Upcycling, under this anglicism lies an idea that is both ecological and economic: using as raw material ingredients and materials destined to become waste.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling is "recycling from the top" (up = upwards). Instead of degrading a used product (e.g. a garment is recycled by reducing it to rags, fuel or a new material), we recycle it nobly. In the world of Fashion , upcycling consists of creating clothes either from used clothes that are recut and reassembled, or from unused fabric scraps.
Upcycling means thinking of a product from the outset in terms of circularity: we no longer create a product to use it and then throw it away, we create it to use it and then reuse it for a completely different purpose. Or even use the material resulting from its production to create another product.
In fact, upcycling covers two meanings: either a post-use transformation or the use of production residues.
In beauty , the idea has been around for a long time: using waste or "co-products" or biomass from other industries - mainly food - to make them into choice active ingredients. And rightly so, because these derivative products generally contain extremely interesting molecules.
A supply disrupted by the pandemic
As revealed in a study published by Ecovia Intelligence, the pandemic crisis has shaken the cosmetics industry's supply chains, leading to:
- A reflection on the raw materials used
- A search for local and regional supplies
- Development of the circular economy
In this context, waste from the local agri-food industry appears to be natural raw materials of choice.
Good news: not only are they easily accessible, but they also fully meet consumer demand, in search of naturalness, traceability, eco-responsibility, "localism" and circularity. Finally, they highlight a terroir, a culture and allow farmers, market gardeners or producers to add value to another part of their merchandise. Not to mention that these raw materials are often not very expensive!
Why are plants great candidates for upcycling?
Measures related to the COVID 19 pandemic have affected the harvesting, processing and transportation of plant extracts, with shortages, extended lead times due to port quarantines and increased costs.
At the same time, it turns out that all plants develop strategies to adapt to their environment and protect themselves from bad weather, attacks, etc.
To do this, they produce multiple molecules: the most interesting are antioxidants: vitamins (A, C, E), carotenoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, etc. All fruits and vegetables contain them.
In addition, it is often in their envelope (shell, skin, bran), which is their protection, that these molecules are the most concentrated. As well as in the stems and seeds. And here again, good news, these are the parts that food does not use. So, great candidates for upcycling. Moreover, many cosmetic brands based on a flagship plant ingredient were originally created by a family or an industrial group, whose main activity was the flagship product and looking for a lucrative outlet for its derivatives.
Pioneers in the healthcare sector:
Grapes from French vineyards
Every year, global wine production leaves aside 13 million tons of grape marc (dry residue made up of seeds, skin and stalks). However, the vine contains a phenomenal quantity of antioxidants, which are obviously found in wine – red wine in particular – but also in these co-products: polyphenol in the seeds, resveratrol in the vine shoots, anti-stain viniferine in the sap. And grape marc, freeze-dried and crushed, can also become an exfoliant with antioxidant properties.
The Burgundy oak
Two patented oak extracts – the anti-aging Quercus Petraea Concentrate and the moisturizing Petrasève – are extracted from oak shavings from the Bertranges forest and used in cosmetics by the Charlois group, based in Nièvre, a manufacturer of barrels for the great Burgundy and neighboring Champagne vintages, through the La Chênaie brand.
The Landes pine
OPC (Oligo-ProanthoCyanidine) from pine bark is a powerful antioxidant, whose protective action is superior to that of vitamin C, but also a collagen protector, therefore an excellent anti-aging agent. It is also found under the name Pycnogenol, which is in fact a trademark registered by a German laboratory on an extract of French maritime pine. Pine also contains rosin waxes, terpenes from which notes are extracted in perfumery. As for the oil from pine seeds, it is rich in essential fatty acids, polyphenols and phytosterols (Océopin).
Mediterranean “ugly” fruits
Do you remember the advertisement for "ugly fruits", which are also edible? Well before this humorous promotion, a small Marseille brand had the idea in 2008 to convert these neglected plants into organic cosmetics, by harvesting them from local market gardeners.
Norman and Breton cider apples
Apple pomace and apple tree leaves, post-pressing residues, can be extracted to obtain cider juice made of phenolic compounds with numerous properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, etc.). Apple α-hydroxy acid (malic acid) is one of the most widely used fruit acids in cosmetics to refine skin texture. Finally, the pectin in apple pomace is used as a texturizer for creams and balms and a thickener/stabilizer for body lotions, shampoos, etc.
The grounds of Parisian and Danish coffees
Cafes throw away tons of coffee grounds every year. A Parisian brand collects coffee grounds from local cafes to make an exfoliant rich in slimming caffeine. A Danish brand has done the same and also uses it to make a coffee oil with anti-aging and healing properties.
To respond to this upcycling trend, many manufacturers of natural ingredients are developing cosmetic ingredients from crop residues, whether from avocados (Expanscience), blueberry seeds, vetiver or coffee grounds (Givaudan) or even tree bark (BioForeXtra).
In perfume too
Perfume houses have also started to look at circularity and look for new ingredients to design upcycled fragrances. These can come either from an in-house fragrance ingredient creation process or from external waste such as agricultural residues that would otherwise have become compost.
For example, after the distillation of the flowers, rose petals from Turkey still contain odorous molecules. These molecules are recovered to create a reinterpretation of the scent of the rose, with new facets of apricot, tobacco and spice (Rose Ultimate™ by LMR Naturals by IFF but also Rose NeoAbsolute™ Colourless Orpur® at Givaudan).
As for the upcycling of non-perfume waste, an ingredient with woody, smoky and vanilla notes (Oakwood co2 Lmr Naturals by IFF) comes from unused oak wood chips from a barrel manufacturer based in Cognac.
Other examples: Givaudan, which extracts a component (Apple Oil Orpur®) from apple juice pomace, and Firmenich, which has implemented a program to create perfumed materials through upcycling since 2020.
There is even a project – AgriWasteValue – supported by the Interreg North West Europe programme, in partnership with AgroParisTech, the French Cosmetic Valley and suppliers and manufacturers, to transform agricultural residues into bioactive compounds that can be used in the cosmetic and nutraceutical sectors.
Now, thanks to upcycling, waste becomes noble, recoverable and valued cosmetic raw materials.
