Plastic is one of the most used materials for cosmetic formulation containers due to its versatility and ease of use; however, this type of packaging generates a large amount of waste that is harmful for the environment. The population is increasingly aware of environmental protection and, for this reason, researchers at the UIC Barcelona Bioengineering Institute of Technology have designed a container that dissolves on the skin with an effect identical to that of a conventional cream.

The research team, led by Román Pérez, director of BIT, together with researcher Dr Begoña Bosch, has developed a product made with products found in nature such as algae, prawns and sand. The result is similar to a small sponge that, in contact with water, melts away completely, so that the waste generated does not harm to the environment. This innovation aims to be the excipient so that each company in the cosmetics industry can adapt it with the ingredients it considers appropriate.

Román Pérez, one of the most influential researchers in the world according to the prestigious Stanford University World Top 2% Scientists ranking, stressed that another advantage of this product is that it is lyophilised, moisture free, which allows the active ingredients to be better preserved.