Following L’Oréal, the leading Chinese cosmetics and beauty brand Proya has also entered the field of recombinant collagen.
Recently, several industry insiders revealed to CHAILEEDO that Proya has added recombinant collagen in its upcoming Advanced Original Repair series. The National Medical Products Administration’s platform for Chinese general cosmetics registration information also shows that Proya’s registered Original Repair Light Cream both contain recombinant human-derived type XVII collagen protein.
In response to this, CHAILEEDO immediately sought confirmation from Proya. Regarding the question of whether the upcoming Advanced Original Repair Cream 2.0 contains recombinant collagen, Proya responded, “Proya continues to pay attention to innovative technologies and ingredients. For example, the previous Off&Relax product for hair growth used type 17 collagen protein. However, for specific ingredient information about the new products, please stay tuned for their release.”
It is suspected that beauty bloggers have already received samples
According to the information displayed on the National Medical Products Administration’s platform for Chinese general cosmetics registration, as early as December last year, Proya had registered two products: Proya Original Repair Light Cream Cream and Proya Original Repair Repair Rich Cream. And according to the ingredient list, both products contain “collagen” as an ingredient.
According to the product packaging graphics uploaded to the record system, the two products clearly indicates “recombinant Type XVII human collagen” in a prominent position, and the annotation section also states “recombinant Type XVII human collagen.” This means that Proya, as a rising Chinese leader in beauty and cosmetics, may have officially entered the hot trend of recombinant collagen.
In fact, prior to this, several industry insiders had revealed to CHAILEEDO that Proya was entering the field of collagen protein restructuring.
The head of a company that represents several Chinese recombinant collagen raw material producers informed CHAILEEDO that they had already known about the news, but they were unable to disclose further information.
Another founder of an innovative skincare brand who had previously been in contact with Proya also informed CHAILEEDO, “I have had discussions with Proya, and I did hear about the news of them adding recombinant collagen in their Source Power series.”
It is worth mentioning that several beauty bloggers have recently posted related notes on the Xiaohongshu platform, stating that they have “received samples of Source Power Cream sent by the brand.”
Among them, many bloggers mentioned that they received product samples as early as December last year to “give it a try.” Some bloggers also mentioned that shortly after the news of Proya entering the field of collagen protein restructuring circulated, they received products sent by the brand.
Regarding the products themselves, according to the information on the National Medical Products Administration’s platform for Chinese general cosmetics registration, the aforementioned products claim to have nourishing, repairing, moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, firming, and soothing effects. In terms of ingredients, in addition to the addition of recombinant type XVII human-derived collagen protein, the aforementioned new products also prominently feature three ingredients: dual ceramides, complex Phytofirm® proECM, and pea extract.
Associated brands have already made arrangements. Last year, they launched the “first” anti-hair loss product.
CHAILEEDO found that although Proya did not previously include recombinant collagen in its core products, its non-core products and holding brands have made some “attempts” in the field of recombinant collagen.
For example, in July last year, the scalp care brand Off&Relax launched the first Chinese anti-hair loss product that applies type XVII collagen protein hair growth technology and collaborated closely with Ryuumei Kōji, a leading researcher in the application of type XVII collagen protein for anti-hair loss and hair growth. According to customer service at Off&Relax’s Tmall flagship store, Off&Relax is a brand under Proya, and Proya is the main controlling shareholder of Off&Relax.
In the same month last year, Proya also added recombinant fibronectin to the Advanced Original Repair Cream 2.0.
So why did Proya decide to use recombinant type XVII collagen protein in its flagship products instead of the more mainstream recombinant type I and type III collagen proteins?
According to industry insiders, on the one hand, recombinant type XVII collagen protein has good anti-aging and repairing effects, which align well with the product positioning of “skin source repair.” On the other hand, there is already a wide range of products on the market that contain recombinant type I and type III collagen proteins, making it difficult for leading brands like Proya to establish differentiation advantages.
Fu Shengwei, a scientist at the Advanced Medical Technology Research Center, Trautec, stated in an interview with CHAILEEDO, “The most significant characteristic of type XVII collagen protein is that it is a transmembrane protein located in the deepest layer of the epidermis cells. It plays a role in connecting and fixing the epidermis layer to the underlying basement membrane. This fixed role is crucial for the growth of stem cells. Therefore, maintaining high expression of type XVII collagen protein in epidermal stem cells can firmly occupy the position above the basement membrane and have anti-aging effects.”
“As the trend goes,” the head of a well-known raw material company in Guangzhou candidly told CHAILEEDO, “Nowadays, Proya’s product pricing is not far off from L’Oreal’s, which gives them the capability to add some good ingredients to their products while also being able to control costs.”
The founder of a skincare brand believes, “Proya adding recombinant collagen to their products demonstrates that the beauty market is still accepting ingredients that represent major trends. However, the key question is whether they can find points of differentiation that align with their brand positioning, just like Proya choosing a different path and not selecting the more mainstream recombinant type I and type III collagen proteins.”
