Hexane, a petrochemical solvent
An aliphatic hydrocarbon obtained by petroleum refining, and the reference solvent for the industrial extraction of vegetable oils, chosen for its yield.
Technology
Supercritical CO2 technology, applied to rice bran
How RB Process turns an agricultural co-product into documented cosmetic ingredients: the extraction process, the active molecule, the studies and the patents.
Our approach
From rice bran to green chemistry
From an agricultural co-product to high-end cosmetic ingredients.
RB Process turns rice bran, a co-product of rice milling currently used as animal feed, into natural antioxidant oils. Its supercritical CO2 extraction process, protected by patent EP3766950, uses no petrochemical solvent.
“We offer an alternative to hexane. What we do with rice bran can be done with tomato or olive co-products. To me, this is the future of chemistry.”
- 7years of R&D
- 20+pilot trials
- 5industrial production runs
Extraction
Hexane and supercritical CO2: two opposing worlds
Supercritical CO2, a clean alternative
Above 31.1 °C and 73.8 bar, CO2 becomes supercritical: neither gas nor liquid, it combines the diffusivity of a gas with the solvent power of a liquid. The CO2 is compressed, then reused in a closed loop. Extraction leaves no solvent residue.
What supercritical CO2 changes for cosmetics
- No petrochemical solvent: no solvent residue in the oils
- A circular process: the CO2 is recovered and reinjected
- No solvent to remove or reprocess
- Oils ready to incorporate into formulations
Hexane properties: INRS, toxicological data sheet no. 113, hexane (October 2019).
Raw material
Rice grain and rice bran
Rice bran is the layer between the husk and the white rice, removed when rice is milled. It comes from the rice-growing area of the Albufera de Valencia, one of the oldest in the Mediterranean.
Process
From rice bran to finished ingredients
Rice milling
Milling white rice yields rice bran as a co-product, in the Albufera de Valencia, one of the oldest rice-growing areas in the Mediterranean.
Stabilisation
The rice bran is stabilised after milling, then processed within 20 km of its source.
Supercritical CO2 extraction
Extraction of the oil without hexane or any petrochemical solvent. Patent EP3766950, granted in Europe, the United States and Japan.
Physical refining
Physical refining yields the three OryzActive grades: Base, Shield and Intense.
OryzActive and OryzaCare
The oil becomes OryzActive; the defatted bran becomes OryzaCare. No solid fraction is lost.
Green chemistry
A circular, local model
OryzActive: from raw material to active oil
Rice bran from the Albufera de Valencia becomes the OryzActive range, oils naturally enriched in gamma-oryzanol.
- Antioxidant activity documented by Helioscience
- Photostable under irradiation (Suntest CPS+, 550 W/m²)
Circular chemistry: no solid fraction lost
The oil becomes OryzActive; the defatted bran becomes OryzaCare, a natural exfoliant. “Everything we generate goes back into the loop.”
Process compatible with the COSMOS standard.
A local, lean industrial model
First industrial unit in preparation near Valencia, within an existing facility rather than a new plant. Short supply chain: rice bran processed within 20 km of its source.
A model for the Mediterranean
Replicate the model in other Mediterranean rice-growing regions, first Italy, then North Africa and Egypt, and extend it to other agricultural co-products: olives, tomatoes, grapes. Build local valorisation networks rather than isolated plants.
Key molecule
Gamma-oryzanol
Gamma-oryzanol combines ferulic acid and plant sterols. It is the characteristic active of rice bran, and the OryzActive oils are naturally enriched in it.
R&D
R&D milestones
- 2018–2019Raw material screening
25 rice bran varieties evaluated.
- 2020–2021CO2 extraction development
105 laboratory tests. Patent EP3766950 filed.
- 2022–2023Refining and molecular distillation
Work with a specialist development partner. Three OryzActive grades defined: Base, Shield, Intense.
- 2024–2025Independent antioxidant and photostability studies
Helioscience: antioxidant activity, photostability and photoactivation documented across 10+ reports.
- 2026, Q1Clinical efficacy and skin tolerance
Dermaclaim: study DC.1007.36.106, patch tests PT_DRM_26_15 and PT_DRM_26_16.
- 2026, Q2Market launch
OryzActive and OryzaCare commercially available.
- 2026, Q3Hydration and cell regeneration
Dermaclaim: study DC.1085.36.107, OryzaCare in a rinse-off gel at 5 %.
- 2026–2027Upcoming studies
In vitro cellular antioxidant studies on OryzActive; an in vivo study is planned for Q4 2026.
Intellectual property
Patent portfolio
EP3766950
Granted: EU, US, JP
Supercritical CO2 extraction process applied to rice bran.
A24499EP
Patent application filed, December 2025
Photoactivation of OryzActive.
A24494EP
Patent application filed
OryzaCare mechanical exfoliant.
Independent studies
Independent third-party laboratories
Helioscience
OryzActive
Antioxidant activity, photostability and photoactivation. 10+ independent reports, including 2512-AOX00011, 2512-AOX00091, 2605-AOX00131 and 2606-AOX00091.
Dermaclaim
OryzaCare
Clinical efficacy and skin tolerance of the rinse-off gel at 5 %. Studies DC.1007.36.106 and DC.1085.36.107, patch tests PT_DRM_26_15 and PT_DRM_26_16.
Request the science summaries
OryzActive and OryzaCare science summaries are sent on request to professional formulators and buyers.