Oriflame has announced a significant investment in the cultivation of its own plant stem cell cultures. The investment is an effort by the company to produce sustainable and effective anti-aging active ingredients.
Oriflame’s work on plant stem cells began in December 2012 at its Skin Research Institute in Stockholm. In addition to installing a Plant Cell Culture laboratory in-house, Oriflame has also entered into a collaborative partnership with Swedish company In vitro Plant-tech AB, which specializes in biomanufacturing of cell cultures and explants from medicinal plants.
As part of Oriflame's effort to reduce its ecological footprint, plant stem cell technology will allow it to reduce water consumption, conserve natural resources, protect biodiversity and increase quality and purity. The production of an active from plant stem cells requires roughly 10 times less water than traditional methods. In addition, fields can instead be used for vital food cultivation; less energy is consumed in harvesting and processing. Also, only a very small part of a plant is needed to initiate a plant stem cell line, for example 1 kg of cells equates to 5,000 flowers. Moreover, no plants need to be picked from the wild. The purity, safety and quality of the ingredients are not affected by environmental pollution. Seasonal and geographical variations are eliminated and the batch-to-batch quality is guaranteed.
The announcement marks another significant innovation for Oriflame and is part of its enduring commitment to become a truly sustainable company.