A SOUTHAMPTON company has been awarded a government grant to explore the production of a specially modified oat oil for cosmetic purposes.

Oat Services, based in Basset Avenue, has won the Smart Award from the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service which aims to encourage innovation.

The project will look to develop a high specification oil using supercritical CO2 processing.

Oats have long been known to have a number of beneficial effects in skincare as a moisturiser and soothing agent.

The advent of unique high-oil naked oat varieties bred by the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in the UK has created the opportunity to provide commercially viable oils with high levels of phytochemicals to support skin repair.

Cark Maunsell, who is co-ordinating the project, said: "While the cosmetics industry has expressed strong interest in oat oil, there is need to achieve a better understanding of the profile of the oats, and the effects of supercritical CO2 processing, together with the activity, quality and stability of the resultant oils.

Critical Processes, recognised as a leading researcher in supercritical CO2 extraction, will undertake the investigation into the challenges surrounding oat oil extraction.

Other specialists will assess the oil for novel compounds.