At Insempra, we’re building a platform of bio-based ingredients designed to meet the performance needs of today’s most demanding industries, while removing the environmental cost of petrochemical and extractive supply chains.

This month, we launched the latest addition to our portfolio of bio-based, 100% natural ingredients:
Superior Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol (Superior PEA) – a high-purity fragrance ingredient produced via precision fermentation.

We introduced Superior PEA at this year’s in-cosmetics Global in Amsterdam. The response confirmed what we’re seeing across the personal care industry: brands are increasingly looking to transform their ingredient lists with bio-based, 100% natural alternatives that offer reliable quality and align with evolving formulation standards.

Why Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol?

Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol (PEA) is a widely used fragrance molecule, valued for its mild rose scent, antimicrobial properties, and versatility in personal care formulations. Traditionally, it’s derived either from petrochemical processes or plant-based extraction, both of which come with challenges around purity, environmental impact, and supply stability.

Our bio-based Superior PEA addresses these issues directly.

• 100% bio-based
• Consistently high purity
• Produced without petrochemical or plant extraction
• Fully vegan and sustainable
• Drop-in compatible for existing formulations

It offers a superior, scalable alternative, without compromise on olfactive quality or formulation performance.

Built with nature, ready for scale

Superior PEA is produced via precision fermentation, using a well-characterized microbial strain and a streamlined downstream process. This allows us to maintain tight control over product quality while ensuring traceability and consistency at scale.

Like every ingredient in the Insempra portfolio, it reflects our broader mission:
to grow superior ingredients with nature, for industries that want to move towards a regenerative future.

What’s next?

The successful introduction of Superior PEA is one of several product launches planned from Insempra’s bio-based ingredients platform. With ongoing developments across fragrances, functional lipids, natural preservatives, and sustainable materials, we’re steadily expanding the range of high-performance alternatives available to brands.

📄 Learn more or request a sample: insempra.bio/superior-phenyl-ethyl-alcohol

📰 Also featured in Personal Care Magazine: Experience the future of fragrance

Posted by Nicole Laurence