Research led by King’s College London has helped inform the development of BloomCalma™, a new intimate care product designed to support skin comfort during pregnancy and after childbirth.
The product is the latest example of how academic research can be translated into commercial products, drawing on King’s expertise in the microbiome and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate product formulation.
BloomCalma™ has been developed by BiotaLife ® Healthcare, an academic-led, university-independent startup, formed to translate research from a collaboration between King’s College London and UCL into products for women. It was established with the support of UCL Ventures, UCL’s commercialisation company, and King’s Innovation Catalyst.
BloomCalma™ is a pH-balanced, fragrance-free intimate moisturising gel for external use, formulated to soothe and hydrate intimate skin and to be compatible with its microbiome. It is designed for use during pregnancy and postpartum recovery, including for external perineal massage in the final weeks of pregnancy. Research suggests that antenatal perineal massage can reduce the likelihood of perineal trauma, particularly episiotomy, for women giving birth for the first time.
Pregnancy and childbirth bring significant hormonal and physical changes to intimate tissues. However, relatively little is known about the external skin in the intimate areas during pregnancy.
Professor Long and his team examined products already available on the market, comparing their effects on the microbiome and their pH, which is a measure of acidity and alkalinity. This research informed the development of BloomCalma™, which is formulated to be compatible with the skin’s natural microbiome, the community of microorganisms living on and within the body that plays an important role in health.
The research team at King’s used an AI-assisted accelerated formulation design process to adapt an existing patented formulation into a cosmetic product. The underlying patent is jointly owned by King’s and UCL, with UCL managing the patent rights under an agreement with King’s. UCL is also involved in testing the product’s claims.
To translate this innovation into a commercial venture, King’s Innovation Catalyst and UCL Ventures, the universities’ respective commercialisation teams, provided expert support and facilitated strategic discussions with the researchers on patents, licensing and commercial development, which led to the formation of BiotaLife®.
UCL Ventures helped the academic founders protect their technology with patents, provided funding for the research programme behind DuoBalance, and provided mentorship and connections to turn university research into a company.
The company’s longer-term development programme also includes DuoBalance™, a candidate medical device now advancing into clinical trials, designed to offer an antibiotic-free and acid-free approach to women’s health conditions such as vaginal thrush and bacterial vaginosis (BV).
Professor Paul Long, Professor of Pharmacognosy at King’s College London and Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of BiotaLife Healthcare, said: “Many products applied to the skin are not designed with the skin microbiome in mind. We know that some of the ingredients used in gels, creams and oils can affect the microbiome, although the full implications are not yet clear. Our approach is to develop products that are compatible with it.
Using AI-assisted accelerated formulation design, we’ve been able to move from an initial idea to a product ready for market in around nine months. This is a significantly accelerated approach to product development.”
Professor Catherine Tuleu, Professor of Paediatric Pharmaceutics at UCL and an independent member of BiotaLife’s Scientific Advisory Board, said: “For far too long, women’s physiological needs have been overlooked by one-size-fits-all formulations. What inspires me about BiotaLife® is its commitment to changing that, combining rigorous formulation science with real empathy to develop microbiome-friendly products designed for women at every stage of life.”
Professor Sally Collins, Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Oxford and an independent member of BiotaLife’s Scientific Advisory Board, said: “The physical demands of delivery, including perineal stretching, and postpartum healing are well-documented. Having a science-backed, microbiome-friendly gel like BloomCalmaTM tailored specifically for perineal preparation and postpartum tissue recovery fills a long-standing gap in maternal intimate care.”
BloomCalma™ is available to purchase at biotalife.com from 5 November, priced at £18 for 30ml.
BiotaLife marks the launch with “The Missing Science”, an online panel taking place Thursday 12th of November at 1pm moderated by Dr Deborah Spencer (ARC West London), where Prof Paul Long, Dr Louise Perkins (Royal Berkshire NHS), will discuss the gaps in research on women’s intimate health during pregnancy and after birth. Register at biotalife.com/missingscience
Read more about the science behind BiotaLife’s approach in the BiotaLife Journal , which features expert-authored articles exploring the research underpinning its products.