Short Lecture “Pink berries and lavender extracts from perfume industry wastes, examples of sustainable upcycled cosmetic ingredients”

The fragrance industry requires a huge amount of raw material and generates substantial wastes in the process of extracting aromatic compounds. When unaltered by the extraction process, they still contain precious non-volatile phytochemicals.

The pink berries (Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi), cultivated in Madagascar are extracted by supercritical CO₂ for fragrance industry. The hydro-alcoholic extract of unaltered wastes contains the active biflavonoids (mainly hinokiflavanone, mazasinoflavanone and amentoflavone), with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Lamiaceae) is a famous essential oil from the south-east of France. Once the stems and flowers are distillated, the spent material accumulate in the fields. Yet, they still contain the famous phenolic acids like rosmarinic acid, well known for their antioxidant and soothing properties.

Each extract has been analyzed by LCMS and chromatograms were compared before and after fragrance extraction to ensure the unaltered state of the waste. The quantification of a specific marker has been developed to check the quality of each produced batch.

Their in vitro and in vivo cosmetic efficacy have been assessed, showing that the upcycled pink berries extract helps to maintain a healthy scalp by protecting it from erythema, flaking and itching in conditions of increased moisture and friction. By strengthening the barrier function and mitigating the oxidative and inflammatory cascades, the upcycled lavender extract shields sensitive skin from indoor pollutants-induced irritation and enhances skin luminosity.

From the fragrance industry waste, a huge potential of opportunities is still available for future launches of sustainable upcycled cosmetic ingredients.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 December 2022