A powdered extract of roots from aeroponically grown sweet potato plants (Ipomoea batatas) forms the base ingredient of a new eye contouring product launched this week. According to the company, using the aeroponic system, their Plant Milking Technology stimulates plant roots to make them produce targeted molecules in higher quantities than those found in their natural environment.
"Plant Milking Technology, our highly sustainable and eco-friendly solution, enables us to explore previously difficult to access parts of plants and allows for the production of rare compounds on an industrial scale," the Clariant team explains. The company has established a strategic partnership with Plant Advanced Technologies (PAT) that includes the subscription of approximately 10% equity shares of PAT by Clariant, joint development agreement, and exclusive distributorship.
Plant-based active ingredients
PAT develops plant-based active ingredients for cosmetics. "Using an aeroponic system (cultivation without soil), PAT stimulates plant roots to make them produce targeted molecules in higher quantities than those found in their natural environment. Root exudation is a non-destructive process that “milks” the same plants several times a year."
The added benefits of the technology include that it's eco-friendly, that no plants are destroyed during harvest, and that it enables full traceability from seed to active ingredient.
“Plant Milking Technology has enabled us to use an eco-friendly process to discover active molecules with potent properties in sweet potato roots and create an enriched extract with high efficacy in tackling many of the biological pathways responsible for altering the eye contour. Our new product Rootness Awake gives formulators new, unique opportunities to develop effectively targeted care and eye contour products that contribute to progressing sustainability in skincare.”