News Release | Mar 29, 2019

in-cosmetics 2019: BASF addresses consumer needs with sustainable, tailor-made solutions for the cosmetics industry

  • New solutions prove BASF’s expertise in actives, sun care and its commitment to responsible beauty
  • Formulation Lab®, Innovation Zone and Technical Seminars provide insights into BASF’s broad portfolio of offerings
  • Fourth BASF Palm Dialog gives an outlook on sustainable palm beyond 2020

Paris, France – April 2, 2019 – At this year’s in-cosmetics in Paris, from April 2 to 4, BASF’s Care Creations™ focuses on trends like responsible living or reliable sun care cosmetics which are reflecting consumer needs and driving the personal care industry. With new need-based solutions, proving its expertise in actives and sun care as well as its commitment to sustainability, BASF supports its customers staying at the pulse of the personal care market and responding to consumer requirements. “In today’s increasingly fragmented personal care market, consumers expect more than excellent cosmetic products. They want brand producers to recognize their individuality and to offer them tailor-made solutions. We support our customers in detecting the consumers’ individual stories and to address them with suitable offerings,” said Dirk Mampe, Vice President Business Management Personal Care Solutions Europe. BASF shares booth K70 with its European distribution organization BTC Europe presenting its latest innovations for the personal care industry such as concepts, formulations and several new products.

All about sustainability: the Rambutan Program

Consumers are increasingly interested in the composition and development of their cosmetic products. They are looking for personal care ingredients that are ecologically sourced, conserve resources or help to avoid negative environmental or social impact. With three new, 100 percent natural-based bioactive extracts from the rambutan tree (Nephelium lappaceum), BASF can help manufacturers respond to this growing trend, whilst having a positive impact on Vietnamese rural society in the area where rambutan is sourced. They are derived from BASF’s Rambutan Program, a reliable supply chain for sustainable bioactives production, upcycling different parts of the tree, other than the fruit. Nephydrat™ is an extract of rambutan peel which helps to moisturize the skin and provides it with energy. Nephoria™ is an extract of rambutan leaves that helps mature skin to rejuvenate by increasing skin elasticity and reducing wrinkles. For hair care, BASF developed Rambuvital™ from the seeds of rambutan which increases hair follicle vitality and reduces sebum oxidation triggered by exposure to pollutants and UV.

All about sun care: EcoSun Pass and Sunscreen Simulator

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the potential impact sunscreens may have on the environment. Eco-friendly sunscreens are in high demand. BASF’s EcoSun Pass is a methodology that enables the environmental impact evaluation of UV filter systems. The environmental impact assessment system developed by BASF is clear, transparent and comprehensive. It is based on internationally recognized criteria and comprises eight different parameters, from biodegradation and aquatic toxicity to endocrine disruption potential.

As the worldwide market leader in sun care ingredients, BASF offers a broad portfolio of innovative ingredients and trendsetting solutions to support its customers developing reliable sun care products. The Sunscreen Simulator, BASF’s digital lab for sun-care formulations, enables formulators to explore the performance of sunscreens under development before starting costly in vitro and in vivo studies. Recently, BASF launched a new generation of the internet-based solution. It now features immediate dynamic calculations and side-by-side comparison of multiple UV filter compositions, among other enhancements. BASF’s Sunscreen Simulator supports sunscreen manufacturers all over the world in reducing their products’ time to market.

Innovation Zone Box: New plant extract for pure and mattified skin

The Innovation Zone (booth H100) invites visitors to explore new launches, allowing manufacturers to gain inspiration for their next product formulations. More than 100 products will be showcased, including BASF’s Bix’Activ® – its new active ingredient for pure and mattified skin. The extract from Bixa orellana seeds reduces sebum production by restraining the proliferation of sebocytes in sebaceous glands. In addition, it helps to refine pores and to reduce skin blemishes. A placebo-controlled clinical study demonstrated extraordinary results: The number of active sebaceous glands decreased by more than 50 percent and the follicular sebum excretion rate fell by more than 70 percent.

BASF shares its formulation expertise in the Formulation Lab®

The Formulation Lab® offers R&D laboratory staff the opportunity to learn techniques first hand from personal care ingredient specialists during interactive training sessions in a fully equipped laboratory. This year, BASF experts will guide the participants in how to formulate a multi-functional skin cleansing product. A gel-cream will be created that combines a suspension of stabilized shea butter micro-droplets with biodegradable exfoliating wax microbeads. The formulation cleanses and exfoliates the skin whilst delivering caring shea-butter. After rinsing, the texture of this translucent gel offers a sensation of freshness, leaving the skin with a soft, light and silky after-feel.

BASF Palm Dialog: Past 2020 – An outlook on sustainable palm

On the afternoon of April 3 (2:00 – 4:00 p.m.), BASF will host its fourth Palm Dialog (Mercure Paris Vaugirard Porte de Versailles, 69 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 75015 Paris). During the panel discussion, BASF will debate with major market players and experts along the value chain on which topics the industry needs to jointly work on for 2020 and beyond. The following open dialog fosters the exchange between personal care ingredient suppliers, cosmetic manufacturers, retailers and NGOs about recent and future developments in the palm-based oleochemical industry.

Technical Seminars: BASF addresses the microplastic discussion and challenges in sun care

This year, BASF experts will share their knowledge and market insights during three technical seminars. One focuses on the global discussion around plastics in the environment. Especially small plastic particles in the ocean are of concern due to their potential ingestion by marine residents. Although only a small fraction of plastic in aquatic systems has been introduced from personal care ingredients, a better biodegradability of cosmetic raw materials is of gaining importance. During the seminar, BASF shows examples of ingredients with improved biodegradability and comparable function. The two other seminars focus on sun care. One gives insights into the characterization, advantages and benefits of nano UV filters and comments on registration hurdles. BASF’s second sun care presentation addresses the challenges of developing new sunscreens due to different obstacles. On the one hand, the regulatory environment makes it difficult to register new UV-absorbing molecules; on the other, some registered widely used UV filters are under discussion due to environmental or health-related issues. The presentation will offer solutions how to overcome these new hurdles.

About the Care Chemicals division at BASF
The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are a leading global supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com.  

About BTC
BTC Europe belongs to the world's leading chemical group, BASF – We create chemistry. BTC Europe GmbH is BASF’s European sales organization for specialty chemicals. Our strengths lie in our knowledge of the industry, based on many years of experience, and our proximity to our customers. With its 11 regional offices and more than 450 employees in Europe, BTC supplies small and medium-sized customers from a wide variety of industries with about 6,000 products. BTC is headquartered in Monheim am Rhein. Further information on BTC is available on the Internet at www.btc-europe.com.

About BASF 
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.  

Related Contacts

Annika Müller
Communications Personal Care Europe
Phone:+49 2173 4995 446
annika.mueller@basf.com