Marine bacteria converted into new ocean-safe shampoo

The Heriot-Watt University, Scottish biotech company Ingenza and oceanic personal care brand Aethic are jointly developing an ocean-friendly shampoo based on marine bacteria. The most commonly used substances are still largely derived from petroleum. That makes them unsustainable and that can have adverse effects on marine life when they eventually end up in the ocean. So says the Scottish University in a press release.

Bio-solutions

In fact, bio-solutions are used in almost every sector of modern industry and are much more environmentally friendly and sustainable than petroleum-based surfactants. A new type of bioactive substance made from marine bacteria will be the active ingredient in the new ocean-safe shampoo.

Tony Gutierrez of Heriot-Watt University collected more than 1,000 marine bacteria from around the world and was able to establish the following: “We will use two types of marine bacteria that produce biosurfactants with excellent qualities for possible ingredients in shampoo. Especially as they have been tested and show no significant toxicity.”

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Meeting need

Allard Marx, CEO of Aethic, said, “Consumers increasingly demand scientifically proven products. This compound will enable the addition of an ocean-safe shampoo to our existing ocean-safe personal care range.” The team expects the first project phase to take six months. After that, they will design and test the shampoo, and hope to have it on the shelves by 2024.

Read the full press release here.