Spruce bark, usually seen as waste from sawmills, may find new life in the cosmetics industry. According to researchers in the EU-funded CEForestry project, refined compounds from spruce bark could be ideal for use in creams, shampoos and essential oils — providing a natural and sustainable alternative to synthetic additives.

Before the spruce logs are processed into board, planks or pulp, the logs are debarked at the mill. Today, spruce bark is mostly burned for energy. But through hot water extraction and purification, valuable tannin-rich compounds can be isolated. These bioactive substances have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making them suitable for use in sensitive industries such as cosmetics.

A new report from the project explores how bark-based ingredients could move from industrial uses to the more complex — and lucrative — cosmetics market. It presents a business model for developing, producing and commercializing a novel, multifunctional cosmetic ingredient derived from spruce bark.

Growing demand for “clean beauty”

The concept fits well with the strong consumer trend toward “clean beauty” — products based on natural, transparent, and sustainable ingredients. According to the report, major markets such as Germany, France, the UK and Poland present the most promising opportunities for spruce bark cosmetics.

However, the journey from lab to market comes with challenges. Strict EU cosmetics regulations require extensive safety testing and certification, a process that can take three to five years and cost hundreds of thousands of euros. The report therefore recommends a gradual, stepwise market entry strategy.

“This venture should be viewed not as a simple manufacturing operation, but as a high-tech, regulatory-focused, green-biotechnology enterprise poised to capitalize on the future of the cosmetics industry,” says Paulina Marcinek from the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute in Poland.

Circular economy in action

The CEForestry project, coordinated by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), aims to develop more efficient and sustainable ways to use forestry by-products across the Baltic Sea Region.

“The objective of CEForestry has been to develop innovative practices in forestry and novel solutions to utilize forestry side streams,” says Mehrdad Arshadi, project manager for CEForestry at SLU.
“By developing eco-friendly extraction methods and exploring various applications, the project partners are turning biomass waste into valuable resources.”