agriculture.”

If you read my latest column in EuroCosmetics magazine, you know that regenerative beauty is a topic I am watching with great interest—both as it pertains to skincare and cellular regeneration as well as to agriculture and ingredient production. Macro Oceans Founder and CEO Matthew Perkins explains it this way: “Regenerative is the next step beyond organic.” Organic, he tells me, is about making better choices; food safety choices in particular. But, he notes, “organic is not looking at the impact on the land or what it does to the ecosystem.”

“Regenerative agriculture supports more pristine and more healthy ecosystems. We think that seaweed is an extension of that. It’s improving marine habitats.” The raw material for Macro Oceans’ ingredients is sourced using “regenerative farming in the ocean.”

The newly launched Hydrating Marine Polysaccharide ingredient is (as you’ve likely deduced) isolated from seaweed. Macro Oceans works with local seaweed farming families in the Kodiak community of Alaska. Each November farmers seed their plots with ropes (which act as furrows do in land-based farming), ropes dotted with seaweed sporophytes. The seaweed is cultivated within 12 feet of the water surface; but because of what’s known as the Alaska Current (the direction and speed of water flow around the Gulf of Alaska) it is feed by deep-water nutrients. Come spring, the crop grows quickly, capturing carbon though natural photosynthesis. Harvest can begin in late April and is complete by the end of May. To oversimplify it, harvest means pulling in the ropes and the attached seaweed. From there, the team at Macro Oceans “processes everything,” as Perkins tells me. This is where intentional zero-waste ingredient production comes in. The team is valorizing every bit of the seaweed.

So far as beauty is concerned, the company has developed a few starter formulas using its Hydrating Marine Polysaccharide. Perkins showed me a hydrating serum, a dual-phase makeup remover, and an after-sun mist.

And he’s quite proud to have established what is believed to be “the first fully-domestic supply chain for this ingredient,” emphasizing that Macro Oceans is “using gentle green chemistry and no toxic solvents or harsh chemicals [in processing].”

🔗🧪click here to learn more & request a sample

💧🚫Water-Resistant Paper Packaging💋📦

On Monday, JBM Packaging launched a new certified-recyclable paper for beauty packaging applications. Hydroblox is being marketed as an alternative to plastic or wax-coated paper and promises to “protect products with exposure to water or condensation,” according to a press release circulated by the B Corp company, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, here in the States.

“Across all industries, our customers want plastic-free packaging solutions,” acknowledges Jessica Black, Director of Sales at JBM Packaging.

“Hydroblox,” she says, “is an example of how JBM continuously innovates to balance rigorous performance specifications with sustainability requirements. We want to give our customers quality alternatives as they look to replace their plastic packaging.”

The new ♻️recyclable♻️ paper is available is custom sizes and can accommodate perforations, adhesives, hang holes, windows, and printing. Hydroblox paper was initially developed to make recyclable paper cups like those available at water coolers and fitness centers. Now JBM is making the paper available to customers in the outdoor and camping sector, to art supply makers, for pets products, document protection, and—of course—cosmetics and personal care too.

🧴L’Oréal launches CeraVe in India

“We observed an increasing demand among consumers for skincare that is backed by science and recommended by healthcare professionals. With this launch, we aim to bridge this gap and meet the needs of our consumers, by providing access to expert dermatological care and effective skincare solutions,” said Rami Itani, Director of L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty at L'Oréal India, speaking at a launch event this month.

As part of the CeraVe launch, the beauty maker hosted a gathering of dermatologists, experts, and partners in Mumbai called Skin Barrier Science - A Dermatological Summit. According to a media release, the event focused on the importance of “dermatologically recommended skincare solutions.”

India is the place for beauty makers and growth-oriented brands just now. And L’Oréal isn’t the only company making moves there. In October Shiseido launched two brands into the Indian marketplace. Both the company’s eponymous Shiseido brand as well as the NARS brand are now being sold in India. A stand-alone Shiseido retail boutique opened in Mumbai last month and this month a NARS boutique is open in New Delhi.

📈Getting Behind Men’s Grooming

As the category grows so do service offerings meant to help brands stand out. This month, 5WPR, a sizable independently-owned PR firm based in New York City, announced the expansion of its grooming business (part of the firm’s larger beauty division).

“Men's self-care and personal grooming preferences and routines are continually evolving, and our men's grooming team has been at the forefront of the industry for years, offering innovative solutions to support brands that help men look and feel their best,” says 5WPR Co-CEO, Dara A. Busch, in her remarks to the press.

Busch credits “the industry's rapid evolution...in large part to social media, as trends break onto the scene and knowledge of the best self-care products is distributed. Our team,” she says, “has harnessed these platforms to redefine men's beauty and the products within the space, propelling our brands to new heights as they shape a new era of visibility and inclusivity for men's grooming.”

The firm serves brand in the grooming space with national and regional media relations campaigns as well as influencer collaborations, ambassador or key opinion leader programs, and strategic partnerships.

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