It’s increasingly common for food by-products to make their way into beauty product formulations. Over the past several months, Welch’s partnered with an ingredient maker to make use of the grape grower’s so-called side stream products; researchers found a new use for olive oil waste; and this publication even gave an industry award for the best ingredient made from so-called recycled materials.
And while terms like ‘food-grade’ and the idea that no material is going to waste resonates with some consumers, others are looking for something that’s first proven for its merits (and only later, if ever, for its ecological savings), and for something that’s also perhaps more exclusive, more rare.
Seasoning
Saffron is well known in culinary spaces as a spice collected from Crocus flowers. With its launch at Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this summer, the personal care brand Saffron Secret has moved the distinctive spice into the beauty space.
Saffron Secret is a collection of seven hair products: a smoothing treatment, shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and three different hair oils, all of which are formulated with saffron sourced from Spain. The brand, which manufactures its product in the US, will be launching a saffron skin care line in 2018.
Sweet fruit
Date sap is the active ingredient in French skin care brand l’Odaïtès. Launched some three years ago, the brand comprises five skin and body care products: an Intense Anti-Aging Cream, a Replenishing Anti-Aging Serum, a Radiance Anti-Aging Mask, a Make-Up Cleanser, and a Nourishing Balm for both the face and body. All of these are formulated with dates sourced from Tunisia.
The brand’s CEO Nabila Chemillier-El Hedda is showcasing the collection at this week’s Indie Beauty Expo in New York City. And she’s showing a sample of l’Odaïtès next product launch too: an enchanting exfoliant made of virtually pure date sap with finely milled date pit as the exfoliating ingredient.
Superfood
Delightful foods are all around us, and sometimes it takes a lifetime of travel to help us realize how uncommon and how wonderful such foods really are. Jené Roestrof, founder and director of Luxe Botanics, has an eye for distinctive botanicals and a passion for science-based skin care.
She grew up in South Africa, where she got acquainted with unique nuts and fruits like marula and kigelia. Her brand is currently made up of three product lines, one made with marula oil, one made with kigelia, and one of which is formulated with camu camu berry extract. The vitamin C – rich fruit grows wild in Brazil and is only available fresh from February to May, Roestrof tells Cosmetics Design.
Camu has a bit of a following as a superfood. And now, this choice fruit has a chance to make an impact as a personal care ingredient too.