Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to research ‘green chemistry’ ingredient innovation in cosmetics, especially across sun care.
The US beauty giant is working with MIT’s Langer Lab laboratory to research the development of biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications.
This includes exploring “new solutions” to combat the effects of visible light from the sun and blue light on the skin using emerging chemical technologies.
This “promising” research is being led by Dr Ana Jaklenec, Principal Investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, in collaboration with ELC’s R&D Advanced Technology Pioneering Team.
Renowned Biotechnology and Engineering Scientist Dr Robert Langer will act as an advisor.
ELC’s funding will enable Dr Jaklenec to test her recently developed class of biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications.
The focus will be on developing dispersible, stable and formulation-compatible materials to block visible light effectively, and protect consumers from visible light-induced pigmentation and potential photodamage.
“Fostering strategic collaborations with world-leading scientific and academic institutions has long been a critical approach to driving innovation at ELC and enables us to remain at the forefront of research,” said Carl Haney, Executive VP, Research, Product and Innovation Officer at ELC.
“We are proud to collaborate with exceptional scientists who are exploring new frontiers in sustainability and innovation.
“Dr Jaklenec’s research is demonstrating it is possible to develop a new class of materials that can offer various transformative applications.”
The partnership is part of ELC’s plan to further cement its “leadership in green chemistry”, read a statement from the company.
Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Jaklenec said: “As scientists, we deeply value the opportunity to translate our work from the lab to the real world.
“With this new collaboration, we look forward to exploring the potential ways our research can lead to sustainable and innovative materials that drive impactful advancements in skin health."
ELC is also reportedly reviewing its portfolio following a recent management reshuffle, which could allegedly see the company sell off some of its brands.
Both ELC’s Group President, International, Peter Jueptner, and Board Member, Ronald S Lauder, have both announced that they are stepping down from the company.
Image caption: Advanced technology R&D and innovation underway at ELC.
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