Escudero and his team launched the first line under the brand name La Sagesse in 2017 and as the CEO and founder of Buggypower, a company that is producing the microalgae for the Bluevert product line, his involvement in the brand is more closely linked to the formulation than most.
Buggypower is a Spanish-Portuguese operation that is focused on the sustainable production of marine-based microalgae for food and feed production, but realising the high nutritional profile of the ingredient, the company decided to venture into skin care.
Escudero believes that there are three elements that make the product line a stand out offering on the crowded skin care market. Firstly that it is made from a microalge with a very high nutritional profile, secondly that it is made using pristine sea water and a system that eliminates contamination and thirdly that they contain organic minerals with powerful and unique elements.
“Being marine microalgae, they are the only true source of essential organic minerals such as selenium and iodine,” said Escudero, speaking exclusively to Cosmetics Design.
“Iodine for example is essential not only for thyroid regulation but when we talk about cells and skin, we should take into account that iodine is also one of the most potent anti-oxidants on Earth, protecting the fragile fatty acids in the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes against deterioration and peroxidation.”
The product line’s formulations are also rich in carotenoids, and potent anti-oxidants with the capacity to fight free radicals, while it also contains marine chlorella, which includes a Chlorella Growth Factor that is said to be vital for cell growth and renewal.
Sustainability is also a key element
The microalgae the company uses in the range is made from a simple photosynthesis method that enhances the sustainability profile at its facility in the tiny Portuguese island of Porto Santo in the Northern Atlantic, and is then processed to develop a cellular complex called Plasmarine.
Because it is manufactured using this simple photosynthesis model instead of biotechnology, it is far more efficient and uses considerably less energy to produce it.
The resulting microalgae forms the basis of the brand's Plasmarine complex, which is an exclusive complex of active ingredients that forms the basis of the formulation in the product range.
This star ingredient for the Bluevert line is rich in omega 3 and beta-carotene, among other carotenoids, and has been scientifically proven to help repair cellular damage and fight against skin ageing thanks to its antioxidant, antimicrobial and immunity boosting properties.
The hero product in the range, Bluevert La Sagesse Creme Parfaite Globale – which is a supreme multi-action anti-aging cream that is made up of approximately 5% Plasmarine complex.
The product is said to have the ability to repair skin at the DNA level, thanks to the Plasmarine complex and other biomarine and botanical ingredients that include shea butter, rose hip oil, bisabolol, marine collagen, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and egpigenetic marine glycogens.
The range has ten other products, which include an age prevention serum, a revitalizing eye cream, a purifying mousse wash, an anti-stress refining lotion, a multi-action prevention cream, a purifying cleansing mousse, an anti-stress refining lotion and a repair balm.
The claims behind the range
The in depth research and development centered around efforts to produce a line with the highest efficacy, resulting in a clinically trialed product range with big claims.
“Our products have been clinically tested to evaluate their efficacy when used for 28 days,” said Escudero.
“The results show that Plasmarine working in synergy with vital components such as hyaluronic acid, soluble marine collagen, precious minerals and other powerful active ingredients creates an anti-ageing result without precedent.”
Those benefits are said to include 10% additional skin hydration, 10% increase in skin firmness, a 7% whitening effect, a 26% reduction in wrinkle depth and a 20% reduction in wrinkle length, according to the trial results.
What the future holds for the brand
Moving forward, Escudero says he wants to focus on the expansion of La Sagesse, which was joined by another skin care line it introduced at the end of last year called L’Inquietude, both of which are positioned as luxury products with a medium to lower price point.
“Trading in the channel began online and in a number of high-end stores in Spain and Portugal. Today, our strong sales and marketing team have already setup our presence in London, Rome, and Paris,” said Escudero.
The company is also working on two more skin care lines under the Bluevert brand name, one of which will be called Skin Perfection, an eco-friendly line that uses virtually plastic-free packaging, due to be launched in September.
“With respect to future expansion, at this stage we want to focus more heavily in Europe – this is our prime objective however, we are not neglecting other geographies,” said Escudero.
“We are already negotiating our entrance in the United States which we hope will happen Q2 2020 and in the Middle East Q1 2020. The Middle East is more fragrance-oriented and highly premium, but the market is open to new categories and we believe our brand has the perfect fit.”