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“Natural” is a loaded word in the beauty world.
Backgrounds and Illustrations: Getty Images
Typically, natural is used to describe anything that has not been created by humans.
Now, that same technology is trickling into beauty products.
“It’s basically low-temperature dehydration,” saysRanella Hirsch, MD, a dermatologist in Boston.
Since they’re dehydrated, they can be used in powdered makeup and the latest skin-care trend waterlessformulas.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of freeze-drying is its potential benefit for theenvironment.
“You have a longer shelf life, fewer preservatives, less weight,” says Dr. Hirsch.
“Decreasing thecarbon footprintmakes freeze-drying environmentally friendly.
Thats the big seller with this [trend],” adds Dr. Hirsch.
And Acaderma uses freeze-dried mulberry root in itsStar Light Spot Corrector.
The plant extract has mulberroside F, an organic compound that inhibits the increased melanin production that can causehyperpigmentation.
Highly-Potent Fermented Products
Fermentationused to have an image problem.
Now theyre in this face cream!"
People are buying fermenters to brew beer in their kitchens.
“Over the last 10 years, patent activity in this space has almost tripled,” says Sha.
Ferment filtrates are some of the most promising ingredients to come out of this research.
In general, these types of ingredients tend to be more effective than their nonfermented counterparts, says Koestline.
AndOsea’s Seaglow Overnight Serumhas a fermented version of shiunko oil that helps improve skin’s moisture barrier.
Vegan Alternatives to Popular Ingredients
Remember our fictional beauty executive?
As customers have learned more about these ingredients, the demand forveganalternatives has increased.
Koestline is also excited about vegancollagen.
you might find the ingredient inOrora Bioactive Collagen Serum.
More recently, the biotech company Amyris has beenproducing itfrom sugarcane.
The process responsible for transforming sugarcane into squalane?
You guessed it: fermentation.
Cocokind
Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum
One company that does this, Dr. Hirsch says, isCocokind.
Theyre a marriage of all the resources at our disposal.
Or, to sum it up in just one word: “Science,” says Dr. Hirsch.
“If you want a [trend] prediction for 2024, thats it.”
This story originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Allure.
