BASF has released an upgraded version of its pore-tightening cosmetic active ingredient Laricyl, which is now derived from solid-state fermentation.
For 20 years, Laricyl, an extract from the Fomes officinalis mushroom, has been a tried-and-tested component of BASF’s portfolio of ingredients for pore refinement.
In an effort to align its actions towards more sustainable practices, the company now uses a method to cultivate the mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus, by solid-state fermentation. This replaces the harvesting of the mushroom from the wild.
The production of the mycelium, that is now organic certified, is carried out in Europe on solid medium within a controlled incubation room.
The new version of Laricyl is 99.7% from natural origin according to ISO 16128.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face and randomized in vivo study with 25 female subjects, the revised version of Laricyl at a concentration of 3% improved the appearance of pores in size and number.
Image analysis showed that it minimized the appearance of visible pores immediately after application 2.8 times better than the previous version of the ingredient, with an astringent effect.
The active ingredient also helped to remove excess oil from the skin, making it less shiny without drying it out.
“We continuously revise our portfolio to produce even more sustainably. Of course, this should not be at the expense of performance,” said Lucilene Veira Nunes, Head of Business Management for Bioactive Ingredients, EMEA.
“With Laricyl, we have now succeeded in making cultivation of the raw material more sustainable, while at the same time improving the results of the ingredient on immediate pore tightening, skin mattifying and moisturization.”
