HeiQ Launches 100% Bio-Based Pre- & Probiotic-Infused Textiles
Published 14 December 2023
Leading Swiss material technology firm HeiQ has developed a new textile technology that harnesses active probiotics and prebiotics to enhance the skin microbiome. Over 90% of consumers are interested in wearing textiles that are friendly to their skin microbiome (MyMicrobiome, 2023), highlighting the ripe opportunity for sophisticated skincare-infused textile manufacturing.
Dubbed HeiQ Skin Care, the 100% bio-based technology is a synergistic combination of pre- and probiotics that delivers a soothing skin treatment that promotes skin renewal, rebalance and improved appearance. In contrast to conventional products, slow-release pre- and probiotics integrate into the textile base to provide a balanced microbiome for glowing skin, while enriching its microbiome diversity.
The durable technology can be applied to various apparel and home textile fibres (both natural and synthetic) that come into direct contact with the skin, making it suitable for a wide range of products such as sportswear and bedding. And it remains effective after multiple washes.
“HeiQ Skin Care represents a leap forward in textile innovation, combining the power of probiotics and prebiotics to enhance skin microbiome and overall skin appearance,” said Mike Abbott, head of HeiQ’s textiles & flooring business unit. “It is another way of delivering our promise of improving the lives of billions, which is at the core of everything we do at HeiQ.”
Innovations like this one address the growing consumer demand for products that maintain a healthy skin microbiome, which is essential for skin health and barrier protection against harmful agents like pollution. As we highlight in our Look Ahead for 2024, environmental crises will supercharge consumer interest in products with a skin-barrier-focused protective edge. Previously limited to skincare, innovative brands are taking the concept into new categories like textiles.
For more skincare and textile cross-over developments, see The Brief.