Recycling: from agroindustrial residues to cosmetic
How it started
Over the years, a rise concern has been observed among different areas of activities for delivering to the market more sustainable and environmental conscious products. This concern has also affected consumers preferences and choices when selecting their products of election.
The cosmetic area is known for its constant innovation and keeping up with the latest’s trends and consumer preferences. Exfoliant particles found on the market are mainly composed by synthetic products, making them difficult to degrade and environmentally undesirable. To address this raising concern, many ingredient providers have presented to the market more and more natural alternatives for exfoliants, such as fruit shells, seeds or even small grains from cereals and plants.
This project aims to cover the high demand for more natural and sustainable cosmetic products, more specifically natural exfoliant providers, that are rare and expensive, taking advantage of a natural and wasted resource from a specific region in Portugal (cherry surplus, such as seeds), and transforming these resources into natural cosmetic ingredients, affordable and available from small to large batches.
How it works
HPRD Lda. contributes to the process of transforming these subproducts and surplus into cosmetic ingredients through the activity of both facilities detained by the company: Labfit & Pharmapoli.
Labfit contributes with the prototyping of the exfoliant particles, and conducting all of the assays associated with the ingredient’s characterization, quality control, efficacy and safety and regulatory support of the final product as cosmetic ingredients.
Pharmapoli contributes by optimizing and transforming the process of the seeds and shells to exfoliant particles.
The process
Collecting the seeds
Cleaning and drying process – Pharmapoli
Quality control – Labfit
Final product
Cherry seeds are gathered from several transforming industries in Portugal Interior Region.
An industrial process is set starting with the cleaning process with water using the less quantity of water needed to assure the complete removal of fruit residues, followed by the drying process using preferably sun energy and titration to produce particles with different sizes.
The quality control of the produced particles is made assuring the microbiological, physical and chemical characteristics of the particles, promoting a standardized final product.
These particles are then used at Pharmapoli® facilities to produce cosmetic products for HPRD Lda clients, both in private label and contract
manufacturing. The ingredient is produced at Pharmapoli with the dual purpose of including it in cosmetic products manufactured at our facilities and selling the ingredient to other companies in the same sector.
The smooth effect!
The final product formula is developed to adapt to every skin type, providing a comfortable application
and gentle foaming exfoliation. Designed to ensure a deep cleaning and smooth effect, easy removal with water.
The sustainability values are also incorporated in the design of this formula, containing 95% natural origin ingredients (water included).
