Upcycling - A Look Into the Details

What is the current situation?

In recent years, the cosmetics sector has undergone a radical transformation, fueled by growing consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their purchasing choices. The modern consumer, increasingly attentive to the connection between health and the environment, not only demands transparency from brands, but also expects them to make a concrete commitment to addressing global challenges. It is no longer a simple preference: it is a request for real change.

In this landscape, the companies that will be able to establish a relationship of trust with their customers - putting authentic values ​​into practice and acting concretely for sustainability - will be the ones that will lead the revolution in the sector. A revolution that passes through innovation, with cutting-edge technologies such as nanoparticles and new extraction techniques that do not use chemical solvents. Among the most promising solutions, a trend that is rapidly gaining ground stands out: Upcycling.

What is Upcycling?

“Upcycling” is the term used to indicate a process that valorizes waste and by-products normally destined for disposal. A process that is becoming increasingly important in the beauty field, thanks to its potential to transform what would normally be considered "waste" into ingredients rich in beneficial properties for the skin and hair. The agri-food world, in fact, produces tons of waste every year, much of which comes from fruit, vegetables, and other natural raw materials. This "waste" can be recycled and transformed into highly functional cosmetic ingredients, such as oils, extracts, and proteins.

For example, fruit waste such as peels and pomace (grape waste) contain powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can nourish the skin, fight aging, and promote hydration. Even fish farming, or the fishing sector, can contribute, in fact, from fish waste collagen can be extracted, a structural protein very abundant in the human body, which in the cosmetic field is used as an anti-wrinkle substance: it is in fact able to increase the elasticity of the skin, and make it soft and shiny, improving the production of fibroblasts and consequently promoting the renewal of the extracellular matrix of the skin.

All this, however, represents only a small part of the advantages that the upcycling process can offer. The gains, in fact, go well beyond what has been said so far.

Applied theory: the case of grape marc

Grape marc is the solid and semi-solid by-product that remains after grape pressing, and is mainly composed of skins, seeds and stalks. Although in the past it was often discarded or sent to landfill, today it is recognized for its rich content of polyphenols, phenolic acids, antioxidants and vitamins, all elements with proven cosmetic properties. To extract the active ingredients from these raw materials, the extraction process plays a fundamental role. In addition to extraction, however, the entire transformation process is an example of a circular economy, because every part of the by-product finds a new life. In fact, after the grape marc has been distilled to obtain ethanol and tartaric acid, the remaining residues are further valorized.

How does all this happen?

The exhausted grape marc is sieved to extract the grape seeds, from which grape seed oil is extracted (rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols, it is widely used in cosmetics for its emollient, nourishing and protective properties) through a cold mechanical process.

At the same time, the waste wood is transformed into pellets, used as fuel for the production of thermal and electrical energy, further reducing the environmental impact and improving the energy efficiency of the entire process.

While the tartaric matter, another by-product of the grape marc, is transformed into cream of tartar and tartaric acid, which are used in numerous cosmetic products for their exfoliating and antioxidant properties.

360° Sustainability

The use of these ingredients derived from upcycling contributes, therefore, not only to the valorization of industrial waste, but also to a significant reduction in environmental impact, promoting a true circular economy and also allowing companies to save money, transforming the costs of disposal of those materials into profit, which without upcycling would simply be considered "waste".