Kolmar Korea has developed a groundbreaking technology that significantly enhances the stability of enzymes — a key ingredient for improving skin function — paving the way for a new generation of high-performance cosmetics.
The company announced on December 8 that it has jointly developed an inorganic carbonate-based enzyme stabilization platform, named “Inorganic Pickering,” with a research team led by Professor Hwang Yi-taek of Dong-A University and CEO of MBESTI. The achievement was recently published in the high-impact academic journal Carbohydrate Polymers (Impact Factor 12.5).
Although enzymes are known for skincare benefits including exfoliation, cleansing, and skin regeneration, their extreme sensitivity to environmental changes such as temperature and pH has limited their use in cosmetics. As a result, enzyme cosmetics have mainly been restricted to powder-type cleansers.
Kolmar Korea’s new technology uses an in situ method that immobilizes enzymes within a calcium carbonate crystalline structure — effectively creating a protective shield. The robust crystalline network guards unstable enzymes from external stressors, maintaining their activity longer.
According to the research, conventional enzymes rapidly lose their activity within two to three days at room temperature, whereas enzymes treated with this new technology remained active for over 100 days even at 45°C.
The company has also successfully applied the stabilization technique to additional active ingredients, including TECA (Centella Asiatica Extract) and hyaluronic acid.
This breakthrough is expected to accelerate the development of premium high-function cosmetics and strengthen Kolmar Korea’s competitiveness in the global beauty market.
A Kolmar Korea spokesperson stated, “This technology overcomes the key limitation of unstable active ingredients that were previously difficult to commercialize,” adding, “We will continue to expand ingredient and formulation capabilities to enhance the global standing of K-beauty.”
