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A Sicilian pistachio hull hitting a splash of Pistactive-h extract A Sicilian pistachio hull hitting a splash of Pistactive-h extract

Pistactive-h™

Blending nature with science

Clinically proven upcycled longevity active from Sicilian pistachio hull.

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Agritech meets cosmetics

Circular Luxury

The hull is an agro-food by-product transformed through aqueous green extraction into a high-value active, supporting premium sustainability and upcycling narratives.

Pistachio hulls stacked in a column with extract running over them

Proven results

Look 4 years younger

In just 28 days.*

−39%

Wrinkle depth

After 28 days

+47%

Skin hydration

More nourished, more elastic

+56%

Firming & plumping

Epidermis and dermis thickness

7.7×

Dark spots

More effective than placebo

Discover the product

* Comparative clinical study, product testing with Complife, on 20 women (40–65 years old) with signs of skin aging. Pistactive-h 1.5% applied to half of the face, compared to a placebo, twice a day for 56 days. Evaluations performed at 28 and 56 days.

Measured impact

Circular economy,
in numbers

What we recover, we measure. Every figure is generated and certified independently, batch after batch.

Discover our impact

Research & development

One product,
one goal: longevity

Longevity is not a category, it is a direction.
Kymia develops one upcycled active across every field where skin ageing is played out —
on the surface, and from within.

Discover our research
Pistactive-h in the laboratory
Alchemy: turning what has little value into something precious

Why Kymia

The art of turning what has little value into something precious

The name recalls alchemy:
the art of transforming base metals into gold.
Kymia shares the same mission —
to convert something of little value into
a precious resource.

About Kymia
Pistactive-h extract in a test tube beside pistachio leaves and hullsPistactive-h extract in a test tube beside pistachio leaves and hulls
pistactive-h

Upcycled longevity ingredient from pistachio hull

Clinically proven upcycled longevity active from Sicilian pistachio hull.

Request a sample

Raw material

Pistachio hull

The hull is the soft shell that protects the pistachio fruit. Pistachios are harvested in late summer. During the traditional process, the pistachio is separated from the outer shell.

The hull: until now neglected.

Product profile

Pistactive-h™

Glycerin extract of pistachio hull, obtained through aqueous extraction.

Rich in polyphenols, with antioxidant and antibacterial action.

INCI
Glycerin, Aqua, Pistacia Vera Hull Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Appearance
Amber brown liquid
Solubility
Water-soluble

Intellectual property

A protected, proprietary technology

Our intellectual property is a core strategic asset both at process and product level.

Patent 01

Process patent

Italian national patent with European and US extension. Protects our solvent-free, water-based extraction process of Pistactive-h™.

Patent 02

Product patent

Pistactive-h™ composition of matter Italian patent.

The evidence

Longevity is a claim until someone measures it

Pistactive-h™ has been tested twice:
on real skin, and in the laboratory.

In vivo

Measured on real skin*

−39%

Wrinkle depth

Significantly reduces wrinkle depth. After 28 days.

+47%

Skin hydration

More nourished and elastic skin. Best results after 56 days.

+30%

Brightness

Increases radiance, improves dull skin. After 28 days.

+56%

Firming & plumping

Epidermis and dermis thickness. After 28 days.

7.7×

Dark spots

More effective on dark spots than the placebo. In 56 days.

+28.6%

Luminosity

Complexion luminosity, up to. In 56 days.

−4yrs

Perceived skin age

Global anti-aging effect on real skin.

100%

Product tolerance

All users of the product appreciated the product.

98%

User perception

Report brightening and hydration effects.

* Comparative clinical study, product testing with Complife, on 20 women (40–65 years old) with signs of skin aging. Pistactive-h 1.5% applied to half of the face, compared to a placebo, twice a day for 56 days. Evaluations performed at 28 and 56 days.

In vitro

Measured in the laboratory

130×

Antioxidant power

Stronger than astaxanthin, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.
ORAC per liter: 117,598,279 vs 2,822,200.

86.05%

Gallotannins

The dominant fraction of the phytocomplex, alongside quercetin, ellagic acid and myricetin derivatives.

