The discovery means that after using the red English Pinot Noir grapes for the production of M&S’ own English sparkling and rose wine, the skin can then be used for the anti-ageing product.
After years of perfecting the extraction process to produce a more stabilised form of resveratrol, University of Leeds spin-outs, Keracol Limited and Critical Processes Limited, worked together to produce the grape skin extract on a large scale.
Keracol then teamed up with M&S to produce the natural skin care range and the high street retailer has now become the first to recycle its own grape waste into a new beauty product range.
Skin care range
An M&S British eco factory developed skin care formulations to create the product range, Pure Super Grape, which has since been clinically proven to improve skin radiance, even out skin tone and boost hydration.
The Pure Super Grape range is the first natural skin care range to feature resveratrol from English grapes. The anti-ageing range is available in M&S stores and online.
“Our aim is to help retailers like M&S make use of the great array of chemistry that nature provides,” says Dr Richard Blackburn, from the University of Leeds and co-founder of Keracol Limited.
“Sustainable extraction from our natural products has real benefits. What’s more, the grape is the world’s largest fruit crop, and with the wine production industry providing significant waste with all the skins, seeds and stems, there is considerable scope to build on this approach.”
Grape crop
Grape is the world’s largest fruit crop with more than 65 million metric tons per annum and the wine production industry provides a significant waste stream in the form of skins, seeds, and stems.
As such, M&S believes this will be a great use of the waste-product, as it is a good source off resveratrol, which is a natural molecule and antioxidant known to have protective anti-ageing properties.