A brand representative close to Proya revealed to CHAILEEDO, “Proya is very cautious when it comes to launching new products because since the decline of the channel dividend, brands are often concerned about the high market education costs associated with introducing completely new products. Therefore, it is more common for brands to iterate on existing products by adding ‘new elements’ to improve efficiency.”
Currently, the Chinese recombinant collagen market is in a state of fragmentation, with companies such as Giant Biogene, Jinbo Bio, Trautec, and jland forming the leading camps in the Chinese recombinant collagen industry. Due to this situation, there is curiosity within the industry about which company’s recombinant collagen product Proya has chosen to use.
CHAILEEDO noticed that among the publicly known raw material manufacturers that possess recombinant type XVII collagen protein, there are Trautec, Veminsyn, Jinbo Bio, and others. Among them, Trautec completed the green manufacturing of recombinant type XVII collagen protein through synthetic biology technology as early as 2022.
Furthermore, according to the official WeChat account of Trautec, Proya wrote a preface for their “Recombinant Type XVII Collagen Protein White Paper” published in October last year, which may indicate some form of cooperation between the two. When CHAILEEDO sought confirmation from an industry insider close to Trautec, they responded, “We can’t say anything about it at the moment.”
Behind the hot trend of type XVII collagen, recombinant collagen type XVII has called for new stories
Regarding Proya’s entry into the race of recombinant collagen, many industry insiders believe that this will undoubtedly further intensify the competition in the market for recombinant collagen. At the same time, it reflects the desire of enterprises and brands to achieve a competitive edge and establish a differentiated brand label by entering the field of recombinant Type XVII collagen, especially when the market is generally focused on recombinant Type I and Type III collagen.
CHAILEEDO has discovered that since 2022, at least a dozen raw material suppliers or brands have entered the market for recombinant Type XVII collagen, even considering it a significant strategic move for their business transformation.
In terms of raw materials, Trautec and Veminsyn were among the first to lay out the plan for recombinant collagen type XVII. Trautec considers recombinant collagen type XVII as its second major “transformation,” having completed technical reserves early on and achieved industrialization of XVII recombinant collagen.
Synthetic biology company Veminsyn also achieved mass production of Type XVII collagen raw material Time-Col17 in 2022. It is reported that this product has a size of approximately 700Da and can quickly reach the epidermis-dermis junction within 2 hours.
Additionally, Jinbo Bio released a new product last year, the Type A recombinant XVII human collagen repair lyophilized powder, followed by the launch of recombinant XVII human collagen. This product claims to be truly 100% human-compatible, providing not only anti-aging and firming effects but also preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth.
In terms of brand applications, due to the anti-aging and repairing effects of recombinant collagen type XVII, it has been adopted by skincare and medical beauty brands. For example, Biophyto-genesis and MyClorisLand both launched products containing recombinant collagen type XVII last year.
Among them, MyClorisLand combines recombinant XVII human collagen with peony super A peptides, claiming to achieve anti-wrinkle effects throughout the entire dermis. Baizhi Cui, on the other hand, uses a combination of 17+3+1 types of composite collagen proteins and introduces the 17 Collagen Essence. In addition, brands such as Eve Charm and Trautec’s subsidiary brand Yuebaizhiji have been the first to apply it in the medical beauty field. Among them, Eve Charm’s Collagen Small 17 is the first nationally approved Class II XVII collagen medical device.
Regarding the popularity of recombinant collagen type XVII as an ingredient in 2024, Chen Jiayue, co-founder of Veminsyn, expressed agreement, saying, “From a scientific perspective, the functionality of Type XVII collagen on the skin is more critical, and its anti-aging effects are more prominent.”
“Type XVII collagen is a complex type of collagen, with a more complex structure than Type I and Type III collagen. As research progresses, more and more functions will be discovered. We’re just scratching the surface,” added Chen Jiayue.
In fact, the popularity of recombinant collagen type XVII reflects the market’s demand for new stories about recombinant collagen. Essentially, it represents a desire for new selling points and ingredients that can bring fresh narratives.
CHAILEEDO has noticed that with the rapid development of recombinant collagen, the controversy surrounding their transdermal absorption has always persisted. However, this does not seem to have hindered the soaring popularity of recombinant collagen. The entry of giants such as L’Oréal and Proya, the successful listings of Juzi Biotech and Jinbo Bio, all confirm the market and capital’s double endorsement of this ingredient.
In response, Chen Jiayue believes that “transdermal absorption is still the most important issue and one that all collagen types must address.”
Clearly, the story of recombinant collagen will continue. With the entry of leading Chinese cosmetics brand Proya, recombinant collagen type XVII may become the next battleground for numerous enterprises and brands.
