Betaine Powder

Betaine, also known as trimethyl glycine, is a humectant and soothing agent that retains moisture in the skin and hair. It is a fantastic hydration for super dry skin.

GENENCARE® OSMS is pure Betaine that is 100% naturally-sourced, derived from non-GMO sugar beet.
Moisturizing osmolyte for water free formulas

In the form of a micronized powder, GENENCARE® OSMS CC is specially formulated for color cosmetics and other anhydrous formulations:

- Color Cosmetics: loose or pressed powders (foundation, eyes, cheeks), lip sticks/balms/gloss, waterproof mascaras, silicone-based make-up primers.

- Skin care: massage balms/butters, scrubs, deodorant sticks, jellified oils, body powders, solid fragrances, sticks (others).

- Hair care: dry shampoo (aerosol or solid), powders. Protection and care for healthier-looking hair

GENENCARE® OSMS BA is a small, natural ingredient ideally suited for aqueous delivery to the hair. A naturally occurring component, GENENCARE® OSMS BA can be involved in the natural protection mechanism of the fibre and can be increased throughout the fibre. When included in hair care formulations, GENENCARE® OSMS BA offers multiple benefits:

- Hair strength

- Hair conditioning

- Frizz control

- Scalp protection Moisturizing osmolyte

GENENCARE® OSMS BA is an osmolyte which enables moisturization and protection while providing sensorial advantage in personal care formulations. GENENCARE® OSMS BA is a natural product made from betaine anhydrous – found in sugar beets and separated as a co-product of sugar beet molasses.
Betaine – Trimethyl Glycine: A Review There have been a number of papers published on the use of betaine in cosmetics. The objective of this article is to review these and add some new data or new insights on how this ingredient could be used in the future.

Betaine or trimethyl glycine is a very simple, common molecule found in nature. Its name is derived from the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Its commercial form is obtained from the process of making sugar out of sugar beets by chromatography of the molasses. It can be labelled as “natural" and is available in large quantities at a very affordable price. It is a small trimethylated aminoacid existing in a zwitterionic form at neutral pH (Fig. 1). Because of its structure, betaine can easily form hydrogen bonds with water and other molecules conferring it very unsual properties and in particular helping solubilise some other molecules. It is non-toxic (LD50 is 11.2 g/Kg) and is used in food supplements; it is highly soluble in water (up to 55%) and chemically stable. It has been shown to be secreted in marine microorganisms to help them resist osmotic stress.1 In their article published in 2000, Rigano et al. showed some of the applications in cosmetics.2 These include its biocompatibility, its ability to reduce the irritation effect of surfactants, its solvent capacity as well as its special skin feel.

In skin care;

Anti-inflammatory

In a test performed by the manufacturer in 1996, a 4% water solution of betaine was compared to distilled water and to non-treated zones, in the prevention and the reduction of erythema generated by infra red irradiation or by mechanical stripping of the skin. The product effect on microcirculation was measured by thermal conductivity measurements. Thermal erythema: the data does not show any effect of a single application of a 4% betaine solution on the thermal erythema. Mechanical erythema: the results show very good decrease in the erythema 60 minutes after application. This shows that betaine has a good anti-inflammatory action on superficial inflammatory lesions. The stripping might also have improved the penetration as the test was conducted on a water solution. This could be the reason why no effect was measured when a thermal erythema was induced. This property was used in a patent for the treatment of prickly heat.4 Results are shown in Figure 2.

Anti-ageing

In a study done in vitro, the effect of betaine (1%) on fibroblasts in culture was evaluated.5 The results showed an increase in the proliferation rate of 56.4% and 41.5% compared to control after 24h and 48h respectively. At the same time the hydroxiproline increased in a time-dependent manner and was higher than controls after three weeks (13.5 vs. 9.3 mg/dish) and four weeks (16.9 vs. 12.3 mg/dish). The mechanism of action was not elucidated and remains uncertain; but certainly this opens the possibility for betaine to be used in anti-wrinkle products. One of the possibilities is that betaine is involved in cell protection against o