A Cape Town-based developer and manufacturer of advanced nanofiber materials, in collaboration with US skincare and makeup companies, has developed a product selected by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Best Inventions of 2019.

The prestigious list, compiled annually by TIME, highlights “the Best Inventions that are making the world better, smarter and even a bit more fun”. Contenders are evaluated based on factors that include originality, creativity, influence, ambition and effectiveness.

The product is described as “the face wash of the future” and is one of only 5 beauty inventions that were included in the TIME list.

The Artis Phantom Cleansing Silks are said to transform the traditional three-step process of facial cleansing, consisting of oil cleansing, foam cleansing and exfoliation, into one beauty regime.  The cleanser comes in the form of silks or small oval patches that use a combination of biodegradable, dissolving nanofiber textiles and ingredients like jojoba oil and vitamin E.

To use the cleanser, a silk or patch is stuck to the skin and then misted or dampened with water. The user then rubs the product over the face to cleanse and exfoliate.

The product doesn’t activate until it touches water, reducing the need for excess preservatives to stabilise the ingredients.

The Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company, or SNC, is a materials science company that specialises in the development and commercial scale manufacture of advanced nanofibre materials. The company was established as a spin-out from Stellenbosch University’s Innovus, a university-industry interaction platform for the commercialisation of its assets. 

The proudly South African team has developed various medical nanofibre products, ranging from wound dressings that help burn wounds heal faster, to resorbable tissue scaffolds for generating replacement parts for the human eye.

SNC collaborated with US firms Taiki and Artis, manufacturers of cosmetic products and makeup brushes respectively.