As the saying goes, “There’s plenty of fish in the sea.” The same applies to cosmetics and catching a sustainably-based hyaluronic acid product.

The French Society of Cosmetology and the L’Oréal Research and Innovation was thinking the deep blue sea when they reeled in Deep Blue Biotech as the winner of The International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC)’s Third Annual Sustainability Challenge.

Deep Blue Biotech beat out seven other finalist startups in the personal care industry, which included Futura Gaia; Serpify; Bioweg; Sunthetics; Brilliant Dyes; Nopalm Ingredients; and Constance Health.

Blue Beauty

Because reducing one’s carbon footprint and CO2 emission is critical in fighting the ongoing global warming crisis, Tim Corcoran, CEO of Deep Blue Biotech, said he aimed to create a startup with a net zero goal in mind after green chemicals’ “large failure” in regards to cost and chemical efficiency. Deep Blue Biotech fished for a winning solution that would serve a treasure for both manufacturer and consumer: ocean-derived Cyanobacteria. Dubbed the most efficient photosynthetic organisms on the planet, by Corcoran, they’re also the reason for Earth’s development of a breathable atmosphere.

Needing only water, light and CO2, Deep Blue Biotech’s ocean-derived cyanobacteria can be engineered to make useful chemicals, Corcoran said.

“These things all taken together make it the cleanest technology available to us for the manufacture of chemicals,” he said.

While the brand’s technology is capable of making a broad range of chemicals, the brand chose Hyaluronic Acid as its debut SKU considering it’s just as promising as it is in high demand. But it’s not just any hyaluronic acid product. Deep Blue’s unique HA advantage includes its manufacturer’s ability to make Blue Beauty-related product claims. These claims, coupled with making its hyaluronic acid for less than existing HA products on the market, make for an attractive selling-point, Corcoran said, while saving manufacturers and consumers money while reducing carbon emission.

“Most importantly, because the feedstock for our Cyanobacteria is CO2, and because the downstream processing is very simple, we estimate that for every one ton of our Hyaluronic Acid that’s used, we will capture, or avoid 7 tons of CO2. In summary, [our] Hyaluronic Acid will make money for those who use it, save money for those who use it, and most importantly, help to save the planet.”

Jury members praised Deep Blue Biotech’s Hyaluronic Acid as an “important innovation” and its descriptive technology and expertise in the design of its cyanobacteria.

Deep Blue Biotech will have one year access to the French Society of Cosmetology, which gives them access to the IFSCC website and full access to IFSCC 2026, which be held in Australia.