Alder BioInsights News Review, Biobased Products, April 2025
Kon Drousiotis
Foreword
This month’s foreword looks at the evolving landscape of biobased haircare and skincare cosmetics, highlighting R&D advances, strategic partnerships, and key investments that are driving sustainability while transforming beauty and personal care.
Research news includes a success story from Stockholm University where researchers have developed a biobased hair conditioner using lignin gel emulsions, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional products. The study, published in Science Advances, demonstrates that lignin gels can stabilize emulsions with natural oils, reducing the need for synthetic surfactants and complex stabilizers. The lignin-based gel emulsion is comparable to commercial hair conditioners and has potential applications in food industry.
Commercial partnerships include Belgian science company Syensqo working with Chinese biotechnology company Bota Bio, a company specializing in bio-manufactured, clean, and high-performance consumer products. Their strategic five-year partnership will focus on developing high-performance biomimetic ingredients for hair and scalp care, leveraging Bota Bio’s performance protein technology through synthetic biology…
Other News this Month Includes:
Policy
- Commission launches public consultation on upcoming EU Bioeconomy Strategy
- Bridging the bio-based policy gap: from bioeconomy vision to action
- National Biobased Products Day: Building better with biology
Markets
- Unilever acquires personal care brand Wild
- Honeywell’s Technology chosen by Vioneo for its planned European production of fossil-free plastics
- More…
Research & Development
- Drivers for adopting circular bio-based building materials to facilitate a circular transition: a case of a developed economy
- Commission launches new Biotech and Biomanufacturing Hub to support innovative companies
- More…
Polymers
- Status and outlook: Bio-based polymers worldwide
- The biodegradable microbeads that scrub out plastic pollution
- NatureWorks introduces Ingeo™ 3D300 3D printing polymer
Chemicals
- Pow.Bio unveils state-of-the-art facility in alameda, expanding biomanufacturing capabilities to support demand for continuous fermentation
- hubergroup Chemicals introduces innovative bio-based UV oligomers at ECS 2025
- hubergroup unveils revolutionary DYNAMICA Ink Series
Consumer Products
- EEKE: How the BioReCer project builds consumer trust in bio-based products
- Mondi expands packaging portfolio and capacity by completing acquisition of Schumacher Packaging’s Western Europe operations
- lululemon Announces New Collaboration with ZymoChem to Advance and Scale Bio-Based Nylon
