Team:Jiangnan China/Entrepreneurship
Nowadays, sunscreen has a wide variety of products and broad prospects, in which case become a necessity in life gradually. This indicates that universal sunscreen using has become a general trend. However, improper use of sunscreen will cause coral bleaching crisis. To solve this problem, the idea of producing eco-friendly bio-sunscreen arises spontaneously.
In this regard, We first conducted a preliminary market survey and distributed questionnaires to the public to learn about the high demand for sunscreen and the acceptance and tolerance of biological sunscreen. Then, we went to contact L'Oreal, a professional cosmetics company, and had the honor to have an in-depth communication with the staff of its innovation center. In early October, we attended the Synbiopunk2021 and Biological developer Conference, and finally won a 10,000-yuan shortlisted cash award from Ailurus. At the same time, we are applying for a intelligence patent. Through the market research on sunscreen, we have written a business plan with a view to using green and safe bio-friendly sunscreen to replace the chemical sunscreen in the market, and we are negotiating with several investors for our future commercialization.
Under the general trend of the epidemic damaging the economy, the market situation of sunscreen products is unique. According to data from China Beauty Cosmetics Network, sales of a large number of cosmetics and skin care products declined during the epidemic, while that of sunscreen products increased rather than decreased (figure 1). This greatly illustrates the broad market prospect of sunscreen products in the future.
Fig.1 During The Epidemic, Sunscreen Sales Soared While Other Cosmetics Sales Decreased
In a subsequent survey on the consumption of eco-friendly sunscreen, we found a similar conclusion:
Through the answer to Q1, we learned that even if most of the public (80%) knows that chemical sunscreens can cause a series of fatal problems such as coral mitochondrial dysfunction, they are only willing to reduce their use, rather than purely for environmental protection purposes to give up using sunscreen. This survey result initially proves that people have a strong demand for sunscreen, which already exists as a daily necessities.
Through Q2, we confirmed consumer acceptance and tolerance of biological sunscreens. According to data, even if the performance of biological sunscreens is slightly lower than that of chemical sunscreens currently on the market, most consumers still have the intention to consume.
Fig.2 The Pie Charts Of Our Questionnaire
After confirming that the project has a broad market prospect, in order to further implement the idea, we visited Guangzhou Longhui Trading Co., Ltd., and Manager Hu told us that people increasingly favor natural biological sources when choosing cosmetic products. For enterprises, they should pay more attention to the scarcity of raw materials and the building of green brand image. During the conversation, we gained an in-depth understanding of the popularity of cosmetics from the current source of synthetic biology in the industry market, which strengthened our confidence in carrying out this project.
Then we learned about the current selection methods of green raw materials in an interview with Lubrizol, including the evaluation of the Natural Index (RCI), the tracing of the source of the raw materials, and so on. Similarly, in this interview, we also talked about the broad prospects of cosmetic from synthetic biology. In the later process, we got in touch with L'Or é al, a professional cosmetics company, and other investors. After learning the details of our project, they showed great interest in the project，and we conducted in-depth exchanges on the follow-up cooperation.
Fig.3 Interview With Managers Of Longhui & Lubrizol
In order to better publicize our project to the community and attract the attention of relevant enterprises and investors, we have written a business plan that describes in detail the business considerations of the project. Facts have proved that having a proper business plan can help us attract the attention of many business fields. In fact, We also made some preliminary business negotiation with L'OREAL, Source Code Capital, Shang Finance and Lvye Investment (Fig.4)We are trying our best to finally transform the technology into full commercialization.
Fig.4 Business Negotiation With Potential Investors
