Biotechnology company Debut has announced an agreement with L’Oréal to develop more than a dozen vital, bio-identical ingredients that will replace conventionally sourced ingredients currently used in L’Oréal global beauty and personal care brands across skin, hair, color cosmetics and fragrance. 

As part of the agreement, Debut will leverage its proprietary biotechnology processes to create innovative bio-based ingredients. These advanced biomanufacturing methods, which integrate fermentation and cell-free technology, promise to transform the conventional approaches to ingredient sourcing and production in the beauty industry.

“Creating bio-identical ingredients at scale helps preserve global biodiversity and secure responsible ingredient supply chains while continuing to prioritize quality and product performance,” said Debut founder and CEO Joshua Britton, Ph.D. 

“Debut is committed to creating bio-based formulations for all its beauty products and has unmatched capabilities in biotechnology, formulation and scaling to catalyze this transformative shift in beauty.” 

The global beauty and personal care market is valued at $646 billion and projected to grow at an annual rate of 3.33% according to Statista, creating an urgent need for sustainable ingredient sourcing. L’Oréal says the partnership as a crucial step in its mission to develop more sustainable and effective products.

“Through this exciting partnership and adoption of breakthrough technology, we are well-positioned to drive the creation of more sustainable and effective products that meet the demands of our consumers and fulfils our duty of care for the planet,” added Guive Balooch, global managing director of augmented beauty and open innovation at L’Oréal Groupe. 

“This long-term agreement with Debut is another example of our commitment to the Open Innovation ecosystem and building the future of beauty by collaborating with best-in-class partners.”