Trends: Green Coffee Extract as a Natural Ingredient for Cosmetics
Miguel García / 22 April 2024
Trends: Green Coffee Extract as a Natural Ingredient for Cosmetics
The natural cosmetics and personal care industry is booming. According to the ‘Global Natural and Organic Personal Care Products Market 2017-2021‘ study, it grows by 10% each year and is estimated to surpass €17.63 trillion globally in 2021, playing a key role in Europe’s economy. Moreover, consumers are increasingly opting for these types of cosmetic products, as shown by recent trend studies. This forces manufacturers to be in a continuous process of innovation and improvement, reformulating their products and seeking new clean and sustainable extraction methods and formulas. An example of these new components is green coffee oil (GCO). We discuss its benefits and extraction methods in the following article.
Renewable and Sustainable Extracts: Green Coffee Oil
Natural cosmetics continue to dominate the industry as consumers prefer products derived from natural sources and free from artificial preservatives, produced with greater ethical and ecological awareness, and incorporating sustainable and economical raw materials.
As a result, major companies in the cosmetics sector reformulate about 25-30% of their products each year. Of these, approximately 10% rely on ingredients that are new to the market or to this industry.
In this regard, plant extracts are a renewable and sustainable resource of great importance for the sector. This is because promoting the sustainable use of biological resources, conserving biodiversity, and sourcing sustainable and environmentally friendly ingredients and raw materials are now paramount. An example of these extracts is green coffee oil (GCO).
Green coffee oil is a natural ingredient that contains high levels of linoleic acid (details included in Table 1), similar to those found in rosehip oil. This linoleic acid, when applied in cosmetic products, is essential for maintaining hydrated skin. Additionally, it has demonstrated its effectiveness in sunburn recovery and in treating mild acne problems, as well as in psoriasis treatment.
Table 1. Comparison of Fatty Acid Content in Different Natural Oils Used in Cosmetics
Fatty acid Composition
Jojoba Oil [2]
Sweet Almond Oil [3]
Rosehip Oil [4, 5]
GCO Altex
Myristic Ac. C14:0
–
–
Max. 0.3%
0.11%
Palmitic Ac. C16:0
Max. 3%
3-9%
3.4-4.4%
32.94%
Palmitoleic Ac. C16:1
Max. 1%
Max. 2%
Max. 0.2%
0.08%
Stearic Ac. C18:0
Max. 1%
0.5-3%
1.5-2.5 %
7.22%
Oleic Ac. C18:1
5-15%
60-75%
14-16%
10.06%
Linoleic Ac. C18:2
Max. 5%
20-30%
43-46%
42.77%
Oleic/linoleic ratio Ac.
1-3
2.5-3.0
0.3
0.24
Linolenic Ac. C18:3
Max. 1%
–
31-34%
2.26%
Arachidic Ac. C20:0
Max. 0.5%
0.2%
Max. 1%
3.05%
Eicosanoid Ac. C20:1
65-80%
0.2%
Max. 0.5%
–
Behenic Ac. C22:0
Max. 0.5%
0.2%
Max. 0.5%
0.71%
Euricic Ac. C22:1
10-20%
0.1%
Max. 0.5%
<0.01%
Ac. Lignoceric
Max. 5%
–
–
0.02%
Regarding palmitc and arachidic acids, also present in high concentration in green coffee oil, they are commonly used in the formulations of many cosmetic preparations for their emollient properties, as surfactants, and cleaning agents.
How to obtain green coffee oil extract in a clean and sustainable way
The trend for natural products is joined by the trend for sustainability in cosmetics. Ecological ingredients, free from chemicals, and sustainable formulations form the basis upon which cosmetic innovation currently relies.
Consumers demand evidence certifying that beneath claims of effectiveness, sustainability, and organic, there are products that are safe and committed to these values, beyond just the “green” label.
To address this, the key lies in technological innovation. Clean technology is needed to achieve very high levels of purity and enable a high degree of recovery or exhaustion of the natural oil of interest. These capabilities are achievable by applying CO2 pressure extraction technology, also known as supercritical fluid extraction.
CO2 extraction, also known as supercritical extraction, is an industrial technology widely used for certain products and extensively applied today for cosmetics and the development of new natural extracts. This technology employs only CO2 as a solvent, thus avoiding conventional organic solvents and the need for subsequent solvent removal processes from the extract. One of its notable applications is the clean and safe extraction of high-value natural products.
Up to now, the supercritical extraction processes of caffeine from coffee or cocoa butter are well-known. Additionally, the extraction of natural extracts from plant matrices, such as green coffee oil (GCO), exemplifies the extensive interest and application of technology in the cosmetics industry.
The extraction process of green coffee oil developed and applied at ALTEX (AINIA’s industrial plant for technology application) allows for obtaining two fractions. On one hand, green coffee oil, and on the other hand, pure natural caffeine. This way, natural active substances free from traces and contaminants are obtained, suitable for the cosmetics industry. Furthermore, the oil-free green coffee could be used as a stabilized product for natural exfoliation purposes.
ALTEX (Advanced Extractive Technology), the industrial plant established by AINIA Technological Center, is the only multiproduct supercritical fluid extraction plant operating in Spain and one of the few in Europe. Its objective is to provide access to the industrial use of supercritical CO2 in advanced extraction and purification processes, as well as in specific material treatments, always with a commitment to environmental preservation.
If your company requires extraction of components such as green coffee oil using supercritical CO2, contact AINIA, and our specialists can provide you with their knowledge and expertise in this field. You can also follow our specialized space on supercritical CO2 on LinkedIn.
References
[1] El-Mallah MH et al. Investigation of Liquid Wax Components of Egyptian Jojoba Seeds. J Oleo Sci, 2009. 58(10):543-48.
[2] Flores Ahumada D. Market diagnosis of rosehip oil and its development possibilities. 2005.
[3] Ilyasoglu H. Characterization of Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) Seed and Seed Oil. Int J Food Prop, 2014. 17(7): 1591-98.
[4] Grazjer M et al. Characteristics of rose hip (Rosa canina L.) cold-pressed oil and its oxidative stability studied by the differential scanning calorimetry method. Food Chemistry, 2015. 188: 459–66.
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