Silica From Plants and Animals
Silica is traditionally sourced as a byproduct of sand dredging or open pit mining leading to substantial C02 emissions. It has wide usage in industrial, consumer, and pharmaceutical applications. In commodity applications silica is used as a filler and a binder, and demonstrates high levels of performance in skin care and color cosmetics. Yet, sand is not a renewable resource.
“Biogenic” silica can be found in some plants and animals. For example, sponges have body skeletons complemented with silica, unlike calcium based human skeletons, which they produce through a unique enzymatic process. Diatoms, a single cell microalgae, have silica-based walls, and have been studied for their genetic characteristics.
Another source of biogenic silica is sugarcane bagasse, the straw husk that is separated from sugarcane stalks during juicing. A significant enough percentage of biogenic silica is present in bagasse that, if the right process is applied, silica can be derived from the bagasse.
Our new technology allows for the extraction of silica which is uniquely processed and designed to meet key characteristics for use in cosmetics across many categories such as color cosmetics, skin care, body care, sun care and more.
Discover More About Biosilica™:
Contact us to learn more about Biosilica
Amyris and World Wildlife Fund Join Forces to Protect Threatened Ecosystems
Progress in the Name of Planet-Positive Change [A version of this article was published earlier on Amyris, our joint venture partner.] This week, Amyris announced an exciting three-year partnership with World Wildlife Fund. [...]
Celebrate International Squalane Day with Squalane’s Little-Known, Big Benefit
A Toast to Squalane: Our Sustainable Sugarcane-Derived Hero Ingredient What do sugarcane and Squalane have in common? As it turns out, it’s more than just our patented bio-fermentation, powered by sugarcane. Beginning [...]
Our Inaugural International Squalane Day
Why We're Celebrating Squalane on Oct. 14 International Squalane Day was created in partnership with Amyris to celebrate the planet-positive change bio-fermentation has brought to the world. We believe sustainability starts from [...]
What Is Hemisqualane: A Quick Guide to Sustainable Emollients
How the Best-Performing Natural Silicone Replacement Stacks Up [A version of this article was published earlier on Amyris, our joint venture partner.] For decades, the personal care industry had relied on silicone simply [...]
Safer Sunscreens: How to Formulate White Cast-Free and Benzene-Free SPF
Get the Benefits of Organic UV Filters with the Safety of Inorganic Today’s beauty consumers prioritize the safety of their ingredients. It’s led to the rise in ingredient safety websites like EWG, [...]
Bio-Fermentation Is Transforming the Beauty Industry Today
Sustainability Starts at the Source: Irrigation-Free Sugarcane If you look around the beauty industry, you’re likely to find the word “sustainability” strewn about. It reflects consumers’ emphases on a more eco-conscious life. [...]