Bio-based materials in cosmetics: territorial synergies and design-oriented product experimentations.

The contribution exposes the research activity carried out at the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" in collaboration with the start-up Knowledge for Business related to the definition of pre-design parameters for the development of bio-based cosmetic lines, design-oriented experimentations and entry-market strategies of brand communication and promotion. Bio-material manufacturing from organic by-products or waste is among the industrial symbiosis processes that, through the construction of collaborative systems, the consolidation of territorial production chains, and the development of systemic production models, are moving toward the circular economy and sustainability in different production sectors. Scoby bacterial nanocellulose (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) has been the subject of eco-oriented product design experiments that confirm the excellent environmental performance of the entire production cycle and the substrate's technical and functional potential. In recent years, uses of the biomaterial have included its features and finishing for manufacturing clothing, furniture products, and packaging for the cosmetics and food sectors. The perspectives related to the diffusion of Scoby to more common sectors and the scalability of a sustainable production model are related to new areas and modes of use, the optimization of food waste, and the definition of new products.