Native Extracts, Australia's leading specialist in phytotechnology, and Kagome Australia, one of the largest tomato processors in the southern hemisphere, collaborate to present Red Velvet Oil: an upcycled active beauty ingredient derived from surplus tomato seed waste.
This high-performance "active" oil, packed with lycopene, phytosterols and fatty acids, offers skin care, wellness and oral care benefits.
According to the two partners, with 12mg/100g of lycopene, an antioxidant twice as effective as beta-carotene, Red Velvet Oil offers anti-aging, moisturizing and skin barrier benefits. Its profile positions it as a next-generation alternative to basic products such as Bakuchiol and Rose Hip Oil, responding to today's consumer demand for high-end, eco-sensitive products.
"This partnership illustrates Australia's most ambitious recycled ingredients initiative, the successful results achieved by forging collaborations between producers and industry, and the power of recycling waste into high-value ingredients, offering ethical brands new options to meet the demands of the growing conscious consumer culture. says Lisa Carroll, founder and CEO of Native Extracts. Red Velvet Oil is more than a beauty ingredient; it's a statement about how the Reduce, Reuse & Repurpose sustainability movement and science can come together to create real change and innovation. It's the birth of the Upcycled ingredient revolution in Australia, on a global scale, and it's not over yet."
Transforming waste
The two partners point out that Australia produces 7.6 million tonnes of food waste every year, costing the economy $36.6 billion*. Kagome Australia recovers by-products from over 200,000 tonnes of processed tomatoes each year, using the latest recovery technologies. Native Extracts is also committed to eco-friendly manufacturing, creating hydrophilic cell extracts from reused by-products and rainwater, saving 1,000 liters of public water every day. Its innovative methods reflect its commitment to minimizing waste and adopting sustainable practices.
This initiative aligns with Australia's national food waste strategy and the global circular beauty movement, to illustrate how agricultural waste can become high-value ingredients that will contribute to sustainable practices.
"Consumers increasingly want products that align with their values, explains Lisa Carroll. Red Velvet Oil helps ethical brands meet their commitment to transparency, traceability and responsible ingredient sourcing."
Red Velvet Oil will be presented at in-Cosmetics Global, to be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from April 8 to 10, 2025.
*Source: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/food-waste
Photo: esiuL / Pixabay
