Trialoog Editor-in-Chief
Tallinn University of Technology-supported Estonian natural cosmetics brand tilk! is patenting a method for producing a black garlic-based extract that originated nearly five years ago through collaboration with TalTech researchers. To protect the innovation developed in Estonia, the company has registered a utility model and also submitted an international patent application.
The development of the product range based on black garlic extract involved, among others, TalTech Professor Emeritus Raivo Vokk, whose research confirmed that fermented organic white garlic has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, giving it strong potential for skincare
Fermented organic white garlic, better known as black garlic, is a bioactive ingredient that helps soothe skin irritation, supports the synthesis of the skin’s natural collagen and is particularly suitable for caring for inflamed, sensitive and ageing-prone skin. Today, the black garlic-based product range has become one of the most popular lines in tilk!’s portfolio.
According to company founder Pille Lengi, the range was born out of personal need: “I had inflamed skin myself, and there was psoriasis in my family. While researching scientific literature, I came across black garlic, whose potential seemed very promising. From there, it felt completely natural to turn to researchers in order to develop something effective and evidence-based.
In product development, black garlic is combined with other bioactive plant-based ingredients, including sea buckthorn, chamomile, juniper berry, lavender and sage, as well as functional active ingredients such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.
Created on Saaremaa, tilk! brings together natural cosmetics, science-based development and international ambition. The black garlic products are part of the Tilk! Lab line, which combines ancient Korean medical traditions with product development inspired by the nature of Saaremaa.
