Palmless™ Introduces First Consumer Product for the Beauty Industry

Powered by Palmless™ Torula Oil, Save the F#$%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil Aims to Tackle the Destructive Environmental and Social Impacts of Palm-Driven Deforestation

NEW YORK, NY (February 22, 2023) - Palmless™, the platform for sustainable palm oil alternatives from New York-based C16 Biosciences, is launching their first product available for purchase, Save the F#$%ing Rainforest nourishing oil. The nourishing oil is formulated in C16’s Manhattan laboratory and features Palmless’™ signature ingredient: biodesigned Palmless™ Torula oil, a luxe emollient for the beauty industry which is made from yeast, not trees. This product launch solidifies C16 Bioscience's continued commitment to the beauty industry and its mission to develop sustainable, traceable, and stable alternatives to palm oil and palm-derived ingredients to help solve the larger sustainability issues created by industrial, agricultural palm oil. The product is limited-edition and will be available for pre-order now and for purchase and shipping on March 1.

Save the F#$%ing Rainforest nourishing oil elevates the standard for beauty industry sustainability with a breakthrough, multipurpose oil “for skin, for hair, for instigating change.” The hero ingredient is Palmless™ Torula oil, which richly moisturizes and smoothes skin while providing a light after-feel and silicone-like texture. Torula oil’s USDA certified biobased composition is brimming with unique carotenoids – including beta carotene and torulene –  and sterols found only in the fungal kingdom. These antioxidants have the potential to help promote skin barrier function and maintain glowing skin. The unique bio-based manufacturing process of Torula oil prevents agricultural impurities and unlocks a multi-purpose platform, making the oil a compelling base for formula applications spanning face, body, and haircare.

“Torula oil is a world-class ingredient, and we wanted to introduce it with a world-class, high-performing formula,” says Shara Ticku, Co-Founder and CEO of C16 Biosciences, the creators of Palmless™. “Not only is nourishing oil fun to use and deeply hydrating, it also showcases that we can launch beautiful products that meet the highest sustainability standards by leveraging biodesign and biotechnology.”

By launching this product, Palmless™ hopes to pave the way for more innovation in the beauty industry to tackle the climate challenges, environmental and societal issues posed by the $64 billion palm oil industry. Save the F#$%ing Rainforest nourishing oil will be available for consumer purchase, but also serves as an exemplar for brands in the industry, demonstrating how Torula oil and other bio-designed ingredients can be formulated and used in compelling products across face, body, and haircare applications.

“Our brand stands for change, and this product is our protest to the industry,” Ticku said. “The beauty industry has struggled with the palm oil problem for nearly a decade, but has failed to show meaningful action. Palmless™ is here, holding our protest poster high: palm oil doesn’t need to be a problem anymore. Our product launch is a call to action for the industry: Let’s work together to save those precious rainforests before it’s too late.”

Save the F#$%ing Rainforest nourishing oil will retail online at gopalmless.com for $45 as a limited release. Each bottle purchased contributes to Stand For Trees and supports forest preservation in the Rimba Raya Orangutan Reserve in Indonesia – the world's largest privately funded orangutan reserve, dedicated to safeguarding orangutan habitats from deforestation caused by paper and palm oil interests.

About Palmless™

Palmless™ is the platform for sustainable palm oil alternatives produced by New York City-based C16 Biosciences. Combining the best of nature and biotechnology, Palmless™ leverages naturally occurring microorganisms and grows them using fermentation – resulting in ingredients that are more precise, higher performing, and more sustainable. Palmless™ was launched in November of 2022 when C16 Biosciences announced that it had successfully completed an important commercialization stage-gate: its first industrial-scale, 50,000 liter fermentation. To learn more about Palmless™ and the work C16 Biosciences is doing to solve the palm oil problem, please visit: www.gopalmless.com and follow @gopalmless.

About C16 Biosciences

C16 Biosciences is a New York City-based climate-tech startup producing next-generation ingredients to decarbonize consumer product supply chains. The company’s proprietary biomanufacturing platform produces better performing, more sustainable alternatives to oils and fats that successfully address global ESG challenges—including climate change, food security, the environmental and safety impacts of natural resource extraction, and more. By collaborating with consumer brands in beauty and food, the company aims to reduce the environmental footprint of palm oil production. More information at http://www.c16bio.com.

Media Contact:

Analise Guarino

Autumn Communications

c16biosciences@autumncommunications.com