The use of NADES to support innovation in the cosmetic industry

Since their introduction, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have emerged as a promising, eco-friendly alternative to petrochemicals to dissolve plant metabolites. As the demand for sustainable, green cosmetics is growing, those solvents represent unexplored opportunities to develop innovative extracts with unique phytochemical footprints and biological activities. However, despite the number of NADES described in the literature, only a few can actually be used for cosmetic applications because of safety or regulatory issues. This chapter will first introduce the regulatory framework and green chemistry requirements that cosmetic active ingredients have to comply with. To answer the challenging question of how NADES can support innovation in the cosmetic industry, the second part will present the strategy chosen by Gattefosse to develop, characterize and industrialize solvents and extraction processes that overcome cosmetic constraints. Finally, the value-added of NADES compared to traditional extraction solvents in terms of their phytochemical composition and biological efficacy on human skin and skin models will be discussed through concrete examples.