The hot trend of recombinant collagen has attracted a top player once again.
Recently, the second generation of L’Oréal Age Perfect Collagene Royal(Second edition) was launched, claiming to be the first to add recombinant collagen as its main selling point. CHAILEEDO found that the recombinant collagen added to this cream is sourced from Jinbo Bio.
From Shiseido and LVMH to L’Oréal, the popularity of recombinant collagen can be said to be growing stronger. What excites the industry even more is that international companies are starting to “follow the trend” of Chinese ingredients, which is a great boost of confidence for the Chinese cosmetics ingredients industry.
L’Oréal first launch recombinant collagen protein product
It is reported that L’Oréal’s Age Perfect Nectar Royal is a product launched by L’Oréal in 2020, available in a moisturizing version and a refreshing version. The product is named after its key ingredient, Manuka honey, and also contains L’Oréal’s signature ingredient, Pro-Xylane. Due to its affordable price, Age Perfect Nectar Royal has attracted a lot of attention since its launch. According to Tmall data, L’Oréal Age Perfect Nectar Royal ranks second in repurchase rates and positive reviews.
However, in the recently launched L’Oréal Age Perfect Collagene Royal (Second edition), L’Oréal no longer focuses on highlighting Pro-Xylane and honey, but instead puts recombinant collagen protein in the forefront of the product promotion. From the product packaging to advertisements, they all emphasize the “first addition of recombinant collagen protein.”
It is understood that Age Perfect Collagene Royal (Second edition) is also available in a moisturizing version and a lightweight version, and it was first launched in Li Jiaqi’s livestream on December 9th. According to the description of this product on L’Oréal’s Tmall flagship store, Age Perfect Collagene Royal (Second edition) mainly contains recombinant collagen protein, four peptides, Pro-Xylane PRO, and rose honey essence, emphasizing its anti-aging effects. It is reported that this product has been upgraded not only in terms of ingredients but also in fragrance and packaging.
The most notable change is L’Oréal’s first application of recombinant collagen protein to its brand. According to L’Oréal, the recombinant collagen protein added to Age Perfect Collagene Royal (Second edition) is 100% identical to human skin type III collagen (meaning the core amino acid sequence of active collagen is 100% consistent with the core functional region of human skin type III collagen).
By applying recombinant collagen protein to its popular mature products and directly labeling the product with “collagen” in its official name, it is evident that L’Oréal is taking it seriously.
Comparing the claims about recombinant collagen protein in the Age Perfect Collagene Royal Facial Cream (Second edition) such as being “100% identical to human skin type III collagen and having a clear triple helix structure” and “16 replications of the core functional region of type III collagen,” as well as the recent statement by Kinbo Biotech in an investor communication meeting stating that they have “cooperation with L’Oréal,” industry insiders speculate that “the recombinant collagen protein added by L’Oréal may come from Kinbo Biotech.”
In response, CHAILEEDO immediately reached out to Jinbo Bio for verification, and the relevant person confirmed, “Yes, that’s correct.”
Chinese enterprise “creating trends”
It is well known that Chinese companies have been in a declining state in the field of cosmetic raw materials. For many years, they have been following the footsteps of foreign-funded companies/brands, struggling to break free. A typical example is Boseyin, which gained popularity through collaborations with L’Oréal, prompting domestic companies to try to get a share of the market.
However, the situation has now reversed as L’Oréal has started using recombinant collagen protein produced by Chinese companies. This development has brought a sense of accomplishment to many industry professionals. Some netizens jokingly commented, “They’ve changed from following L’Oréal with Pro-Xylane to using recombinant collagen and working with ‘Chinese ingredients.'”
Many industry professionals believe that L’Oréal’s use of Jinbo Bio’s recombinant collagen protein demonstrates their recognition of Chinese ingredients. “This indicates that the quality and research strength of Chinese ingredients have reached an international level,” said the representative of a raw material company.
However, some insiders believe that L’Oréal’s adoption of recombinant collagen protein is influenced by the recent popularity of this ingredient.
It is widely known that recombinant collagen protein has enjoyed a spotlight since last year. On one hand, industry giants like Giant Biogene and Jinbo Bio have successfully gone public. On the other hand, in August of last year, Shiseido launched a specialized investment fund in China, with the first investment being in Trautec, a recombinant collagen protein material company. This year, LVMH’s private equity company also invested in the latter.
In addition, Bloomage Biotech has also invested 233 million yuan in the recombinant collagen protein field. In terms of product applications, Kefumei, Marubi, Pat’s, CHANDO, and Fan Wen Hua have all launched products related to recombinant collagen protein.
Public data shows that the market size of recombinant collagen protein in China was 18.5 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for 46.6% of the collagen protein market and growing by 71.3% compared to the previous year. The compound annual growth rate from 2017 to 2022 was 65.3%. It is expected that by 2027, the market size of recombinant collagen protein will exceed 100 billion yuan, accounting for 62.3% of the collagen protein market.
In terms of the standardized development of recombinant collagen protein, in March 2021, the “Guiding Principles for Naming Recombinant Collagen Protein Biomaterials” was issued. In April 2021, the “Principles for Classifying Medical Products of Recombinant Collagen Protein” was issued. In August 2022, the industry standard for recombinant collagen protein (YY/T 1849-2022) was officially implemented. The release of these documents indicates that recombinant collagen protein is undergoing standardized development.
It is not surprising that L’Oréal has started using recombinant collagen protein amid the wave of its popularity. “With such a strong trend for collagen protein, they have to follow suit. This shows that L’Oréal understands the market and knows which ingredients can attract consumers’ trust and attention,” said an industry insider who preferred to remain anonymous.
It is evident that L’Oréal has transitioned from being followed to following trends. On one hand, this indicates that the development of recombinant collagen protein has become an undeniable trend in the industry. On the other hand, it signifies the recognition of Chinese ingredients by international brands. The entry of L’Oréal and Shiseido into this field will further promote the development of recombinant collagen protein.
