Alotofrot:Howisbeauty
harnessingthepowerof
fermentation?

ByJuliaWray20-Sep-2021

INGREDIENTS

Inaworldofdiminishingresources,fermentationmightbetheanswerto
thefutureofbeautysourcing.Butthisisadelicateprocess,as
CosmeticsBusinessdiscovers

Withoutfermentation,wewouldnothavebread,yoghurt,beer,wineor–much
tothechagrinofhipsters–kombucha.
Thisuseofmicroorganismstotransformafeedstockintoamorevaluableor
desirableproducthasbeenutilisedbyhumanitysincearound7,000BC,evenif
ourancestorshadnoknowledgeoftheinvisiblepowerhousesbehindthis
process;thereisevidence,forinstance,thatNeolithicChinesesocietiesused
fruit,honeyandricetomakeanalcoholicbeverage.
ItwasLouisPasteur’sexperimentsinthe1850sand60swhichwerethegame
changers,jumpingonthebackofearlierworkbyscientistsincludingCharles
CagniarddelaTour,TheodorSchwannandFriedrichTraugottKützingto
demonstratehowthefermentationwe’drelieduponformillenniawasactually
initiatedbylivingorganisms,ratherthanmerelybeingachemicalchangeas
previouslythought.
Butthebenefitsoffermentationforearlyhumansgoesbackalot,lotfurther,
asPatrickGonry,BusinessDevelopmentManageratingredientssupplier
Gobiotics,explains.