Bioprospecting for Cosmetics

Bioprospecting in cosmetics industry helps to explore natural sources like plants, marine organisms and microbes as new bioactive compounds for cosmetic products. These bioactive substances often have properties that are beneficial for skincare, including but not limited to anti-aging, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. The process begins with identifying potential natural sources, collecting and extracting the samples. Different techniques are used to separate the desired bioactive compounds from these samples. Bioprospecting offers numerous advantages to the cosmetics industry by developing new and high-quality products, meeting the consumer demand for the sustainable and natural products by using traditional knowledge from the indigenous communities. This chapter explores the possibilities, benefits as well as ethical concerns of bioprospecting and knowledge sharing in the cosmetics industry.