Care of yellow and grey

Each year, the Pantone Color Institute, a business unit within Pantone (specialising in colours), forecasts global colour trends and advises companies on colours for the visual identity of products and brands. They also define the “Pantone Color of the Year”, which has been influencing product development and purchasing decisions in several industries for over 20 years, including fashion, home textiles and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design. For 2021, the institute has defined two colours of the year:

• Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray

• Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating

The union of these colours represents the world’s collective desire for strength and optimism, after a year of unprecedented uncertainty. Like Pantone, wesource¹ has selected the cosmetic ingredient of the year inspired by the colours of 2021 and based on current consumer needs. Surveys show that in the wake of the health crisis, consumers are looking for more than just natural cosmetic products and ingredients, they expect proof of sustainable product manufacturing and they now value reliable experts and technologies from science.

Power of resilience

The Everlasting of Dunes, Helichrysum stoechas, is a plant with small grey leaves and stems and yellow flowers found in regions where dunes, wind, and sun mix,especially on the coast of Brittany. The grey of the evergreen leaves and stems comes from the downy hairs that cover them and enable the plant to get by with very little water. This grey is the symbol of the eternal’s strength to survive in a barren environment. This strength gives rise to a hopeful, optimistic yellow flower that persists even when the plant dries out. wesource sees a comparable connection with our societies, which have gone through a grey period and deprivation, but are on the way to a more optimistic future. Therefore, the 2021 trend ingredient inspired by this plant is based on a patented plant cell lysate from the Everlasting of Dunes.

Sustainable technology

Beyond the inspiration of plant colours, this active ingredient also meets the new expectations of consumers. It was developed thanks to a sustainable biotechnology named “Celtosome” for the cultivation of plant cells. For this, scientists collect a very small piece of the plant and then multiply and cultivate the undifferentiated native cells of the plant in bioreactors. This produces an active ingredient with a unique molecular richness, consisting of hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules derived from the undifferentiated plant cells, but also specific ones secreted in the medium. The active ingredient “Hydrachrysum” obtained in this way provides intense and long-lasting moisture and is the new natural ally for dry skin. This is a patented moisturising ingredient that breaks what is called vicious cycle of “Inflamm’dryness”, named after recent scientific research that has linked skin dryness to inflammation: Dry skin is characterised by tightness, itching, lack of elasticity and a general feeling of discomfort. The altered barrier function leads to dehydration, impaired lipid production and an inflammatory signalling cascade.The active induces a decrease in pro-inflammatory and an increase in pro-resolutive mediators to allow a return to homeostasis and improved barrier function. It increases the number of lacunae, these markers of hydration that act as extracellular water reservoirs and account for up to 40% of the volume of the stratum corneum. It increases skin hydration after five days by significantly increasing the number of lacunae (+82%* versus placebo). This new active is Cosmos and NaTrue approved, Halal certified and suitable for all cosmetic applications. 

References

1 wesource: Seppic brand for its active ingredient