On 21 March Provital presented Altheostem™ , a new wellaging active ingredient obtained from stem cells from the petals of the Althaea rosa flower cultivated in its laboratory. With Altheostem, Provital goes a step further and positions itself in a new type of cosmetics: Dermohacking cosmetics. It consists of taking advantage of the resources and opportunities offered by science and technology and opting for natural preferences that seek to extend the limits of efficacy and sustainability without neglecting its respect for the environment.
Altheostem™ is Provital's first ingredient in dermohacking ingredients and is achieved through a biotechnological and eco-responsible production method that allows for the preservation of the flower's environment in nature. In addition, it offers full traceability of the raw material, and a production process that consumes less water. All this provides superior ecological standards and allows for vegan compliance, COSMOS approval and 100% natural origin (ISO16128). This active was honoured at the latest edition of In-Cosmetics Global held in Barcelona. It won second place in the 'Innovation Zone Best Ingredient' category.
The well-aging power of Altheostem™ was clinically tested on a panel of 70 mature women. The results of the in vivo tests show that the active ingredient significantly promotes increased radiance, elastic recovery, decreased sagging, and skin redensification; as well as such a visible decrease in the depth and volume of wrinkles that the periocular area regains almost 6 years of age. Provital's CEO, Ricard Armengol, explained to 'Next in Beauty' the impact of this new active in the industry: "Altheostem™ incorporates very scientific aspects, such as those linked to its mechanism of action against senescent cells, also known as "zombie" cells, and at the same time connects perfectly with social trends such as sustainability, well-aging or the use of artificial intelligence in the evaluation of its efficacy".
With more than 40 years of history, Provital was founded in 1979 with some basic pillars that continue to accompany it today: innovation, quality, sustainability and global customer orientation. "Innovation is essential for us," says Ricard Armengol, who states that it is essential in the cosmetics sector to offer the best results to the consumer. "At Provital we approach innovation in multiple directions and in all areas of the company". But... What is innovation like at Provital? "We propose innovation when we bring new ingredients that come from new plants, or when we identify new plant molecules that are active on the skin or hair, or when we identify new mechanisms of action, new metabolic pathways involved in skin cell metabolism. But we also talk about innovation when we propose new extractive technologies or when we propose more sustainable supply chains for our plants, develop new plant cultivation methods or find new sources for obtaining the biomass needed to extract the active molecules," Armengol told this media outlet.
In addition, the CEO of the active ingredients and cosmetics company told NIB that they have a pipeline of more than 20 open R&D projects: "We are working on developing and expanding our current technological platforms, such as plant stem cell cultures, but, at the same time, we are working on all the lines of innovation that I mentioned earlier, developing new platforms". Ricard Armengol has also advanced in the interview with 'Next in Beauty' that in 2024, the company's first project will be launched related to a new technology that the company has been working on for several years and that will allow the development of a new family of totally novel active ingredients in the future.
The third pillar of Provital Do Care is sustainability. Through numerous initiatives, the company located in Barberà del Vallés expresses its commitment to the environment and to generate the least possible impact on it in each of its procedures. "Do Care' is not just a slogan. Taking care of our environment in its broadest sense is what defines us perfectly and sets us apart," said the company's CEO. Armengol wanted to emphasise the value of sustainability in the organisation by referring to the publication of the Sustainability Policy published earlier this year: "In 2023 we published our Sustainability Policy, which we have been working on for almost two years. We set out our objectives in this area and communicate them along with our achievements, trying to do so in the most honest way, always offering maximum transparency". The Sustainability Report and Sustainability Policy is the company's active and voluntary contribution to environmental, social and ethical improvement with a commitment to make the world a better place. "We know that we are strong in this aspect, but we also know our weaknesses that we need to improve, and we state this clearly in our annual reports," said Armengol.
True to its principles and the excellence of its products, and after almost 30 years of its first international expansion strategy, Provital is now present in more than 114 countries, through 46 distributors and 6 commercial subsidiaries. "Provital is strongly established in the global market. Currently, 85% of our global turnover comes from our exports to about 90 countries around the world and we have our own subsidiaries or direct entry in some of the main markets such as Brazil, China, France, Poland, Germany, Switzerland.... We are currently focused on improving our presence in the Asia-Pacific area, where we believe we have more room for growth, without forgetting to reinforce growth in other areas where we are already more established". Faced with a future that is always uncertain, Provital focuses its task on ensuring the solidity of the company, maintaining its own vision with the aim of specifying the best way to adapt to it, while maintaining its values and independence. And this, in the words of the company's top manager, Ricard Armengol, is the greatest achievement of the company's 44 years.