In the first year after the financial crisis, a significant upturn was observed with interest in new high grade ingredients for cosmetic application. Flavex experienced especially in the first two days a record number of contacts at the booth whereas the last day was less busy as usual. The majority of contacts came from outside France with attendees from North America and Asia being especially strong. About one third of the contacts visiting the Flavex booth were existing customers asking for new products and developments and discussing about special issues of interest.
The field of natural cosmetics has still promising growth potential which meets especially the FLAVEX product range of botanical supercritical extracts which are sterile and free of preservatives and to some extent also available as certified organic according to EC 834/2007 or to USDA NOP. Correspondingly, big interest was noticed in anti-microbial extracts such as hop, curcuma xanthorrhiza or usnea lichen.
Other hot topics were rosemary and sage antioxidants rich in diterpene phenols, which not only delay oxidation but are also anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory at the same time. Besides more classic products like calendula, arnica or chamomile, which are still of interest, there was some demand for specialty fatty oils from pomegranate rich in punicic acid, soy germ oil rich in phytosterols, millet oil rich in miliacin or seabuckthorn pulp oil rich in palmitoleic acid which are all available as certified organic.
Finally CO2 selective extracts from herbs and spices representing the volatile essential oil constituents have been in demand as well, which are suitable for perfumery purposes or for giving a pleasant fragrance to cosmetic products naturally.
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