Croda Beauty 2025 so far: A journey of innovation, heritage, and future trends

100 Years of Croda Beauty

Croda turned 100 in 2025 and we celebrated by looking back at 100 years of innovation, quality and sustainability.

Founded in 1925 by Mr Crowe and Mr Dawe, our very first product was lanolin, a unique wax obtained from refining sheep’s wool grease, which established our heritage in using natural and renewable raw materials, a focus which continues to this day.

In 1946 we created a new generation of surface-active agents with Polawax™, a product range which remains in our portfolio to this day. Our expansion into the USA began in 1950, with a new sales office in New York City, which set us on the path to becoming the truly global business that we are today.

The 1980s were a pivotal decade, as our scientists helped create the anti-ageing skincare category through the synthesis of the first ceramides and the launch of groundbreaking pentapeptides like Matrixyl™ and Dermaxyl™. These innovations underscored our commitment to scientific excellence and our ability to drive market trends. 

The 2000s saw Croda broaden our capabilities, expanding into sun care and fragrances. Through our Sustainability Commitment, we articulated our ambition to be the most sustainable supplier of innovative ingredients by becoming Climate, Land and People Positive by 2030. In 2019, following suggestions from our employees, Smart science to improve lives™, became our Purpose.

To celebrate our achievement we also produced the report “Our vision” which looks ahead to the next 25 years of the beauty industry and identifies the driving factors that will shape our industry. 

New innovations

Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Croda Beauty, and the first half of 2025 has seen remarkable strides in growing our portfolio. We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of science to bring you ingredients that offer superior performance whilst upholding our commitment to sustainability.

One of our standout achievements this year is the introduction of KeraBio™ K31. This revolutionary ingredient is a biotech-powered biomimetic bond builder, delivering a vegan keratin recharge at the molecular level, elevating hair strength beyond repair. 

Developed using synthetic biology, KeraBio™ K31 is an engineered keratin designed to mimic the structure of human hair keratin, offering unmatched performance compared to traditional animal or plant-derived proteins. The global bond builder market is rapidly expanding, projected to reach £237 million by 2030, driven by the increasing popularity of hair colour transformations, chemical treatments, and heat styling. With KeraBio™ K31, Croda Beauty is the first ingredient supplier to enter this crucial space, providing formulators with a cutting-edge, science-backed solution to meet consumer demand for stronger, healthier hair.

Neurocosmetics is a cutting-edge trend that brings knowledge gained from neuroscience into skin care, and we’ve launched two new products aimed squarely at this emerging market.

Developed from extensive studies on skin-brain communication, Zenakine™ is the first cosmetic active ingredient proven to enhance overall wellbeing through innovative, comprehensive protocols, leveraging skin chronobiology through its action. This environmentally friendly, biotechnology-based product offers a holistic neurocosmetic approach dedicated to foster wellbeing and longevity, alleviating emotional stress to improve sleep quality and prevent premature ageing.

Key features of Zenakine include:

• Induces synthesis of feel-good messengers in the skin.
• Promotes skin-brain communication.
• Improves sleep quality and mood.
• Enhances skin’s resistance to physical and emotional stress.
• Reduces signs of skin fatigue & premature ageing.

While Zenakine can improve sleep quality, Phytessence™ Green Coffee EC is all about waking up. This natural ingredient, responsibly sourced from organic green coffee beans in Tanzania and produced using our Eco-sound™ extraction technology, is designed to not only tone the skin but also boost the mind. It’s an anti-fatigue ally for any formulation, perfectly capturing the joy and energy of a morning coffee ritual. In an age of "great exhaustion," where chronic stress and digital overload are prevalent, Phytessence™ Green Coffee EC offers a unique dual action to prevent signs of fatigue on both skin and mind. It improves skin suppleness and resistance by boosting elastin synthesis and revitalises tired skin. Furthermore, it stimulates genuine physical and emotional well-being by boosting beta-endorphin synthesis and inducing positive emotions, making it a true neurocosmetics ingredient. 

You can find out more about Phytessence Green Coffee here.

