The world’s first anti-aging probiotic from the world’s largest chemical company

BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, is known for its highly efficient, large-scale petrochemical processes, but the company is demonstrating that biochemistry can be used to break new ground.Case in point: Live-based anti-aging skin cream Lactobacillus crispertus Bacteria.

“This is a lighthouse project for us,” says Torsten Klarius, senior business development manager for BASF’s Cosmetic Active Ingredients business. This bacterium is called probiolift. Little research has been done on whether or how microbes affect skin aging, he says.

The German company is satisfied with the research results. “What surprised us was that if you take the same microorganism and try to inactivate it, it doesn’t work,” Clarius says. However, further research revealed that live bacteria stimulate collagen production in the lower layer of the skin, known as the dermis.

A subsequent 56-day in-vivo study in 29 Caucasian women aged 45 to 65 years showed that a cream featuring a 0.25% concentration of biological agents was effective. L. crispatus Collagen production in human skin was increased by 180%, resulting in a noticeable reduction in the presence of wrinkles.

BASF discovered that: L. crispatus It is abundant in the skin of young adults, but most of it disappears by the time they reach their mid-50s. BASF sourced the original bacterial strain directly from human skin and recreated it through fermentation. “There’s no need to modify it; there’s no need to interfere with the natural skin microbiome at all,” Clarius says.

Netherlands-based fine chemical analyst Jan Ramekers calls this bacterium a new approach to anti-aging products. “People tend to be willing to spend money to look younger, even temporarily,” he said in an email.

Research on anti-aging effects by BASF L. crispatus The company began in earnest in 2016 when it created a research program dedicated to developing solutions that act on or through the skin microbiome.

“It is also interesting that BASF is slowly moving parts of its business towards biotechnology and sustainable manufacturing,” Ramakers points out. BASF makes the majority of its cosmetic ingredients by extracting the desired compounds from plants and other raw materials. “But fermentation and biotech processes will definitely come as we invest in this area,” says Klarius.

Clarius said BASF is in talks with potential customers for Probiolift, noting it could take two to three years for the cosmetics company to bring a new product to market. “We believe we are ahead of the market and ahead of our competitors,” he says.

However, commercializing probiolifts comes with potential problems. “Incorporating live bacteria into cosmetic recipes is difficult, as we need to ensure that the bacteria remain alive not only in the commercial packaging, but also in the final customer’s recipe,” Clarius says. BASF has not yet established a delivery system that will keep the bacteria alive.

“We try to avoid using preservatives,” Clarius says. “One possibility is a dual-chamber system, where the bacteria is in a separate chamber and the cream is in a separate chamber, which are mixed during application.

Another potential obstacle to commercializing Probiolift is consumer discomfort with the concept of applying live bacteria to the face. Some consumer education may be needed for Probiolift to be successful, Clarius says.

One of the selling points is that the production process is sustainable. “It doesn’t take a lot of energy,” he says. And “everything that goes into this reactor is renewable.” Additionally, BASF uses the raw materials left over after the fermentation process to make other cosmetics.

While cosmetic active ingredients may have little to do with boosting the company’s finances compared to new petrochemicals or pesticides, BASF hopes Probiolift will be profitable. In the cosmetics space, Probiolift “has the potential to be bigger than other products that are currently on the market,” Clarius says.