Biotechnology is changing the skincare game as we know it.

Skincare is a competitive market and consumers are choosy, demanding more environmentally conscious options, newer product innovations, and better results year after year. 

Thanks to biotech, it’s easier than ever to deliver in each of these three key areas and stand out on the shelves.

So how can you make biotechnology work for your small skincare business? 

Our in-depth guide below breaks down biotechnology in skincare in simple terms. We reveal biotechnology’s five main benefits and provide examples of skincare brands that are flourishing thanks to this innovative technology. 

What Is Biotechnology In The Context Of Skincare? 

According to scientists Gomes and colleagues, biotechnology “uses microorganisms or enzymes to obtain specific products through fermentative processes and/or genetic engineering techniques.”

In simple terms, instead of just extracting ingredients from animals, plants, or petrochemicals, biotechnology involves scientists using the latest fermentation developments or genetic engineering technology to create new and improved skincare in the lab. 

As explained by Jerold et al., fermentation is the traditional biotechnological method, while modern techniques are increasingly based on advanced genetic engineering. 

The result? New ingredients and product formats, enhanced skincare benefits, and improved sustainability. 

How impressive is the technology? Innovations that we’ve never thought possible before, shared on TODAY News, include: 

• A rediscovered scent for cosmetics, extracted from a 100-year-old DNA sample of a now-extinct flower

• Machine learning technology for antiperspirant products that triggers certain underarm microbes and deactivates others to prevent odor

Biotechnology At Genie Supply

Do you have an exciting never-seen-before skincare idea? Wondering if biotechnology can make that dream product a reality?

At Genie Supply, we’re no stranger to innovative R&D like biotechnology: we specialize in cutting-edge clean beauty, novel chemical research, new-to-market formats/skincare concepts, and hybrid products. Learn more about our custom formulating services here. 

Schedule a call to discuss your ideas and learn more about our capabilities with green biotech, biodegradable ingredients, and innovative sleep-enhancing and nootropic beauty. 

The Benefits Of Biotechnology 

1. Innovative & Personalized Biotechnology: Greatly Enhances Skincare Benefits

Biotechnology is not just about adding a basic lab-made ingredient to a standard cosmetic formula. It’s about thoughtful and innovative R&D to achieve new levels of performance and deliver advanced skincare results for consumers:

• Advanced biotechnology is driving disruption in the industry

Krystal Biotech’s subsidiary ‘Jeune’ is trialing biotechnology that could unlock a previously untapped mechanism to dramatically younger-looking skin. The innovation involves injecting a synthetic gene directly into key cells in the body to ‘trigger’ the production of type III collagen, which is linked to both skin elasticity and wound healing. 

• Bioengineered ingredients are also changing the game

Croda Beauty’s ‘Luceane’ is a protective anti-aging active developed using biofermentation of a Pseudoalteromonas strain. This new product is linked to a reduction in premature skin aging by five years after just one month of use.  

• Biotechnology (along with AI) is bringing skincare personalization to a new level

Developed by a PhD in bioengineering, iuno’s skincare assessment involves a finger prick test that helps to determine the absolute best products to treat each individual person’s unique skin. 

2. Reduces Exploitation Of Natural Resources And Labor 

With the rise of PCR and plastic-free packaging, skincare brands are beginning to make promising sustainable leaps forward. What if we could carry those same environmentally-conscious principles over to the product formula?

Cosmetic ingredients are often derived from petrochemicals or endangered plant and animal species. 

National Geographic explains that many natural resources harvested for cosmetics across Africa, Asia, and South America are at risk for overharvesting and are linked to labor exploitation. These include the skincare favorites jatamansi, pygeum, argan, and gum arabic.

We tend to assume that 100% natural is always better, but in actuality, synthetic ingredients often outperform their natural counterparts. Even if that were not the case, we must consider the potential labor exploitation involved, and the substantial land, water, and waste required just to create a small batch of our favorite natural beauty products.

As reported on TODAY News, rose oil requires 200,000 petals to produce just a few milliliters of product. Thanks to biotech developments, labs can now develop more sustainable ‘dupes’ of these naturally sourced but environmentally destructive skincare ingredients. 

