In-cosmetics Global: Ajinomoto unveils plastic-free cosmetic beads and amino acid-based kit

22 Apr 2024 --- Ajinomoto showcases plastic-free sustainable beads in the Amihope SB series alongside its new amino acid-based treatment kit Amiaura TK-01A/TK-01B.

Personal Care Insights spoke to the company at the In-cosmetics Global trade show in Paris, France, to learn more about its innovations.

“The idea behind Amihope SB is to replace microplastic beads in the makeup industry. As you know, microplastics are a big concern and must be replaced in many makeup formulations nowadays,” says Cédric Pety de Thozée, sales and marketing manager of Ajinomoto Specialty Chemicals. 

The beads can be applied in makeup formulations, including foundation, bronzer, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, concealer, lipstick, etc. 

“The issue with the natural beads is that the feeling is absolutely not comparable, unfortunately, to the plastic alternative. So, the idea of my colleagues from development has been to coat these natural beads with silica or starch, with one of our famous ingredients being lauroyl lysine,” he explains.

Lauroyl lysine is an amino acid-based ingredient and is fully natural, he adds. “So you have a fully natural bead support with a natural ingredient. And this is known for its very, very soft touch. So you have the particle, and you have the soft feeling, which compensates for the lack of good feeling.”

Spherical softness and high adhesion
Ajinomoto describes the Amihope SB-103 bead as a “spherical powder that has both a soft feel and high adhesiveness to the skin… It is developed using different coating techniques. And this one is improving the skin feel and SPF, bringing many advantages,” says Thozée.

Amihope SB beads can be applied in makeup formulations and Amiaura can improve the function of powders.Ajinomoto claims the bead improves resistance to cracking in pressed foundations while having a high adhesiveness to the skin, making it long-lasting. It is also designed to improve skin spots and uneven skin tones.

Other beads in the line include Amihope SB-101 and SB-102. All three beads are lauroyl lysine-based and major applications include makeup and sun, skin and hair care.

Thozée says the main benefit of the series, compared to its unsustainable alternative, is its “focus on softness and feeling.”

“If you take starch and silica, the feeling is not comparable to the plastic alternatives. If you want to replace that, you have to have something softer, and that’s what the coating [of the beads] will provide, and because it’s a round-shaped particle, you get a blurring effect,” says Thozée.

Amino-acid-based coating
Ajinomoto says its new amino acid-based treatment kit Amiaura can improve the function of powders by forming an amino acid gel on the particle surface, which improves the powder’s “affinity” for skin and powder formulations.

The kit, touted as an “improved version of what is sold commercially,” is designed to increase pigments’ ability to spread on the skin.

“This is the first kit we are launching, based on two different mixed ingredients. We want a sustainable solution as we noticed that many pigments are already treated with silicon,” says Thozée.

“While the treatment with silicon has some benefits sometimes, it is not natural. We know on the market that some producers can make the amino acid coating on some pigments, but this is really a minority. So we wanted to provide this technology that is affordable and available to anyone.”

He adds that the kit enables users to “treat the pigment in their factory like doing it at home.” 

“So, because it’s an amino acid-based coating, it is skin-friendly. That’s the benefit of the natural orientation of Ajinomoto and all our ingredients. The natural coating is good for the skin and gives pigments a good adhesion property,” continues Thozée.

“We also have functional benefits in immersion. Pigments coated with silicon are not always soluble in every type of oil. Thanks to this Amiaura coating, we have demonstrated that we have pigments that are much more soluble in many different oil types and to a better extent than the silicon treatment.”

By Venya Patel