RECENT NEWS

Rhodia has announced the acquisition of Chinese amine and surfactant company, Feixiang Chemicals. Headquartered in Zhangjiagang near Shanghai, Feixiang Chemicals is one of the country's leading producers of specialty amines and surfactants, and employs 650 people.

The business line Care Specialties of Evonik is introducing Tegosoft OER, a vegetable-based, enzymatically produced ester that not only imparts a caring, smooth, non-oily skin feel, but is also easy to formulate. The product can be incorporated into both oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) systems, and is suitable for colour-sensitive cosmetic formulations.

Cognis Holding Luxembourg S.à r.l., controlled by Permira Funds, GS Capital Partners and SV Life Sciences, signed a sale and purchase agreement to sell 100 percent of the shares in Cognis Holding GmbH to BASF SE on June 22.

HBA Global has appointed Emanuela (Ema) Treneva as its new international sales director. Based in Paris, Ms Treneva will provide sales outreach and customer support to European beauty and personal care suppliers.

To help formulators stay in tune with the latest consumer trends, Lubrizol’s Noveon Consumer Specialties team has developed an interpretation of three global macrotrends, their perceived impact on the personal care market and suggestions for participation in these market opportunities.

Dr Anand Mahadeshwar has joined ISP as director, global hair care R&D applications and personal care consumer science. A multiple patent recipient who has led product development efforts at global marketing firms such as Unilever and Beiersdorf, Dr Mahadeshwar has overseen numerous projects in laundry detergent and hair care technology.

Italian company, IRB, launched their new Stems G product, Gardenia jasminoides, at in-cosmetics Paris in April. Gardenia jasminoides, also simply known as gardenia or Cape jasmine, is a shrub of the Rubiaceae family which is native to China and Asia and widely spread in Europe as a fragrant and ornamental plant.

The BSB European Innovation prize for cosmetics 2010 was awarded in Paris during the incosmetics show. DSM Nutritional Products won the third prize with Syn-Hycan, in the category “Naturals/Actives”.

Symrise has introduced a new product, SymPeptide 226EL, which noticeably strengthens, lengthens and thickens eyelashes in as little as two weeks. Several studies show that the new product helps provide luscious eyelashes with visible results in 2-4 weeks at the recommended use level.

Rhodia is introducing a range of products particularly suitable for designing eco-friendly hair and skin care formulations, meeting consumer expectations for natural and sustainable products.

In 2009, the Union for Ethical BioTrade and IPSOS launched the first worldwide biodiversity barometer, to measure levels of awareness of the French, British, Americans and Germans.

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, recently announced an expansion to their facility to increase production of bio-based 1,3 propanediol (Bio-PDO) by 35%.

Univar announced recently that it is launching U+stainability, a far-reaching and comprehensive programme that pledges the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Inhalation of spray particles is one of the health risks that aerosol manufacturers have to address following the update to the Aerosol Dispensers Directive 75/324/EEC, which came into force in April 2010.

Soft, velvety-smooth skin is more easily attainable thanks to an innovative polymer technology from Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland.

As of April 1 2010, Gattefossé is the exclusive distributor of the cellulose derivatives of JRS to the personal care industry in all major markets. A distribution agreement has been finalised between J. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH+Co, KG (JRS) Holzmûhle (near Stuttgart), Germany, and Gattefossé, St Priest (near Lyon), France.

Leading lights from the cosmetics industry opened up the in-cosmetics show in Paris with a lively discussion on the subject of innovation. Participating in the forum, entitled ‘Is Innovation in the Cosmetics Industry Dead?’, were Eric Perrier, executive vice president R&D, LVMH; Patricia Pineau, director of research communication, L’Oreal; Nica Lewis, head consultant, Mintel Beauty Innovation and Elisabeth Azoulay, director of Editions Babylone.

Inhalation of spray particles is one of the health risks that aerosol manufacturers have to address following the update to the Aerosol Dispensers Directive 75/324/EEC, which came into force in April 2010. To help companies meet this new requirement, Melbourn Scientific, with its knowledge of inhaled product development for pharmaceuticals, is introducing a suite of aerosol characterisation services to support the general aerosol industry.

Aqua Bio Technology ASA (ABT), a Norwegian marine biotechnology and ingredient company, recently announced it has signed two major supply and development agreements.

Carbomers are widely used as rheology modifiers and suspending agents in the personal care industry. They stabilise and thicken formulations like gels, emulsions or surfactant based applications. The standard carbomer types are available as powders.