Beraca boasts new inclusive clay beauty range

14 Dec 2021 --- With the launch of its naturally colored clays, Beraca aims to produce contemporary, responsible and sustainable cosmetic active ingredients. Sourced from Brazilian biomes, the clay-based ingredients have been formulated to provide the beauty industry with makeup, skin care and hair care solutions.

Beraca Natural Ingredients advocates responsible production, describing this in its latest press release as “one of the most influential behaviors in the world.” Working in the perfumery and cosmetics sector, Beraca is guided by the principles of sustainable focus, specifically in the areas of sociobiodiversity enhancement and principles of clean technology, green chemistry, sustainable extraction, zero residue and full traceability. 

Click to EnlargeBerashades comes in five tones and offers more than 3,000 combinations. Source: Beraca.In a statement, Beraca notes it “invests in the development of natural ingredients with proven efficacy which contribute to more sustainable formulas, as a viable way to promote positive social and environmental impacts on the planet.” 

Launching its Berashades range, Beraca has developed for cosmetic use a palette of five naturally colored and sustainable clays in ivory, beige, bronze, caramel and ebony. The range has been designed to enable consumers to mix, match and customize more than 3,000 color combinations. It also allows coverage with natural appearance and matte effect. By applying a simultaneous micronization process, the company states its formulations are also able to provide a stable color. Along with providing vegan and multifunctional claims, as a mineral ingredient the cosmetic active also strives to offer a detoxifying and remineralizing effect. 

“It is also an example that it is possible to act on innovations through the Sustainable Development Goals, raising awareness within the cosmetic market with ethical commitments such as the conservation, recovery and sustainable use of ecosystems,” details Beraca in a recent statement. 

Social and environmental inclusion

Amid the rapidly-changing beauty market, Beraca is putting market trends at the forefront of its developments and innovations. “And we understand today that diversity is very important towards the makeup segment,” says Marianna Cyrillo, Global Head of Marketing and Business.

Following the arrival and establishment of its Beraclays line of natural cosmetics ingredients, Beraca called upon its marketing and research and development teams to reach two core market demands: natural colorants focusing on the diversity of skin shades, and multifunctional active ingredients. After delving into solutions that would meet these market needs, Beraca landed on the idea of offering Berashades’ range of colors to the natural ingredient market. 

Beraca expects to start with a new line of makeup ingredients that are not just for color but also for skin activity. “We want to start with this concept of using makeup while treating the skin,” says Cyrillo. “We also want to expand the concept of customized products mainly due to diversity.” 

The company wants consumers to be aware they can choose their own shade of cosmetics products. It details that its Berashades clays are extracted from Brazilian biomes based on shared value with stakeholders through socio-environmental programs. Cyrillo explains that these are “mainly aimed at replanting, fish farming, empowerment and women’s inclusion in the labor market in decent conditions, boosting the awareness of responsible production and consumption through sustainable principles, concepts, and practices.” She adds: “The commercialization of this product, as others in our portfolio, is focused on a win-win for conscious capitalism.”

Using clay to produce makeup

There are a number of core technical aspects Beraca considered when using active cosmetic ingredients to formulate clays. “We identified a considerable level of activity in clays, increasing skin firmness and reducing transepidermal water loss,” Cyrillo emphasized. Beraca studied the structure of clays and checked their best granulometry to reach the different color shades. “These are important aspects because we already know clays as antioxidants and active agents that help against pollution,” states Cyrillo.

Beraca carried out a number of tests to demonstrate the efficacy of Berashades. Testing its skin barrier protection, Beraca conducted a transepidermal water loss (TEWL) test, stating it found a significant reduction of TEWL and thus indicating its skin integrity and increased hydration. Beraca also tested the product’s firmness through a cutometer test. The company found a positive effect on the firmness of skin after seven consecutive days. 

Click to EnlargeMarianna Cyrillo champions Berashades' inclusivity, transparency and sustainability. Source: Beraca.The efficacy tests it conducted for its Berashades range only include Basal, Placebo and Berashades groups at 10%, since there are no benchmark of naturally colored clays with simultaneous micronization — a process whereby the entire particulate is the same size, allowing color stability without adding iron oxide. Beraca notes that this testing method signals the uniqueness of its Bershades range. 

In launching Berashades, Beraca was conscious of appealing to beauty consumers’ demands for more transparency and natural ingredients. “We are offering natural ingredients with traceability, sustainability impact matrix and also proven efficacy towards hydration, skin barrier protection and firmness,” confirms Cyrillo.

Unveiling its new online tool, the Berashades Mixer, Beraca hopes to help its customers choose and produce makeup options. The digital platform allows formulators to create their own shades with simultaneous access to an ingredient’s beneficial properties. The technology aims to assist professionals with time-to-market solutions that demonstrate scientific precision.

With the launch of its new clay-based range of ingredients for makeup, Beraca hopes to grow its market share in makeup and natural coloring agents. Cyrillo says Beraca also hopes to offer consumers “a complete palette of shades, according to the specificity of each skin type, encouraging shared value in sustainable practices”.

By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist