Innovative Cosmetics for CARE – ICCARE

Cosmetics are the second largest contributor to the French trade balance, with 60% of production exported, representing a market worth of 30.4 billion euros. To maintain this leadership, it is crucial to continually provide well-thought-out innovations but also to ensure "cutting-edge" consumer safety in the light of advances in scientific knowledge, the environmental context, and current regulations. This means constantly optimizing cosmetic ingredients while promoting eco-design, which aims to improve the life cycle of finished products, promote natural raw materials, and eliminate those of fossil origin as far as possible.

Addressing these challenges by showcasing the French expertise and scientific technology to design the cosmetics of the future is the main goal of the "ICCARE" Joint Laboratory (Innovative Cosmetics for CARE). This collaboration brings together Chanel Fragrances & Beauty, a leading player in luxury cosmetics, and researchers from the Rennes Institute of Chemical Sciences (UMR CNRS 6226) located at ENSC Rennes. By merging their expertise towards the development and industrialization of cosmetic products on the one hand, and in synthesis, catalysis, and green chemistry on the other, with the aim of innovating in the design of new-generation cosmetic products that are eco-designed, sustainable, and meet Regulation standards.

Joint Laboratory “LabCom” ICCARE's Research & Development strategy will be based on two major areas of research to overcome major technological obstacles:
- The design of innovative, eco-responsible processes to synthesize and produce new inorganic pigments, which are essential ingredients in make-up because they make up the colorimetric composition of shades.
- The development of eco-efficient catalytic processes capable of producing bio-sourced plant-based waxes to replace the synthetic waxes and paraffins of petrochemical origin commonly used in make-up. Their properties will make it possible to guarantee equivalent performance in terms of stability and sensoriality for the formulation of tomorrow's cosmetic products.
By achieving these ambitious goals, the ICCARE Joint Laboratory will enable the formulation of high-performance, eco-designed cosmetic products in response to the challenges of consumer safety and eco-design to improve the life cycle of finished products, which have become a priority.