L'Oréal's fund invests in the UK vegetable dye business

a start UK-based Sparxell, founded by academics from the University of Cambridge, which makes plant-based colors with applications in beauty and textiles, has secured £2.5 million from backers including French beauty giant L'Oréal.

The scientists who designed Sparxell created pigments based on the same substance that many plants and animals use to produce bright colors. The dyes are made of plant cellulose, which means they are vegetarian And renewable energy sources, according to the British newspaper Telegraph.

Academic researchers say the colors are more intense and long-lasting than those created using synthetic dyes. Applications include the production of color dyes for cosmetics, skin care and sunscreen formulations, as well as sequins and textiles. The dyes are toxin-free and biodegradable.

The financing, which also includes support from Future Communities Capital, will accelerate the development and commercialization of its products. Part of the funding came from the Circular Innovation Fund, which L'Oréal co-founded.

Citing a recent study indicating that more than one million people in the United Kingdom have become vegetarian Last year, Sparxell founder and CEO Benjamin Droget (PhD in Philosophy, University of Cambridge) said he believed vegan makeup and other colorants had the same growth potential.

Droget also points out that traditional chemical dyes were causing “significant environmental damage at all stages of their life cycle, from manufacturing to degradation.”