The rise of big data in the beauty industry, collected through questionnaires, search term data, and spending habits, will dictate the selection of ingredients and influence product development schemes. Greater customization in beauty will make significant strides forward in the next few years, thanks to scientific and technological advancements. This trend will be enabled by ‘skin-analysis technologies’ powered by deep learning and computer visualization.
As per Ratan K. Chaudhuri, Ph.D., E-commerce trends in cosmetics and beauty ingredients will continue to propel the beauty industry ahead in 2021 and beyond. He is Founder, President & CEO at Sytheon Ltd. and has established many successful companies. He is a strategic thinker with excellent leadership abilities and holds expertise in developing basic yet distinctive best-in-class products. He believes that beauty technology brands will be driven by the safety, sustainability, and efficacy of ingredients, not only natural ones.
Early Life, Education, and Beginning as an Entrepreneur
Ratan was born and raised in India and remained there until 1974 when he pursued a job in Germany at the University of Bonn. Later, he joined the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland before accepting a position at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1980.
Ratan’s first industrial job was at ISP Chemicals in 1985, and then, in 1996, he moved to EMD Chemicals (Merck KGaA, Germany) as Technical Director of Personal Care, where he remained for 11 years. It was here that he gained a greater understanding and insights into the industry, which paved the way to Sytheon’s creation in 2006. He founded Sytheon with the ambition of better serving the cosmetic industry with unique and differentiated products that enable our clients to develop safe and more effective skincare products.
Challenges before Success
As a new vendor in the industry, the first difficulty Sytheon faced was gaining its clients’ trust for consistency, reliability, and quality. This was not easy and it took about a decade for the company to achieve, which, in turn, led to a slow growth rate during these early years. One of the continual challenges is staying at the forefront of innovation by generating new ideas and then implementing them to fuel business growth. Ratan asserts, “We work hard as a team to strengthen our credibility by delivering unique, high quality, science-based solutions with demonstrated efficacy to our customers. I am motivated by meaningful innovation that I can develop to help grow Sytheon. I love what I do and I find great joy and satisfaction in working and growing the company and in delivering meaningful solutions to our customers.”
Products and services offered by Sytheon
Sytheon is an innovative, research-based company committed to developing high-performance active ingredients for personal care applications. Every active ingredient in the Sytheon portfolio is inspired by nature and “Built for Performance”. Moreover, all active ingredients are scientifically and clinically validated to improve the health and beauty of the skin. Sytheon features ingredients that combat aging and pollution, promote healthy aging and hydration, and provide solutions for problem skin or augment skin’s defenses against UV or blue light.
Sytheon’s unique ingredients are all utilized as active ingredients in skincare products.
Product Development Philosophy
Sytheon’s “Science First” philosophy ensures that products are of highest quality and are backed by solid research and validated by clinical studies. Publication in peer reviewed dermatological journal ensures authenticity of science.
Before we develop a product, we ask “How does this product add value to Sytheon and what is the differentiating factors?” We focus on developing multifunctional ingredients. Use of multifunctional ingredient is the smart way to increase performance and sustainability and reduce complexity of formulations.
Major Products
Synoxyl® AZ (INCI: Acetyl Zingerone)
Microbiome Friendly 24/7 Prevention & Repair of Photodamage
Sytenol® A (INCI: Bakuchiol)
The True Natural Alternative to Retinol
Synovea® HR (INCI: Hexylresorcinol)
The Gold Standard in Skin Lightening & Even Toning
Asyntra® CBD-Alt (INCI: Caprylic/Capric triglycerides (and) Bakuchiol (and) Ethyl Linoleate)
Amplify the Power of CBD/Hemp Oil
VitaSynol® C (INCI: Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate)
Stable Lipophilic Vitamin C Ester
Synastol® TC (INCI: Terminalia chebula fruit extract)
The Holistic Solution to Pollution & Blue Light Induced Skin Damage with Anti-aging Benefits
Asyntra® SL (INCI: Caprylic/Capric triglycerides (and) Hexylresorcinol (and) Ethyl Linoleate)
A Synergistic Skin Lightening Blend
HydraSynol® DOI (INCI: Isosorbide Dicaprylate)
A Smart lipophilic Skin Hydrator & Barrier Builder
Synoxyl® HSS (INCI: Trimethoxybenzylidene Pentanedione)
Solution to Make Hawaii-Compliant Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
Synactin®AC (INCI: Caprylic/Capric triglycerides (and) Ethyl Linoleate (and) Hexylresorcinol)
Designed to Alleviate all Five Key Acne Targets
Synovea® EL (INCI: Ethyl Linoleate)
A Smart Synergist with Multiple Skin Benefits
Sytheon has already provided a unique ingredient to the cosmetic world -Sytenol® A Bakuchiol. A second ingredient, a nature-inspired safe synthetic molecule called Acetyl Zingerone (Synoxyl® AZ) is also in the works. Synoxyl® AZ is an Omni-Antioxidant, which means it works through multiple pathways to protect the skin. It is a non-sacrificing antioxidant as compared to many commercial antioxidants like Vitamin C & E. This means that AZ provides long-lasting benefits for skin protection, in addition to many other skin benefits. Re-think Antioxidants.
Milestones Achieved in the Journey
J&J was the first multi-national company to use Synovea® HR, the first commercial Sytheon product clinically proven to be two to four times more effective than Hydroquinone. Almost at the same time, Mary Kay also approved the use of Synovea® HR. These early successes bestowed the company’s credibility in the industry as well as the revenue it needed to move forward with the business. HR is now the gold standard and a sought-after ingredient for developing brightening and even skin toning skincare products.
Ratan states, “We began in-depth research on Sytenol® A (Bakuchiol). It occurred to me that Sytenol® A could be the true alternative to Retinol but without its well-known side effects and chemical instability. So, the question becomes, how do we prove it? The first proof came from comparative gene expression profiling, followed by multiple comparative studies. ” This work was published in a column he wrote for SPC Magazine in May 2010 and subsequently more fully in a research article published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science in 2014.
But it took the company another 4 years to establish its breakthrough discovery in the cosmetic world, which was capped by a head-to-head study conducted by Dr. Sivamani at UC-Davis and published in the British Journal of Dermatology (BJD) in 2018. This study and publication helped spike interest in Sytenol® A. Searches on Google exploded after Sytheon’s BJD publication, articles in magazines multiplied, and Bakuchiol became a marketing buzzword. For Ratan, it has been a great achievement to offer an alternative to the cosmetic world that successfully challenges the industry’s gold standard of Retinol.
Clear Vision Keeps Team Motivated
By establishing clear goals and celebrating achievements, even a small team can do amazing things when they’re motivated by a mission. Ratan offers opportunities for his staff to participate in important decision-making processes in both ingredient and business growth to keep them engaged. He feels that this participation helps employees to feel like valued assets of the firm, allowing them to provide outstanding customer service.
Future Ahead of Sytheon
In 2022, Sytheon will be growing further into the Asian market with a branch office in Singapore. A new team is currently focusing on Symbionyx (www.symbionyx.com), a sister company, in the pharmaceutical area, targeting treatments for autoimmune diseases through partnerships.
“We have additional big and bold projects in the pipeline. Next year, I will be able to share more about the status.” says Ratan.
Ratan believes that to succeed today and win a place in the market, it is imperative to deliver real results and superior quality of products. Consumers do not let themselves be fooled by well-crafted but inauthentic marketing buzz. His advice to aspiring new entrepreneurs is to “stay positive, hold on to your goals, be flexible, and believe in yourself”.