Another significant launch is SP Natrineo™ CR8 MBAL. This PEG-free, phosphate ester emulsifier simplifies the creation of innovative Water-in-Oil-in-Water (W/O/W) emulsions, making complex textures more accessible and sustainable. SP Natrineo™ CR8 MBAL empowers formulators to design interactive textures that surprise and delight, all whilst aligning with the market's demand for eco-conscious, high-performance ingredients. The benefits are extensive, including improved sensory profiles, enhanced active delivery, compatibility with natural deodorants, and improved sunscreen efficacy. It’s also readily biodegradable, vegan suitable, and boasts 92% naturally derived content according to ISO 16128.

To better showcase its versatile potential we’ve created five transformative formulations, which you can view here.

Another key consumer trend is climate adaptive beauty, a growing movement focused on products designed to perform under evolving environmental conditions.

Launched to fit into this trend, Prolevium™ is designed to combat one of hair’s most persistent adversaries: frizz. Whilst traditionally identified as a concern during summers or in tropical regions, the focus on frizz prevention is now wider due to the increased instability of weather conditions and more frequent variations of humidity. Our hair naturally absorbs water, with the absorption rate influenced by its level of damage. When humidity increases, water molecules from the air penetrate the hair fibre and unpredictably disrupt hydrogen bonds found in the hair cortex. This leads to an unwanted change in hair’s structure, resulting in frizz and undesirable volume.

Thanks to its low molecular weight, Prolevium is thought to maintain the perfect style and protect the hair from frizz through two different mechanisms:

• By penetrating the hair fibre and providing moisture regulation in the cortex.
• By forming a barrier at the surface of the hair to slow moisture entry into the hair fibre.

You can read more about Prolevium here.

Peptide innovation

Beyond specific product launches, we are also making significant advances in the cosmetic peptide world. Peptides, small linear chains of amino acids, are naturally present in the body and act as regulating messengers for protein production. At Croda Beauty, we are pioneers in identifying specific amino acid sequences that stimulate the production of molecules vital for maintaining skin properties. Our research has led to a wide variety of functional claims beyond anti-ageing, including eye care, lash care, lip care, hair care, body care, skin microbiome balance, pollution damage reduction, and radiance.

We are also addressing the ethical and sustainable aspects of peptide manufacturing. Despite their synthetic origins, cosmetic peptides are often made from natural bio-based raw materials, leading to a high natural origin index. We've drastically reduced the use of harmful solvents (like CMRs and TFAs) in chemical synthesis by 86% over the last 6-7 years and are continuously making progress in energy consumption reduction and waste management. Our advanced development programmes are moving towards solvent-free peptide manufacturing via synthetic biotechnology, particularly from algae, offering a more sustainable alternative.

Looking ahead, we are excited about GAP Peptide Synthesis (GAP-PS), our next step towards a more sustainable peptide future. This solution-phase manufacturing technology offers significant advantages, including the ability to synthesise up to 30-mer lipopeptide sequences in solution, no CMR or PFAS reagents, and over 80% reduction in carbon waste stream compared to traditional Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis. With a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Pennsylvania, USA, the production of peptides with GAP-PS advantages is set to come online next year.

Furthermore, we are exploring innovative peptide encapsulation techniques to increase stability, effectiveness, and targeted delivery to specific skin layers. Our latest generation of naturally derived, biodegradable, and highly stable lipid delivery systems overcome the instability issues of older systems like liposomes, facilitating the incorporation of peptides into final formulations.

Formulation expertise

In 2025 we completely reworked our SenStories™ selector tool with new data to better match consumer expectations.

This ingredient selector tool links the language of the consumer with the language of the formulator to provide meaningful sensory observations. It utilises a reliable and reproducible methodology to connect insights on consumer perception and language choice, with the knowledge that ingredient combination and colloidal structure are responsible for any sensorial feel.

You can find out more here.

As we move forward, Croda Beauty remains dedicated to advancing the industry through smart science, innovation, and a deep understanding of consumer needs. We are excited to continue this journey with you, creating a future where beauty is not only effective but also sustainable and enriching.