FocusSynthetic chems still vital in cosmetics

14 September 2007 22:52  [Source: ICIS news]

By Doris de Guzman

NEW YORK (ICIS news)--Chemical companies are expanding their natural ingredients offerings but some synthetics in cosmetics are still irreplaceable, officials with several companies said on Friday.

“Natural-based ingredients cannot achieve all the functionalities required by modern personal care products,” said Bettina Jackwerth, global marketing director for Cognis’s skin care segment. “Where necessary, synthetic building blocks have to be included with one prominent example in our industry still being the polymers.”

The shelf life of natural ingredients is also an issue, said Wolfgang Goertz, marketing manager, personal care for Evonik Industries, formerly known as Degussa.

“Natural raw materials tend to be more variable in terms of quality and stability, which can result in shorter shelf life or poor product aesthetics,” he said.

The danger associated with some natural products, said Croda president Kevin Gallagher, is when consumers assume that natural ingredients means they are safer and better to use.

“There are currently no regulated definitions of natural although many manufacturers use this term to describe an ingredient or product comes from plant sources. If these ingredients that are sourced from plants are not properly preserved, these natural ingredients are a perfect medium for micro-organisms,” Gallagher added.

Identification and registration of environmentally friendly ingredients in a portfolio could be a solution to assure manufacturers of the “greenness” of their products, said Joel Mantelin, global business development director for ISP Vincience, a recently acquired business of International Specialty Products (ISP).

“Large cosmetic corporations are starting to promote green or eco brands, further emphasising the incentive for certifying active ingredients as green,” said Mantelin.

All companies agreed that the consumer demand for natural ingredients in cosmetics and personal care will continue to rise exponentially thus their expansion in this segment.

Goertz said that more than 80% of the company’s products for the personal care industry are already based on natural raw materials.

For Cognis, over 70% of the raw materials it uses in its Care Chemicals division are natural and renewable, said Jackwerth.

Croda said it has made a number of significant investments in green cosmetic chemicals such as its Crodamazon project in Brazil.

Vertellus Performance Materials said it will continue to invest in the research and development of castor-derived ingredients and shea butter-derived products for personal care applications.

“As regulatory concerns over the safety and efficacy of some synthetic raw materials continues, consumers and personal care products formulators will seek vegetable resourced materials,” said Steven Rogers, Vertellus sales and marketing manager for personal care.

For in-depth analysis of natural cosmetic chemicals market, look for the 17 September issue of ICIS Chemical Business.

By: Doris de Guzman
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