VTT Develops Use of Berry Seeds in Cosmetics

Berry seed husks have properties worth using in cosmetics to prevent the growth of harmful microbes, according to VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

The food industry produces large amounts of press cakes containing a range of useful compounds for the skin, such as polyphenols known for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Until now, the industry has largely confined itself to extracting seed oil from press cake. Despite the potential for new product concepts, no other high-value-added products are currently made from press cake.

“Cosmetics trends include the maintenance of healthy skin and replacement of preservatives with natural compounds. Berry seed husks contain large amounts of antimicrobial compounds which can help to maintain a natural microbial balance in the skin, by suppressing the growth of harmful microbes while beneficial ones flourish. This is based on nature’s way of protecting seeds from threats such as fungi,” says Riitta Puupponen-Pimiä, Principal Scientist at VTT.

“These new technologies and ingredients are really interesting and not only for cosmetics, but also suitable for many other industrial applications. Their role is to inhibit the growth of harmful microbes in your products and to increase its antioxidant status,” Puupponen-Pimiä tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Natural, safe and healthy are the megatrends in global cosmetic and food industry. Many cosmetic ingredients are synthetic, especially the preservatives, which are associated with many negative or even toxic effects by the consumer. Also, legislation is starting to react, and in the near future, there will be restrictions related to them. Thus, the cosmetic industry is looking for alternative approaches to replace synthetic ingredients by safe alternatives. This means a very high increase in the markets of natural antimicrobials in the near future. Plant based natural compounds and extracts have raised a lot of positive interest and they are screened at the moment by many cosmetic companies for their preservative characteristics and other positive activities.