Introducing Biossance

Launched in 2016, Biossance is a pioneer in the sustainable beauty movement. Built on the promise of efficacy without compromise, Biossance was founded on the belief that consumers don’t need to compromise when it comes to their skincare, and that you can have the healthiest skin you’ve ever had, while still making a positive impact on the planet.  

Powered by science, this award-winning skincare line uses innovative biotechnology and a patented fermentation process to make their hero ingredient squalane—a sugarcane-derived emollient previously harvested from shark livers–which features in every one of their products. “Squalane is a highly effective moisturizer that our skin naturally contains. We’re literally born with a layer of it on our body, but we lose it over time,” says Ramya Viswanathan, director of new product development for Biossance. “Squalane also enhances the efficacy of the other ingredients it’s paired with, making it amazing in skincare.” Since engineering squalane, Biossance says that 2 million sharks a year have been spared from liver harvesting for beauty products.

By harnessing the power of biotechnology, Biossance deliver high-performance products that reveal your best skin, without negatively impacting the environment

“By harnessing the power of biotechnology, we’re able to deliver high-performance products that reveal your best skin, without negatively impacting the environment,” explains Catherine Gore, president of Biossance. “It is possible to have it all: a beautiful, efficacious product that is driven by science and sustainability. At Biossance, we believe the nerdy side of science and the charming side of beauty can coexist.”

Because Biossance’s standards for clean beauty are high, they use only the most trustworthy and powerful ingredients in all of their products, which are also vegan and free of cruelty, synthetic fragrance, paraben, and PEG. All Biossance formulations are also developed in a facility certified by My Green Lab—the gold standard for laboratory sustainability practices for responsible usage of energy, waste, and water–and their packaging is completely recyclable.

Since its launch, Biossance has won multiple awards for its formulas, and today sells one product every 15 seconds. “When you are inventing something these days it is usually reinvention, but this is really a breakthrough,” says Viswanathan. “We are so proud that Biossance is truly creating a more sustainable future for the beauty industry.”

We knew we needed to include this line in our Onda clean beauty curation.

Here, our four Biossance picks.