Givaudan Active Beauty’s Omegablue upcycles bilberries to offer “advanced” skin repair

02 Mar 2021 --- Givaudan Active Beauty is releasing a cosmetic ingredient created from wild bilberries called Omegablue, which boasts “advanced skin repair” properties. 

Wild bilberries grow in Central and Northern Europe, and the company is upcycling the seeds to craft a natural ingredient to revert skin dryness, irritation and desquamation caused by lipid barrier damage.

“Omegablue has an extremely light and silky touch, which allows for appealing, natural formulations,” Pauline Martin, operational marketing and communication manager at Givaudan Active Beauty, tells NutritionInsight.

Applications include sensitive skin targeting products, day creams, night creams, chronically irritated skin-repairing lotions, baby care and dry skin care, she says.

“When applied to the skin in cosmetic formulations, Omegablue improves hydration and skin barrier functionality,” Martin adds.

Omegablue is part of the Givaudan Active Beauty’s upcycling collection, which launched in October 2020. This collection includes eight other functional ingredients in various categories.

Minimizing waste
Givaudan says waste reduction is a new sustainability standard. This has led consumers to reevaluate their daily routines, including beauty regimes, to contribute to minimizing overall waste.

Consumers are ready to go forward, pushing upcycling beauty products as a top trend for the years to come, without compromising the main needs of their skin protection, the company supports.

Traditionally used by the food industry for their juice and sugar, bilberries are also a source of anthocyanins extracted from the pulp and fruit skin for the supplement and pharma industries.

“The bilberry seeds are obtained as a by-product of a major extraction of anthocyanins from the fruit skin and pulp. Once extracted, the fruits are separated from the seeds that still contain the polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the seeds are extracted by CO2 to maximize these essential compounds,” explains Martin.

“Crafted by a supercritical CO2 procedure in an upcycled process from the seeds of the Vaccinum myrtillus berry, Omegablue was developed as a topical soothing agent for sensitive and damaged skin,” says Giada Maramaldi, personal care category manager at Givaudan Active Beauty.

“It effectively calms skin discomfort in a transient or curative way and contains sebum-like essential fatty acids forming a protective barrier from external agents.”

The company is upcycling the seeds to craft a natural ingredient to revert skin dryness and irritation. Furthermore, the tiny seeds of the berries contain up to 20 percent of linoleic acid (Omega 6) and α-linolenic acid (also Omega 3) in an optimal ratio. These compounds are both known for their capabilities to improve hydration and skin barrier functionality.

Fighting eczema
The efficacy of Omegablue has been shown in surfactant-induced depletion during clinical tests. After three days from the damage, the treated area has completely restored the skin barrier function, the company says. 

Omegablue is also very effective on skin ailed by chronic inflammation (psoriasis) as it significantly decreases erythema severity down to 27 percent and scales formation by 28 percent in four weeks. 

Even better results are shown on eczema challenged skin conditions as erythema severity decreased by 37.5 percent and itch rating by 42.8 percent. 

Omegablue has been formulated in S.O. Smooth, Givaudan’s shower oil crafted to highlight the power of its upcycled ingredient in a body care application.Additionally, the PASI (Psoriasis Area Severity Score) and EASI (Eczema Area Severity Score) improved by 27 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

Suitable for skin and hair
The light and silky touch of Omegablue has been formulated in S.O. Smooth, Givaudan’s shower oil crafted to highlight the power of its upcycled ingredient in a body care application. 

The formula will clean and protect the skin from external aggressions. Enriched with chia oil, a natural ingredient that gently nourishes, it will restore and maintain the skin barrier to bring the skin back to its comfort zone.

The ingredient also holds potential for hair, according to Martin. “Omegablue performs an anti-fragility effect and the hair fiber becomes less permeable. It can be formulated into hair protection shampoos and rinse off/leave-on conditioners and hair masks.”

Building on its natural ingredients for the skin approach, Givaudan Active Beauty recently tapped into the potential of nootropics’ cosmetic properties by unveiling a line of six botanical extracts that benefit the skin. 

From guarana, ginger, green tea and gotu kola to ginkgo biloba and green coffee, the ingredients are well-known among the industry for their use in food supplements.

By Kristiana Lalou