New cosmetics regulations launched, industry transformation! synthetic biology ignites billion-dollar sunscreen boom

Recently, the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control issued a notice to solicit public opinions on 18 cosmetic standards, including the "Total Bacterial Count Limits in Eye Cosmetics, Lip Cosmetics, and Children's Cosmetics (Draft for Comments)." Among these, the sunscreen category is one of the areas "most directly impacted."

The revisions involve raw materials, including 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, which is proposed to be listed in the "List of Prohibited Ingredients in Cosmetics"; the concentration usage of Benzophenone-3, Homosalate, and Octocrylene, all of which are sunscreen agents, has been lowered.

Sunscreens refer to substances added to cosmetics to protect the skin from the damage caused by specific ultraviolet rays or to protect the product itself through the absorption, reflection, or scattering of light.

According to statistics from Euromonitor, the global sunscreen end market is expected to reach a scale of $15.543 billion (approximately 111.366 billion yuan) by 2025.

For decades, sunscreens on the market have often been formulated with various chemical sunscreen agents. However, research shows that frequent use of synthetic sunscreens can affect human health, causing symptoms such as allergies and endocrine disorders.

Additionally, some chemical components in sunscreen, such as oxybenzone, can harm marine ecosystems. Some states in the United States, such as Hawaii and Florida, have enacted laws banning the use of sunscreens containing these harmful chemicals.

One kilogram costs tens of thousands of yuan: Black technology from the ocean

Biological sunscreen agents, the most well-known are components called mycosporine-like amino acids (MMAs) from marine organisms.

This is a natural compound produced by many aquatic organisms frequently exposed to ultraviolet radiation, including algae, fungi, and corals, and possesses exceptional UV protection activity.

Currently, the production of MAAs relies on extraction from algae, which has low yields and high costs (with a price close to 15,000 yuan per kilogram), greatly limiting the application scenarios.

Through synthetic biology, the research team has already conducted relevant exploration in chassis cells such as E. coli, cyanobacteria, and yeast.

The team from Chonnam National University in South Korea achieved the biosynthesis of MAAs using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, producing 1.5 g/L of shinorine and 1.2 g/L of porphyra-334, which are the highest yields reported to date.

In addition, many synthetic biological components that we are familiar with have been applied in the field of sun protection.

Red chamazulene is an ideal anti-inflammatory ingredient in sunscreen products, and ectoine can enhance the skin's own resistance to and repair ability from UV rays.

These companies have taken the lead in deployment.

As early as 2020, two MMA sunscreen products were launched, namely Helioguard 365 from Mibelle Biochemistry and Helionoris from Gelyma.

In addition, Arcaea, a subsidiary of the synthetic biology market leader Ginkgo Bioworks, acquired a company named Gadusol Laboratories in 2022, which first discovered the biosynthetic pathway of gadusol in zebrafish.

In domestic enterprises, Bloomage BioTech's "Bioyouth™ EGT Ergothioneine Mushroom Extract" and "Xi'an Yan™ Ectoine" can be added to sunscreen or after-sun repair care products to achieve simultaneous sun protection and repair.

SYSTASE SOD® and SYTOIN® ectoine from Zhongke Xinyang can also be used in sun protection products. They enhance the skin's own resistance to and repair from UV rays, upgrading sun protection products from "surface protection" to "deep anti-photoaging."