CITRUS LIMON FRUIT EXTRACT: a choice of innovation and sustainability

Today, it is impossible to talk of the future without first considering sustainability and the circular economy, two concepts of central importance in a system of development that is capable of combining insatiable economic needs with the socio-environmental ones.

The economic scale in question, whose main objective is to minimize the waste of raw materials and energy, is based on a regenerative approach in which any good, having reached the end of its life cycle, can be reused, renewed and recycled.

Saving water is increasingly important

InOro Cosmetics has taken up and overcome another challenge to sustainability, formulating its entire cosmetics line in a ‘waterless’, more environmentally friendly way, without compromising on the efficacy and aesthetics of the finished products, but rather achieving a perfect combination of nature, science and circular economy.

The InOro line, embracing the growing need to reduce water consumption not only in the production phase but also in cosmetics themselves, boasts as the first item on the Ingredients list, INCI Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, a precious eco-certified raw material derived from 100% organic Mediterranean lemons, also known as lemon water.  

Its extraction process is 100% traceable and sustainable and involves exclusively soft chemical methods that not only respect environmental protection, but also preserve the characteristics and chemical composition of the lemon, naturally rich in active substances and trace elements such as zinc, magnesium and iron.

As a result, the derived cosmetic is a highly concentrated product of soothing actives and aromatic substances, perfectly in tune with the ‘less is more’ trend and therefore does not need to be formulated with the addition of numerous other ingredients to achieve its optimum effectiveness.

Benefits of lemon water for skin

Several studies have in indeed shown that the skin benefits of using Citrus Limon Fruit Extract as a substitute for traditional distilled water can be measured in terms of

– Cellular vitality: thanks to its mineral composition, it contributes more effectively to epidermal cell homeostasis

– Protection from external stress factors: improves the skin barrier’s protection against heavy metal pollution (+8.8%), oxidizing agents (+7.3%) and UVA and UVB radiation (+1.8%)

– Attenuation of inflammatory processes: improves modulation of the pro-inflammatory mediator TNF-α for greater physiological protection against chemical agents (-6% after 3h).  

The products of the InOro line, formulated this way, are therefore anti-ageing cosmetics par excellence, highly dermo compatible, regenerating and antioxidant, based on a great love and respect for the skin and nature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

• EC, The Circular Economy. Connecting, generating and preserving value, 2014. 
• Personal Care Europe, ‘Science meets sustainability and the circular economy’, A. Maltagliati, 2019 
• Creating a model of the economic and environmental impacts of changes in raw material usage (Modeling the economic and environmental impacts of change  in raw material consumption), 2014, Cambridge Econometrics et al. 
• Anticona M, Blesa J, Frigola A, Esteve MJ. High Biological Value Compounds Extraction from  Citrus Waste with Non-Conventional Methods. Foods, 2020 Jun 20 

AUTHOR

Dr Selena Omic

Pharmacist and Postgraduate student at COSMAST – Master’s Degree in Cosmetic Science and Technology, University of Ferrara

In collaboration with Dr. Elisabetta Casale