HOWTIAN’s expansion into personal care is gaining global attention, with two recent features in leading industry publications spotlighting the company’s SoPure™ platform and its growing role beyond traditional food and beverage applications.
In coverage by Personal Care Insights and Cosmetics & Toiletries, HOWTIAN’s latest innovation highlights how stevia-derived ingredients are being reimagined as multifunctional sensory solutions for lip care — marking a notable shift in how natural ingredients are used across industries.
From Sweetener to Sensory Science
In an exclusive interview with Personal Care Insights, the feature explores what it describes as stevia’s “second life” in personal care, positioning lip care as a natural extension of HOWTIAN’s work in sensory modulation. The article highlights how SoPure™ is being used to address a long-standing formulation challenge — taste transfer, the often-overlooked moment when lip products interact with the mouth.
As described in the publication, stevia-derived ingredients are helping formulators reduce bitterness from waxes, pigments, and botanical actives while improving overall sensory balance, all within a plant-based, clean-label framework.
The piece also emphasizes a broader industry trend: the convergence of food and beauty, where ingredients traditionally used in one category are being reengineered to meet evolving consumer expectations in another.
Speaking with the publication, Summer Song, Senior Research Scientist at HOWTIAN, underscored the shift:
“Our work with stevia has increasingly shown that its value extends far beyond sweetness. In lip care applications, stevia offers a unique combination of mild, natural sweetness and the ability to mask off-notes from oils, waxes, and active ingredients. This directly enhances the sensory experience during application, delivering a more pleasant and comfortable taste upon transfer to the lips.”
A Technical Lens on Lip Care Formulation
Complementing this perspective, Cosmetics & Toiletries‘ story details how SoPure™ functions within lip care systems and the specific performance benefits it delivers.
The article highlights SoPure™ as a plant-based sensory solution designed to improve taste transfer, mask off-notes, and support clean-label positioning — key priorities for formulators navigating the transition away from synthetic additives.
It also outlines the ingredient’s multifunctional role, including:
- Neutralizing bitterness from waxes, vitamins, and botanical extracts
- Supporting a smoother, more balanced sensory profile
- Providing antioxidant and soothing benefits for lip care applications
Importantly, the publication notes HOWTIAN’s comparative panel testing on lipstick formulations; noting that the inclusion of 0.2% SoPure™ stevia improved moisture reception, fragrance balance and sensory harmony — an ongoing challenge in lip formulation.
As Summer Song explains in the article:
“In lip care, even subtle bitterness or irritation can shape how consumers perceive a product… Our goal with SoPure is to help formulators improve taste, comfort and ingredient transparency all at the same time.”
Expanding the Role of Stevia in Personal Care
Together, these two features reinforce HOWTIAN’s broader vision for stevia, not just as a sweetener, but as a multifunctional platform for sensory and functional innovation.
Following the introduction of SoPure™ DENTIVIA for oral care, lip care represents the next step in expanding stevia’s role across personal care categories — unlocking new possibilities for brands seeking to balance natural positioning with high-performance sensory experiences.
As consumer demand for plant-based, transparent formulations continues to grow, these applications signal a broader shift in formulation strategy where natural ingredients are expected to deliver not just label appeal, but measurable performance.