2strains

Antibacterial action

Demonstrated efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

Applications

A versatile multitarget active

Suitable for formulation in creams, serums and masks. Water-soluble and easy to formulate.

CreamsSerums MasksEye contour
Dropper and drops of Pistactive-h on a clean surface

Ingredient branding

Origin Story

A Sicilian pistachio-hull story gives the ingredient a specific sense of place.
The commercial benchmark is the way strong beauty brands convert a distinctive regional ingredient
into a recognizable consumer narrative.

Pistactive-h released into a petri dishPistactive-h released into a petri dish

Research & development

One product,
one goal: longevity

Longevity is not a category, it is a direction.

Kymia develops one upcycled active across
every field where skin ageing is played out —
on the surface, and from within.

This is the inner beauty principle:

what nourishes you inside is what shows outside.

Towards inner beauty

Pistactive-h extract beside a cosmetic cream
On the marketCosmeticsClinically proven effects for skincare products. Already formulated and sold by our partners.
Pistactive-h extract beside capsules
In developmentNutraceuticalsNutritional supplements for well-being and longevity, from the same polyphenol-rich phytocomplex.

Scientific validation

Our data is backed by
independent science

Every claim on this site comes from work carried out with certified laboratories and academic partners — clinical testing, analytical characterisation and process research, documented and repeatable.

ComplifeUniversità di Catania Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIToscana Life Sciences Linneus
A hand reaching into fresh pistachio hullA hand reaching into fresh pistachio hull

Sustainability

Turning waste into value

What is by-product for the pistachio harvest becomes a precious raw material for Kymia.

Pistachio harvest Picked from the trees in late summer The by-product Separated from the outer shell Hull recovered Kymia takes it back: no disposal, and a positive impact instead Kymia takes it back: no disposal, and a positive impact instead

The supply chain agreement

Sustainability in action

A lasting commitment to the Sicilian pistachio territory.

A project that merges science with respect for the earth, delivering the excellence of a regenerative and responsible action for longevity.

Measured impact

Positive impact,
certified on blockchain

We measure what we recover.

Every figure below
is generated and certified independently, batch after batch.

What tradition considers waste,
we turn into a precious resource

The pistachio groves of Bronte, below Mount Etna

Who we are

Kymia srl

An Italian company that transforms pistachio hull
— a by-product of the harvest —
into a high-value natural ingredient.
With roots in Bronte, Sicily, the home of pistachios.

Why Kymia

The art of turning what has little value
into something precious

The name recalls alchemy:
the art of transforming base metals into gold.
Kymia shares the same mission —
to convert something of little value into
a precious resource.

Made in Italy

Supply chain and production

Female entrepreneurship

Founded and led by women

Sustainability

Waste becomes a resource again

Innovation

Proprietary research and technology

Our history

From intuition to industrial scale

The founders in the pistachio grove
2022 · The originAn intuition in SicilyTwo entrepreneurs looked at the pistachio harvest and saw what everyone else discarded. Every season, tons of hull were left on the ground as waste. They asked a different question: what was actually inside it?
Pistachio branch on volcanic lava rock
The discoveryA raw material, not a residueLaboratory analysis showed the hull was dense in polyphenols — gallotannins, quercetin and ellagic acid derivatives.
What the supply chain treated as waste turned out to be one of the richest antioxidant sources of the Mediterranean.
Dropper and drops of Pistactive-h on a clean surface
The patentsIP protectionA proprietary extraction process was developed and protected: water-based, solvent-free, scalable. Two patents followed — one on the process, one on the composition of matter — covering Italy, Europe and the United States.
Dried pistachio hull texture
TodayProductionFrom laboratory to plant:
10,000 litres a year today.
The hull is bought from local farmers within a contracted supply chain, traced on blockchain.

Founders

Founded and led by women

Kymia was started by two entrepreneurs who chose to build the company where the raw material is — in Bronte, among the growers whose hull they buy.
Research, production and commercial decisions all sit in the same place, close to the supply chain they depend on.

Arianna Campione and Anna Cacopardo in the pistachio grove

Contact

Request a sample

Registered office
Piazza Matrice 1, 95034 Bronte (CT), Italy
VAT number
05897510870
Email
info@kymia.it