Under the three year agreement Croda will explore Aquapharm’s library of marine microbes in search of new ingredients for skin and hair care products.
Croda spokesperson Robin Gibson told CosmeticsDesign.com that a number of functional chemicals including surfactants, anti-oxidants and fatty acids can be derived from marine microbes.
Sustainable sourcing and production
In addition to being a rich source of useful natural ingredients, marine microbes are self sustaining and therefore a renewable source of ingredients, added Gibson.
Sustainable sourcing is now crucial for marketing purposes but also to avoid see-sawing costs.
“The collaboration with Aquapharm is a key part of our strategy in developing novel, sustainable solutions, for the personal care industry,” said Croda Enterprise Technology president Keith Layden.
Gibson said fermentation is used to manufacture marine-based ingredients so energy use is low and the production process greener than usual.
Scotland-based Aquapharm has a substantial collection of marine bacteria and fungi that it uses to develop actives for several industries including personal care. However, its main focus is on pharmaceuticals.
Funding for more marine research
The company will now be able to deepen its research efforts in this area with funding from Croda.
Under the terms of the agreement, Aquapharm will receive milestone payments and royalties on commercialization of any products that are developed from the joint research project.
Gibson said Croda hopes that the agreement will mark the start of a long-term relationship between the companies. The financial details of the current research agreement were not disclosed.