Holy Biobased Bat-Bridge Batman!: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of January 14th

#4 Amyris links with Queer Eye alum for haircare brand

In California, synthetic biology firm Amyris is launching a haircare brand with beauty influencer Jonathan Van Ness.

The partnership aims to “de-gender and revolutionize the haircare industry” by creating a line of hair health products employing Amyris’s hemi-squalane, a biobased and hydrating silicone alternative.

“I am more like the anti-transformation beauty expert: I want to empower people to love themselves and accept themselves,” Van Ness, an alum of the popular Queer Eye reality makeover series, said in a joint statement with Amyris. “I have had a successful working relationship with Amyris for years because I believe in their mission and their clean, innovative formulas. They are my dream partner to bring this inclusive haircare brand to life because they remain committed to making a positive impact on their consumers and the planet.”

According to Amyris, the global haircare market represents approximately 25% of the $300 billion beauty market and has seen growth accelerate during 2020. During that time, more than half of all consumers chose clean and sustainable haircare products.

The as-yet unnamed brand is expected to launch during the summer of 2021.
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