3 ways to define ‘hero ingredients’

Hero ingredients are a good solution for any formulation. Chances are the term hero ingredient is familiar to cosmetic chemists. Many brands use the phrase to market their next best product or range, powered by a hero ingredient. But what exactly is a hero ingredient? What makes it special, and how can brands position their next product launch on one? Experts from Aprinnova provide the answers.

A hero ingredient offers multiple benefits backed by scientific studies, can be used across categories and applications, and is always available. Heroes respond to consumer demand for streamlined, skinimalist routines by helping formulators pare down INCI lists without sacrificing on performance – one hero ingredient can be used instead of many “sidekick” ingredients with fewer benefits.

The concept is explained in detail in The Product Developer’s Guide to the Clean Beauty Renaissance, available for download on Aprinnova’s website. The guide provides three critical answers to help beauty and personal care formulators improve their next product launch. Not only does it cover how to define hero ingredients, it also provides strategies for holistically defining “clean” and establishing supply chain transparency. Together, these approaches enable formulators to enter into the clean beauty renaissance wherein all beauty care becomes clean beauty, which is key to success.

These three features should be top of mind when defining hero ingredients:

1. multiple benefits backed by scientific studies

2. ability to be used across categories and applications

3. always available with a stable, ethical supply chain.

Hero ingredients truly do it all, much like a superhero would. The sustainable and ethical supply chain of hero ingredients provides an ideal solution for multiple sidekick ingredients that bulk up an INCI list. The flexibility behind hero ingredients enables them to enhance any category and application.

Hero ingredients truly do it all, much like a superhero would

Sugarcane-derived skin care hero

Neossance™ Squalane is a go-to emollient for the highest quality, best performing skin care products. It fits the three criteria for hero ingredients and offers a wide range of benefits. It increases skin moisturisation, improves barrier repair, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, promotes a healthy skin microbiome and efficiently delivers up to 40 times more CBD faster than other oils.

Neossance Squalane is also behind the success of the new CleanScreen™ Z60SF. This zinc oxide UV dispersion addresses increasing consumer concerns about sunscreen safety and sustainability without compromising on product performance or sensory properties. With CleanScreen Z60SF, formulators can design non-whitening, anti-ageing skin care products and colour cosmetics that meet the highest standards of clean beauty.

Neossance Squalane is a more stable form of the body’s natural moisturiser, squalene. It replaces traditional squalane extracted from shark liver or impure and inconsistent olive oil squalane. Neossance Squalane can also work as a carrier, helping to enhance the performance of actives in skin care products.

Did you know?

73% of millennials are willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency in all attributes. Consumers understand that sustainability is valuable and are willing to pay a premium so that the Earth can benefit. Source: www.labelinsight.com

Hero ingredient for hair care

Neossance Hemisqualane is an ideal natural and sustainable replacement for silicones in personal care and cosmetics. In hair care, it offers the same benefits as traditional ingredients like amodimethicone, dimethicone, hydrolysed keratin and polyquaternium-55. This innovative light emollient has a high spreadability and a great sensorial profile. It fortifies hair care formulations, offering frizz reduction, damage reduction, advanced colour retention and increased thermal protection.

Aprinnova’s Neossance Squalane and Hemisqualane are produced from fermentation of Bonsucro-certified renewable sugarcane. Bonsucro, a global non-profit organisation funded by the World Wildlife Foundation, promotes sustainable sugarcane production, processing and trade. Its platform provides brands and consumers with complete confidence that Aprinnova’s cosmetic ingredients are made sustainably and ethically, right from the start. In South Africa, these clean beauty ingredients are available from Savannah Fine Chemicals.

Continue the journey

With the right tools, beauty brands and cosmetic chemists can embrace the future of clean. The Product Developer’s Guide to the Clean Beauty Renaissance provides formulators with an in-depth perspective of clean beauty, hero ingredients and complete supply chain transparency.

Each of these clear guidelines will inspire and frame successful product launches which resonate with consumers’ demands. Successful clean beauty product launches start with effective, sustainable ingredients. Click on the link to download your copy of the guide: https://bit.ly/3BHg94I

Ample room for innovation

Although there is hype from a number of experts on a merger of the hair, scalp care, skin care and wellness categories, I believe it will still be a couple of years before we see an integration of any magnitude.

Consumer demand across these categories may have aligned, but they are viewed in a different light. Hair care is still seen as the “rock ’n roll” of the professional beauty industry, whereas skin care is perceived as gentle and soothing classical jazz.

Having said that, as technology increases, innovation will continue in the scalp care category. I do foresee an increase in personal home devices for scalp care and treatment. In fact, there is still a gap in the South African market for advancement and innovation. •