The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to research and develop biodegradable materials in cosmetics and sun protection solutions. 
 
ELC is funding research led by Dr. Robert Langer and Dr. Ana Jaklenec, principal investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, for biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications and to explore new solutions to combat the effects of visible light from the sun. 
 
Carl Haney, Executive Vice President, Research, Product and Innovation Officer, ELC, said, 
 
“Fostering strategic collaborations with world-leading scientific and academic institutions has long been a critical approach to driving innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies and enables us to remain at the forefront of research. We are proud to collaborate with exceptional scientists who are exploring new frontiers in sustainability and innovation. Dr. Jaklenec’s research is demonstrating it’s possible to develop a new class of materials that can offer various transformative applications.”  
 
Dr. Jaklenec will test her recently developed class of biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications. The collaboration will also explore possible new solutions to help combat the effects that visible sunlight and blue light have on the skin. 
 
Leveraging cutting-edge emerging chemical technologies, this research will focus on developing dispersible, stable, and formulation-compatible materials to block visible light effectively and protect consumers from visible light-induced pigmentation and potential photodamage.
 
The initiative aims to further forge ELC’s leadership in green chemistry, while ensuring high efficacy and performance. 
 
Dr. Jaklenec, commented, 
 
“As scientists, we deeply value the opportunity to translate our work from the lab to the real world. With this new collaboration, we look forward to exploring the potential ways our research can lead to sustainable and innovative materials that drive impactful advancements in skin health.”
 
ELC’s R&D Advanced Technology Pioneering team is collaborating closely with Dr. Jaklenec and her team of doctoral candidates, including Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang, on these research projects. Dr. Langer, a visionary biotechnology and engineering scientist, serves as an advisor to the research.
 
This collaborative research with MIT complements ELC’s core competencies and expertise in skin science, biotechnology, and more.  

Read Next