Expert Interview : 7 questions to our Personal Care R&D project manager
We asked 7 questions to Agathe Le Tirant, our R&D project manager, expert to demonstrate the efficacy of our products.
1/ What is your background?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for science, particularly biology, which is a very broad science to understand how the invisible determines what we see of living things! So, naturally, I began my studies with a technical degree in biological engineering – in order to understand the usual methods used in biology and discover its possible fields – and continued with an engineering degree at ESITech (École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Technologies Innovantes).
Thanks to my professional and entrepreneurial experience alongside my studies, I have been able to work in various academic and private research laboratories on subjects as diverse as agronomy, phytochemistry, biotechnologies, skin biology and tissular engineering. My constant aim was and is still to understand biological phenomena and transpose that knowledge to develop solutions dedicated to improving living.
This is how I joined Seqens in 2019, integrating the R&D team dedicated to Personal Care ingredients as project manager. At Seqens, I work on the development of numerous ingredients, from technical development and industrial transposition to the demonstration and objectivation of their cosmetic efficacy, specializing more recently in the latter field.
2/ Can you tell us about the specific focus of your R&D department here at SEQENS Personal Care?
Within our R&D team, we work specifically on the development of active ingredients for the cosmetics sector. These are obtained by a variety of methods, including plant extraction, biotechnologies and green chemistry. Know more about our Key technologies.
3/ How do you stay up to date on the latest scientific advancements in this field?
As a team, our individual curiosity, the diversity of profiles within our company, our links with our partners and our participation in scientific events keep us up to date. Follow us on Linkedin to keep up to date.
4/ What are some of the current R&D trends that you are most excited about?
Because of their complexity and multifactoriality, issues such as microbiota and longevity, which have been under discussion for some years now, are of particular interest. It’s also interesting to see how emerging themes, inspired by society, are reshuffling the cards, as is currently the case with longevity, which is gradually replacing more traditional anti-aging.
5/ What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities you see in the field of active ingredients and skin and hair efficacy?
Major challenges, which are also major opportunities, correspond to the transposition of biological phenomena observable at the scale of the individual to a smaller scale via various models, notably ex vivo and in vitro. These must be representative and explicit. Demonstrating the biological efficacy of cosmetic active ingredients and the pathways involved is a challenge, whether to address a new claim or more traditional ones.
6/ How does SEQENS identify and source promising new actives for the personal care market?
At SEQENS Personal Care, thanks to our multidisciplinary, we are able to be inspire from various sciences. Inspiration is everywhere and, in every form, from individual molecules to organisms and ecosystems.
7/ How do you leverage scientific research on the efficacy of actives to develop innovative personal care products that cater to global consumer needs?
Scientific research in the field of skin biology and dermatology is very dynamic, especially in France: that’s a real asset for us! It is therefore necessary to keep a regular watch on the scientific research being carried out both locally and internationally, through bibliography, participation in scientific conferences and scientific collaborations.
