Neobotanics

Neobotanics is a Czech dermocosmetics and dietary-supplement brand based in Prague, built around the biotechnology research of its founder, Doc. Ing. Petr Kaštánek, Ph.D. It develops serums, marine-collagen drinks and hemp-based body care, with research and production carried out by its parent laboratory, BIOCEN laboratories, s.r.o. [3]. The brand positions itself at the meeting point of laboratory science and plant-derived ingredients, summed up in its tagline, "Inspired by nature, developed by science."

The company remains active. Its most recent publicly recorded milestone was the April 2025 launch of two next-generation collagen products [10].

Neobotanics was created out of scientific research into natural bioactive substances, directed by Petr Kaštánek in partnership with Czech scientific institutions and medical experts. Kaštánek is a biotechnologist and biochemist who graduated from the University of Chemical Technology in Prague, where he later earned his habilitation and now teaches. He is described in Czech media as a "Renaissance scientist," and his work has taken him on research expeditions to Antarctica, Colombia, Siberia, Papua and the Amazon, collecting algae, lichens and mosses to study their bioactive compounds [9].

That research history is the brand's foundation: Neobotanics applies findings from plants, algae and hemp to skincare and supplements. Kaštánek also founded the parent lab BIOCEN laboratories and the biofuel firm EcoFuel Laboratories, and directs the BIORAF research centre.

The brand's exact launch year is not firmly documented. A Czech retailer listing states that Neobotanics has developed dermato-cosmetics and supplements since 1993 [11], but this date is doubtful and appears to describe the wider BIOCEN lineage rather than the consumer cosmetics line specifically; the founder pages confirm only that BIOCEN has operated for more than 30 years [4]. The current product range is sold through a Shopify storefront, suggesting the consumer brand in its present form is more recent.

Neobotanics is owned by BIOCEN laboratories, s.r.o., the Prague-registered company that also handles its research, development and production [3]. According to the brand, this work takes place in BIOCEN's own facilities at the Center for Applied Research Dobříš, a science and technology park in the Brdy forests southwest of Prague.

Neobotanics describes itself as "a fusion of science, nature, and personal responsibility," and frames its products as ones the team would want to use themselves, with an emphasis on raw-material purity and considered formulations. The company says it is directly involved in the full chain of seeking out new natural resources, studying them and formulating finished products in Czech laboratories under its own supervision. Its stated brand promise is "Science, nature, and thoughtful care in a premium form," and it lists respect for nature among its core values, saying it looks for solutions that are "gentle, meaningful, and long-term responsible."

The brand sits in the prestige price tier; its facial serums retail in the region of 2,185 to 2,890 CZK each. Distribution is multi-channel, spanning the brand's own store and Czech pharmacy and eco-retail chains such as BENU and Dr. Max [12].

Neobotanics spans three areas: skincare, body care and dietary supplements. The skincare line centres on facial serums, among them the Anti-Wrinkle Skin Rejuvenator #1, built around peptides, stem cells and hyaluronic acid, and the Youth Booster #2, which the brand formulates with the peptide Argireline and bakuchiol, a plant-derived alternative to retinol. A further serum, Instant Beauty & Radiance #2, contains seven percent vitamin C.

Across the range, the brand draws on a recurring set of hero ingredients: marine collagen (sold under the Naticol name), bakuchiol, Argireline, hyaluronic acid, liposomal vitamin C, CBD and hemp extract, and bioactive substances from algae. The body-care line is built largely on cannabidiol, with gels, creams and balms aimed at concerns such as swelling, varicose veins, cellulite and eczema. Among these is the CBD Anti-Cellulite & Slimming Body Serum, which the company markets with a proprietary "ISO-SLIM COMPLEX" and a claim of cellulite reduction of up to 37 percent [8].

In April 2025 the brand expanded its supplement range with two collagen drinks: Beauty Marine Collagen + 22 Essences, using low-molecular-weight Naticol marine collagen peptides, and a Vegan Collagen Alternative + 20 Essences made from hydrolysed and fermented plant material [10]. According to Kaštánek, the products are designed not only to supply the body with building materials but to activate its own regenerative capacities through collagen peptides combined with adaptogens and antioxidants.

The brand's scientific identity is closely tied to its founder's research record. Kaštánek holds 31 patents and was named Visionary of the Year in 2016 for developing a cultivation process for the microalga Japonochytrium, producing omega-3 fatty acids as a vegetarian alternative to fish oil [9]. His earlier work was also recognised as co-author of a "Best Innovative Technology 2001" award in the Czech Republic [4].

Neobotanics frames its formulation work as research-led, drawing on collaborations with Czech academic bodies including the Botanical Institute of the Academy of Sciences and the University of Chemical Technology in Prague. Proprietary technologies named by the brand include the ISO-SLIM COMPLEX cellulite formula and NeoLipo C, a liposomal vitamin C.

Neobotanics has been covered by the Czech editions of fashion and lifestyle titles. Its Instant Beauty & Radiance #2 serum was named an "Editor's Choice" in the high-tech skincare category by Vogue Czechoslovakia, and the brand was also referenced in Harper's Bazaar's Czech edition in 2023 [7]. The national outlet Blesk.cz profiled Kaštánek as a "Renaissance scientist," describing Neobotanics as his cosmetics brand of gels and balms [9].

Neobotanics is an active brand. It operates a live English-language storefront alongside its Czech home market, launched new collagen products in April 2025, and distributes through Czech pharmacy chains and eco-retailers. Its scope is regional rather than global: rooted in the Czech Republic and extending across parts of the European market.