Bio-on is proud to present alongside Unilever a brand-new line of sun protection products made from its revolutionary, 100% natural and biodegradable bioplastic. The new products have been developed by Bio-on, and will be sold by Unilever under the new brand My Kai. They are the first ones made using minerv bio cosmetics, the bioplastic micro powders presented in spring 2017 and designed for cosmetics that respect the environment and human health. The innovation in this line is a series of ultra-green, high-performing SPF (Sun Protection Factor) Boosters designed to improve sun protection products.
The line builds on the skills and excellence at Unilever and Bio-on, meeting the demands of consumers who are increasingly concerned about sustainability and making responsible purchasing choices. Increased awareness of the harm caused by exposure to sunlight is accelerating the number of products with UV filters released on the market. Their purpose is to screen against UV radiation. UV-B rays, the most common cause of sun erythema and sunburn, and UV-A rays, which are responsible for more serious long-term effects: blood vessel damage, photoaging, photocarcinogenesis. The main goal of Bio-on and Unilever is to come up with a way to limit their concentration in cosmetics formulas without compromising performance. These ultra-green ingredients (micro powders made from naturally biodegradable bioplastic microscopic spheres or capsules) are designed to significantly reduce the percentage of UV filters used in the sun protection product and boost water-resistance.
“This new product line is a concrete example of how Unilever sees sustainability and proposes innovative solutions for consumers, pursuing the goals stated in its Unilever Sustainable Living Plan business model. With My Kai, Unilever is simultaneously fulfilling two objectives of the USLP: to help more than a billion people to improve their health and wellbeing by 2020 and to halve the environmental impact of its products by 2030,” explains Fulvio Guarneri, Chairman & CEO of Unilever Italia. “We are proud to do this alongside such an excellent company as Bio-on, which shares our commitment to innovation for the health of both humans and the planet.”
“My Kai represents another building block in our green cosmetics revolution – says Marco Astorri, Bio-on Chairman and CEO – to make the sun creams market sustainable and fully respect the ocean and the land. Through our collaboration with Unilever and our ongoing search for new cosmetics solutions, we are defining a new production standard with our bioplastic. We began industrial production of micro powders on schedule in autumn 2018 and, thanks to our ingredients and Unilever’s help in organising distribution and sale, our My Kai creams will be on store shelves in March 2019, offering consumers a more eco-friendly alternative”.
The cosmetic ingredients (bioplastic micro powders) in the My Kai SPF Booster line are the result of innovative R&D by Bio-on CNS, the Business Unit specialised in developing solutions for the cosmetics sector. They are made by Bio-on Plants at Bio-on’s first industrial facility built in Castel San Pietro Terme (Bologna, Italy) with an investment of over 20 million Euro.
The new My Kai brand is designed to safeguard the seas and oceans and references the Hawaiian terms Kai (sea) and Makai (to the ocean). It is inspired by the principles of Hawaii, one of the countries at the cutting edge in marine ecosystem protection and where Bio-on began its work in the early days.
All the biomaterials developed by Bio-on (PHAs or polyhydroxyalkanoates and PHBs or polyhydroxybutyrate) are made from renewable plant sources with no competition with food supply chains. In most cases, they guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties as conventional plastics with the advantage of being completely eco-sustainable and 100% naturally biodegradable.
Since 2007 Bio-on has been dedicated to changing the world of plastic, to reduce pollution for a more sustainable future and preserve nature thanks to its exclusive, innovative know-how in bio-based and eco-compatible plastics development.
Source: Bio-on
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