NEW SUSTAINABLE COSMETIC PRODUCTS FROM FOOD WASTE: A JOINED-UP APPROACH BETWEEN DESIGN AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

Through an integrated approach, which combines tools and techniques in design and food chemistry disciplines, new sustainable products have been experimented in cosmetic field. The design tools, acting in multiple and diversified fields, aim at valuing and increasing capabilities by creative training for generating sustainable and reproducible goods, whereas the investigation of the chemical composition of foods and their by-products is one of the main goals in food chemistry research. In this context, agri-food sector by-products are an inexhaustible source of bioactive, whose re-use, as alternative sources of low-cost and bio-sus- tainable active ingredients, is desirable in the nutraceutical field. Furthermore, the recycling of waste could reduce its environmental impact and the related disposal costs. The collaborative methodology is prompt to convey a new concept of wellness and body care through a new eco-oriented product production in which food winter-wastes are investigated for their cosmeceutical value for the formulation of green-cosmetic products. The paper reports the ex- perience carried out in the design and food chemistry laboratories. Key Words: green-cosmetic products, food waste, bio-sustainable active ingredients