Gattefossé to develop cosmetics actives with green technology in exclusive deal
The patented technology is directly inspired by the way in which metabolites are solubilized in plant cells, through eutectic combinations of sugars and nitrogen compounds, and allows the creation of active compositions unattainable with conventional solvents.
The NaDES technology is natural, non-toxic and efficient at low temperatures, which Gattefossé believes makes it ideal to provide high-performance sustainable ingredients with positive environmental impact.
“This is a very exciting development for Gattefossé,” says Frederic Demarne, Scientific Director at the French firm. “Using this technology we have been able to discover previously unknown benefits of existing plant species and our Research and Development teams are identifying further advantages every day.
“NaDES is certain to be a source of many new cosmetic actives in the future and a breakthrough for the industry.”
Green technology
Green technology actively seeks new solvents to replace common organic solvents that present inherent toxicity and have high volatility, leading to evaporation of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere.
This is where the NaDES technology steps in as it fully represents green chemistry principles.
Back in 2013, a group of scientists in The Netherlands prepared a group of solvents called natural deep eutectic solvents using naturally occurring plant metabolites to form NaDES.
They postulated that plants contain another medium as an alternative to water and lipids based on their recent finding that many primary plant metabolites that are normally solids become liquid when they are mixed in certain proportions.
The occurrence of NaDES in plants helps to explain the biosynthesis and storage of compounds that are poorly soluble in water. They are also consistent with the increased levels of metabolites like sugars, amino acids, organic acids and amines during drought, when water levels in plants are low.
