Origins & ingredients · 2 min read
Fruit is pressed to make juice. Grapes are processed to make wine. Seeds and skins are among the materials left behind. What is a by-product of one process can be a valuable starting material for another. This is where the idea behind uprise begins.
01There is potential in skins and seeds
Plant oils and other interesting compounds are not only found in the parts of fruit we eat or drink. Seeds and skins can also provide suitable ingredients for cosmetic formulas.
At uprise, for example, we use an extract from red grape skins left over from winemaking. Our Calming Serum contains blueberry seed oil from juice production. We use selected food processing by-products as sources of raw materials.
02Careful processing comes in between
There are several steps between a fruit by-product and a finished cream. The starting material must be suitable for further processing. Depending on the raw material, oils may then be obtained or specific components extracted. The result is a cosmetic ingredient with defined properties.
The exact process depends on the plant, the desired ingredient and the method used. Upcycling is therefore not a single manufacturing method. The term primarily describes the idea of giving existing materials another use that adds value.
03The formula makes the difference
A good ingredient is only the beginning. What matters is how it works with the other components of a product. These include humectants, other skincare components and ingredients that keep the formula stable.
Our Multi Vitamin Drops, for example, combine grape extract with aloe vera juice, glycerin and a vitamin C derivative. The upcycled raw material plays a role within the complete formula. For us, origin and cosmetic function belong together.
Upcycling alone does not tell the whole story of a product’s environmental footprint. Processing, transport and packaging matter too. It does, however, offer a concrete opportunity to reuse existing streams of raw materials. This is where uprise starts, with skincare whose ingredients have a story that goes beyond the jar.