The Partnership
The Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company (SNC) has a core team of 12 research scientists with backgrounds in polymer science, chemistry & textile science, focusing on the development of tailor-made nanofiber formulations for new applications. The team prides itself on being at the forefront of medical and material science innovations that have the potential to help so many.
Bōshi Beauty Inc. is a joint venture between SNC and TaikiUSA. The venture weaves the best of the SNC scientists together with the TaikiUSA Product Development & Sales team. Together they are focused on bringing sustainable, innovative, and efficacious skincare solutions to the beauty industry.
A Serendipitous Phone Call
Back in 2018, Eugene and his team of scientists were focusing on wound dressings and drug delivery systems with nanofibers. Through this research, they began to learn a lot about the human body’s biggest organ, the skin. The wheels of this long-time inventor began to turn and as they looked at potential adjacent markets to expand into, the beauty & skincare industry was hard to overlook. Known for its continuous innovation and evolution, the skincare market aligns with similar principles to SNC.
Around the same time, TaikiUSA CEO, Jim Perry was looking for a unique new skincare system. He knew he wanted sustainable, and possibly waterless, clean formulas with less packaging — and a product that dissolves to leave behind no waste when compared to a traditional sheet mask. Essentially, he was looking for something that didn’t exist yet – until he came across SNC on LinkedIn and was intrigued by their skin and wound dressing applications and drug delivery system.
He decided to give Eugene a call. Jim, Eugene and Koji Nakamura (Taiki Japan, President) met soon after the call at the Makeup In NY trade show. A partnership was formed and a joint venture which is now
known as Bōshi Beauty.
The first commercial product developed by TaikiUSA and SNC was the Artis Cleansing Silks, a truly transformational skincare product. The Artis Cleansing Silks are waterless, have a clean formula, are multi-functional and convenient. The product was awarded as Time Magazine’s top 100 inventions of the year. They knew they had something special and the potential to expand into different skincare solutions.
A Passion for Technology
To understand SNC and its principles you must first understand Dr. Eugene Smit, CEO. Eugene is an inventor-entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and a passion for technology development. He focused his studies on science to ultimately make him a better inventor, mainly using technology and science at the heart of his inventions. Highly decorated, he is a co-inventor on 29 granted patents, with 5 more patents pending. SNC is his 5th technology-based start-up and his work on nanofibers has been published and widely cited in global scientific literature.
Biomedical Industry Background Translates to Skincare Expertise
“We (SNC) believe that innovation and good design has the power to change the world”, explained Dr. Smit. SNC has successfully worked with clients in the biomedical industry to develop nanofiber-based materials and products that:
- are biomimicking, biocompatible and highly porous
- have high specific surface areas
- biodegrade over various time frames (from a few days up to several months)
- can combine highly incompatible carriers and active ingredients
- demonstrate cost-effective manufacture of unique multi-functional products
The possibilities are endless. Every year, thousands of scientific studies are published, and hundreds of invention patents are filed that demonstrate the incredible potential of nanofiber materials in solving global problems. This is prevalent in water and air purification, energy generation and storage, regenerative medicine, structural composites, and electronics. This is perhaps at the heart of the passion that makes SNC so special — the drive to invent with science, bring these solutions to a commercial scale, and make the world a better place.
Quality standards for the medical industry are the strictest, requiring many certifications and QA practices. SNC is quality focused and has ISO certifications translating to a controlled lab and manufacturing environment ensuring the highest standards for safety. Holding the following certifications, they are set up for success for any industry application.
TaikiUSA is built upon the Japanese concept of Kaizen, or continuous improvement. Taiki is constantly working to enhance the functionality, performance, and sustainability of our beauty solutions. This is achieved not only through our own Taiki Group offices and factories but with partners that offer unique technologies designed to enhance the consumer experience, improve product effectiveness, and lessen environmental impact.
Interested in waterless products? Start a project here!