We are even seeing the transition from naturally derived to lab-made with trendy ingredients like CBD. As outlined by Cellular Goods, Willow Biosciences Inc. found that CO2 emissions from sativa extraction are 44-fold higher than CBD biotechnological fermentation, with agricultural production of the plant producing 527 times more CO2 emissions per kilogram of CBD produced.

3. Creates Vegan Alternatives To Animal-Derived Ingredients 

Despite major leaps in cosmetic formulations and ever-increasing product innovations, some of the most popular products on the market (cough... snail mucin) are still not vegan or even cruelty-free. 

This is where biotech makes breakthroughs. Nova et al. report that the demand for squalene’s emollient, antioxidant, and hydrating skincare benefits contributes to the slaughter of three to six million deep-sea sharks each year, further endangering the marine ecosystem. Learn more about blue beauty in our full breakdown here. 

Scientists discovered that yeast, bacteria, and certain microalgae naturally produce squalene, which they genetically engineer to produce the popular vegan and cruelty-free ‘squalane’ alternative. 

At Genie Supply, we are committed to sustainable, clean, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare. Much of our preformulated range is vegan and matches the cruelty-free standards set by Leaping Bunny. Look out for the ‘vegan’ and ‘Leaping Bunny’ logos on our product pages here.

4. Facilitates Upcycling For An Even Further Reduction In Waste 

We’ve covered how biotechnology sustainably replicates natural ingredients, but what if it could go one step further and reduce waste in other industries at the same time? Enter upcycling. 

Upcycled ingredients are made using the byproducts of manufacturing that would typically be disposed of as waste.  

Not only can biotechnology help extract the valuable parts of waste, but recent research notes that this technology provides better waste material for upcycling in the first place. 

An academic paper from 2023 uses the luxury clean skincare brand Caudalie as a case study in upcycling. The company developed its resveratrol using waste produced by winemaking. Biotechnology helped extract a special phenolic compound from the waste that provides anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, and firming benefits.

At Genie Supply, upcycling is one of our favorite sustainability initiatives. Not only can upcycling help your brand cut down on waste, but it’s also a great selling point for environmentally-conscious consumers. Learn more about the latest innovative processes at Genie Supply here. 

5. A Smoother Supply Chain With Better Product Consistency

A fifth major advantage of biotechnology is that it can overcome much of the uncertainty and unforeseen circumstances built into the traditional cosmetic ingredient supply chain. 

The raw materials supply chain is full of unpredictable factors outside our control: poor crop yields due to natural disasters, destabilizing wars, and sudden political unrest. 

As reported in Reuters, the Ukraine war resulted in significant sunflower-seed oil shortages for the beauty industry. Supply-side shocks raise the price of such raw materials and may lead to delays in your production or the need to reformulate products altogether. 

Although biotechnology often begins with natural-sourced ingredients, it requires a much smaller crop yield to produce the same number of skincare products. Therefore, shortages due to any of these unforeseen factors are less detrimental to the biotech-based supply chain.  

Another issue with choosing pure natural ingredients is that quality can vary widely from harvest to harvest. If you receive a bad batch, your raw materials may need to be replaced, leading to an increase in costs and significant delays. Learn more about product testing in our full guide here. 

Biotechnology eliminates this uncertainty and stress: because the ingredients are made in a controlled lab environment, the result is a much higher degree of product consistency with every single batch. 

In sum, the five major advantages of biotechnology in skincare are: 

• More innovative and personalized skincare concepts and ingredients

• Reduced exploitation of natural resources and labor 

• The potential to create vegan alternatives to popular animal-derived skincare ingredients 

• The ability to upcycle waste in the cosmetics industry and other industries 

• Results in a smoother supply chain due to a weaker reliance on unpredictable raw material crops 

Are you interested in using biotechnology to level up your skincare business? Genie Supply would love to collaborate on new innovative project ideas. Get in touch and share your ideas by emailing: customerservice@geniesupply.com or calling: (812)23291105.