Beauty, Engineered: How Biotech is Shaping the Future of Formulation

By Simon Pitman

The Beauty Industry’s Biotech Breakthrough

Biotech isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental shift in how beauty ingredients are sourced, produced and brought to market. From precision fermentation to cellular agriculture, cutting-edge technologies are enabling the creation of ingredients that are high-performing, sustainable, and scalable in a way traditional sourcing methods often can’t match.

And the pace of change is accelerating. For formulators, marketers and brand owners alike, this is no longer a distant horizon. Biotech is happening now—and it’s rapidly redefining what’s possible in beauty formulation.

What Is Biotech in Beauty?

At its core, biotechnology in beauty refers to using biological systems—like microbes, enzymes or cells—to produce ingredients. Instead of harvesting from fields, forests or oceans, many of the next-gen actives are being brewed in labs and bioreactors.

There are two main approaches making waves:

• Precision fermentation: Uses genetically programmed microorganisms (like yeast or bacteria) to produce specific compounds—peptides, hyaluronic acid, squalane and beyond.

• Cellular agriculture: Grows ingredients directly from plant or cell cultures—ideal for botanicals, collagen, and rare extracts.

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The result? Ingredients that are molecularly identical to their natural counterparts, but with a fraction of the environmental impact and far greater control over purity, potency and consistency.

Why Formulators Should Pay Attention

For R&D and product development teams, biotech isn’t just an ethical or sustainable choice—it’s an innovation engine. These ingredients offer:

• Batch-to-batch consistency Unlike wild-harvested or agriculturally sourced materials, biotech actives are remarkably uniform, allowing for tighter control over efficacy and formulation stability.

• Superior sustainability credentials Reduced land use, lower water consumption, and minimal biodiversity impact make them attractive from both regulatory and consumer standpoints.

• Customisable performance Biotech enables the engineering of actives to deliver enhanced performance—whether that’s deeper skin penetration, longer shelf life, or targeted delivery systems.

  
  

In short, biotech gives formulators the tools to create next-gen products that meet modern expectations around both efficacy and ethics.

The Ingredients Turning Heads

Some of the most impressive biotech beauty ingredients already on the market include:

• Bio-based Squalane (Amyris, now Aprinnova)Traditionally sourced from shark liver or olives, this emollient is now produced via sugarcane fermentation—new biotech methods are enabling purer, more sustainable bakuchiol production at scale.

• Biotech Collagen (Geltor)Animal-free collagen created through fermentation—high purity, low impact.Bakuchiol by Cellular Agriculture Touted as a natural retinol alternative, vegan-friendly, ultra-targeted, and optimised for skincare efficacy.

• Alganelle's Biotech Pigments These microalgae-derived colourants offer an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic or mined pigments—vibrant, safe and fully traceable.

• Hyaluronic Acid by Fermentation Already a standard in the industry, biotech HA is a textbook case of how fermentation delivers purity, consistency and price stability.

These aren’t fringe innovations—they’re fast becoming mainstream components in high-performance skincare and haircare lines.

The Missing Link: Communication

For biotech to fulfil its potential in beauty, one thing is essential: clear, compelling communication.

While formulators may be convinced of the benefits, the final decision to include these ingredients often rests with marketing teams—and they need the right narrative to get buy-in from consumers.

This is where many biotech ingredient companies fall short. The science is there. The performance data is solid. But the message often gets lost in translation. Technical language, vague sustainability claims, or generic storytelling won’t cut it.

Instead, biotech brands need to double down on benefit-led messaging—the kind that makes it easy for brands to explain, and consumers to care. Think:

• “Upcycled without compromise”

• “Lab-grown, planet-friendly, clinically proven”

• “Nature-identical ingredients—without the environmental cost”

  
  

Why Marketing Teams Must Step Up

Marketing professionals in beauty have a pivotal role to play. As consumers become more ingredient-savvy and climate-conscious, storytelling around biotech should no longer be niche or overly scientific. It should be front and centre in product messaging.

To do that, marketers need to:

• Collaborate closely with R&D teams to understand the science behind each ingredient

• Translate that science into emotional, accessible language that aligns with brand values

• Educate internal stakeholders and retail partners about the why behind the switch to biotech

Biotech ingredients aren’t just cleaner—they’re smarter. And the brands that communicate this clearly will set themselves apart.

The Future Is Formulated

Biotech isn’t just a trend—it’s a transformative leap forward. It offers the industry a chance to move past the limits of nature and deliver ingredients that are cleaner, greener and scientifically enhanced for modern beauty demands.

But for this future to become reality, two things need to happen: formulators must embrace the potential of biotech, and marketing teams must own the narrative.

Because when beauty meets biotechnology—and the benefits are properly told—it’s not just innovation. It’s evolution.

Simon Pitman is founder of Pitman Comms, a B2B content agency supporting innovation in the global beauty and personal care industry.