Inspired by ancient rituals and forest therapy, Ashland has launched Santalwood™ biofunctional, a natural extract from Santalum album that captures the melodic kiss of the wind and dance of the woods to fuel ethereal beauty, an inner fire and outward glow. It is the first biofunctional to be developed by Ashland with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for well aging that helps transform skin’s appearance from dull and lifeless to vibrant and glowing.
“Ashland has long looked to ancient ceremonies and trends to bring new technologies to the field of active ingredients for personal care that amplify the efficacy of our customers’ products and applications,” said Joel Mantelin, vice president marketing and business development, biofunctionals and naturals, Ashland. “For the first time, Ashland is also combining Artificial Intelligence as the starting point in the design of an ingredient. Our scientific solvers discovered that skin olfactory receptors decline with age and Santalwood™ biofunctional was developed to fight the skin aging process and ensure the integrity of our customers’ products and applications.”
Santalwood™ biofunctional reduces skin cell senescence and helps mitigate air pollution damage. It adds to the allure of skin with clinically proven benefits for regeneration, firmness and anti-wrinkles. The biofunctional is oil soluble and can be formulated into a wide range of beauty products for well aging.
"Walking through a forest, you are surrounded by nature's raw beauty and the fresh air is extremely beneficial," said Anne Clay, global marketing manager, Ashland. “Our new biofunctional was inspired by forest therapy, which is an emerging trend in health and wellness, also known as shinrin-yoku in Japan. Forests often deliver large amounts of odorant molecules identified as forest volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Sandalwood produces forest VOCs that form only with the right mix of genetics and environmental factors. Ashland SantalwoodTM biofunctional captures selective forest VOCs from the sandalwood and enhances skin olfactory receptors shown to decrease with age and air pollution.”
Scientific studies have shown that inhaling forest VOCs can result in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the airways, and the pharmacological activity of some forest VOCs absorbed through inhalation may be also beneficial to promote brain functions by decreasing mental fatigue, inducing relaxation, and improving cognitive performance and mood.
Sandalwood has been used for many centuries in religious ceremonies and healing. Hindus and Buddhists used it to create a meditative atmosphere. Ancient Egyptians used it in their rituals and believed it was essential to reincarnation. Today, it is widely used in aromatherapy to alleviate stress and calm the mind.
Ashland Santalwood™ biofunctional is extracted from Santalum album, which is sustainably sourced in Australia. It is obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction from upcycled wood chips, as part of a circular economy model and furthers Ashland’s corporate envrionment, social and governance (ESG) agenda.
To partner with Ashland solvers and learn how we can help bring enchanting innovation to skincare products, visit www.ashland.com/santalwood
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About Ashland
Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a premier specialty materials company with a conscious and proactive mindset for sustainability. The company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including adhesives, architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care and pharmaceutical. Approximately 4,200 passionate, tenacious solvers – from renowned scientists and research chemists to talented engineers and plant operators – thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries
Visit ashland.com and ashland.com/sustainability to learn more.