Bisabolol
A soothing cosmetic ingredient
Bisabolol is used in personal care products such as lotions, sunscreens, and face/eye creams. It has been a popular personal care ingredient for hundreds of years because of its skin healing anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-irritant properties.
Bisabolol is traditionally sourced from either the German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) or more commonly, the Brazilian Candeia tree. The challenge with both of these botanical sources comes down to availability, purity, and sustainability. When extracted from German Chamomile, the amount of Bisabolol produced can vary greatly. It also requires a significant amount of plant material, making it cost prohibitive.
The more common botanical source is from the endangered Brazilian Candeia tree. On average, it takes 12 years to grow a new tree, and a metric ton of tree material yields only about 7 kg of Bisabolol. The limited availability of the candeia tree also leads to significant price instability and fluctuations in product supply. Growing efforts to preserve Brazilian biodiversity have also led to innovation to identify alternative sources for Bisabolol.
Through biotech and fermentation, Amyris produces an antioxidant-rich Bisabolol in a sustainable process that requires approximately 230 times less agricultural land to produce the same amount of Bisabolol compared to the endangered candeia tree. Amyris’ sustainable Bisabolol, which is distributed exclusively through a strategic partner, offers high performance, competitive pricing, and a consistent supply chain to meet growing demand.