Spiber’s application to the Personal Care Products Council to register “sr-polypeptide-1” as an INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name, made in anticipation of the use of our Brewed Protein materials in cosmetics, was recently accepted. Registration has also been completed in Japan.

sr-polypeptide-1 is a type of Brewed Protein material developed by Spiber which is produced via a microbial fermentation process using plant-derived biomass as raw material. It has the potential to serve as a new option in the development and production of cosmetics, where microplastic emissions from final products can lead to negative impacts on the environment.* Initially, we expect to utilize sr-polypeptide-1 fiber primarily for mascara and eyebrow products.

*It has been demonstrated that unprocessed Brewed Protein fiber can biodegrade in a variety of natural environments including marine, freshwater, and soil. (Marine and freshwater tests conducted in accordance with ASTM D6691 and ISO 14851 respectively.) In these tests, Brewed Protein fiber biodegradability far exceeds that of conventional synthetic fibers such as polyester (Spiber has confirmed that Brewed Protein fiber biodegradability reaches 70% or higher in marine environments).
Although there are currently many unanswered scientific questions regarding microplastics, we intend to remain flexible in our approach to solving global issues with greater impact and will continue to refer to the latest academic research moving forward.