By Dag Oscar Oppen Berntsen Dr.scient.

What is a biopolymer?

Polymers are long chained molecules made up from repetitive units of smaller similar molecules. Such molecules may be isolated from living organisms where they mostly (but not always) have had a structural function, i.e. organic tissues providing support and mechanical strength.  A few examples on such compounds are cellulose (cell wall in trees), collagen (connective tissue from mammals) alginate (cell wall in kelp and seaweed), carrageenan (cell wall in red algae) etc. Polymers originating from living organisms are termed biopolymers, which is different from manmade synthetic polymers such as PVC and polypropylene.

Biopolymers – Industrial application

Addition of alginate isolated from kelp is a common and frequently used principle to regulate consistence in food, cosmetic and medical products. Alginate is a polymer with more than 1000 industrial applications as binder in welding electrodes, printer… (trykksverte), food, ointments and creams.

Collagen – A biopolymer normally isolated from mammals

Collagen is normally isolated from mammalian tissue using heat. The connective tissue subjected to heat treatment can when cooled form transparent more or less rigid gels, normally referred to as gelatine. Gelatine is amongst other things used to make capsules for dietary supplement and medicines. It is a well known fact that some religions have strict rules against intake of food that contains or might be contaminated with pig.

Marine collagen – A biopolymer isolated from fish

In order to develop the market for fish gelatine professor Olav Smidsrød and his scientist at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NUST) started their interest in the biopolymer chemistry of this particular marine molecule. The low melting point of marine collagen from cold water fish renders this biopolymer unsuitable for production of stable capsules. In nature fish that lives at temperatures at 5 C has a connective tissue that must stay flexible at this temperature. The consequence is a collagen that melts at a much lower temperature compared to mammalian collagen that has a body temperature of 37 C.
To circum pass this technical problem, carrageenan from red algae was added to elevate the melting point, to make a firmer and more stable gel. One of the first trials in the test series performed resulted in a loose aqueous gel with a melting point at around 35 C. The experiment was first considered a failure, before an application for the blend was found – The blend was named Smids and is now patented.

Consistence – An important parameter in cosmetics

Creams, in general, are stabilized mechanical blends of lipids and water. The purpose of some creams is to make a protective film to prevent further cracking of dry and chapped hands, while others are meant to penetrate the upper layers of the skin so that the active ingredients can execute their biological effects there. The consistence of creams is normally regulated by manipulating the composition of the lipid phase. In other words the choice of lipids dictates how a cream tends to behave on human skin.

Smids – As a consistence regulating principle in cosmetics

By using the invention named Smids, it is possible to tailor the physical performance of Kilda’s cream products in a way so that they feel nice and easy to apply on the skin. This can be achieved without increasing the water content or the addition of neither artificial or toxic tencides, nor surfactants.

Smids – As an active ingredient in cosmetics

Smids is however more than just a consistence regulating principle. The carrageenan component in Smids is however so big that they always will stay at the surface. Due to all the negative charges carrageenan is also able to bind substantial amounts of water. Carrageenan bound water on the skin surface will reduce the “Trans Epithelial Water Loss” (TEWL) helping to conserve the humidity of the human skin.