Q&A with Kristin Nessbach, Head of Product

Hi Kristin, tell us a little about your background 

I studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Bayreuth followed by a PhD in the field of biomaterials produced biotechnologically and developed for biomedical applications. I then joined AMSilk GmbH, the largest developer and producer of vegan silk proteins for various applications.

As head of the laboratory for the development of medical and cosmetic ingredients, I found my passion in the cosmetic raw materials industry. In the last 5 ½ years at Givaudan Active Beauty, I have broadened my knowledge of the cosmetic industry by leading the product development and product management of biotech functional ingredients. Collaborating with the lab team, we developed cosmetic ingredients from idea to launch and trained and provided technical support to the sales team and distributors during customer meetings.

What is your role at Insempra?

At Insempra I work as Head of Product, which means that I work with the whole team on various biotech products to make them market-ready (with a particular focus on the cosmetics market). This includes the development, application tests, cosmetic formulations, product marketing and handling of regulatory affairs. My role is very diverse as the products can be lipids, proteins, fragrances, etc. which all require different approaches and strategies.

What’s your favourite part of the job?
I like being the interface between all the departments and working with a lot of different personalities and expertise. It’s amazing to see a product grow from an initial idea to launch. It’s very rewarding to help our customers develop better, more sustainable products and then to see ingredients in the formulations of consumer-end products in the shops.

What inspired you to work on sustainable products? 

I have been working in the biotech industry for 15 years. It’s fascinating how we can learn and be inspired by nature and then transfer those learnings to more sustainable processes, enabling us to mimic natural ingredients and save resources. The field is so vast and the possibilities are endless – that’s why it never gets boring!

What are you working on right now / what will your main focus be in 2025?

At the moment I am working on different raw materials such as lipids and other cosmetic ingredients to align them to market needs. There’s a close relationship between the process development and business development teams. In 2025 I will focus mainly on our existing products and their launch, but also on developing new product ideas to feed our product pipeline.

I also volunteer as the 1st Chair of the CAT – Cosmetic Applications and Technologies Specialist Group of SEPAWA e.V. (Soap, Perfume and Detergent Association). With almost 1700 members, SEPAWA e.V. is one of Europe’s largest trade associations for the detergents/cleaners, cosmetics and perfumery industries, which gives me great insight into the industry and connections to key innovators.

What trends are you seeing in the industry?  

The cosmetics industry is becoming increasingly complex. It’s important to develop active and functional ingredients for all generations in a deliberately inclusive industry to meet individual needs. We also have a lot of opportunities with artificial intelligence. In Germany, we are still lagging behind, but in the coming years, we will have to learn a lot and change the way we work. As I said, it’s never boring – and that’s great!

Thank you, Kristin! 

Posted by Nicole Laurence