In South Africa, Esse Skincare, a leader in skincare products focused on the microbiome, has signed a deal to purchase biobased propionic acid from France’s Afyren.
Propionic acid is a naturally occurring short chain fatty acid essential for maintaining a balanced skin microbiome. Emerging research suggests it helps modulate inflammation, support barrier resilience, and maintain microbial balance. Until now, propionic acid has only been available at industrial scale from petrochemical sources.
Through this partnership, Esse gains access to AFYREN’s sustainably produced, COSMOS-certified, biobased alternative propionic acid made at AFYREN NEOXY, the company’s flagship industrial biorefinery. Using AFYREN’s proprietary circular, low-carbon fermentation process, the plant is the first in the world capable of producing a portfolio of organic acids at commercial scale.