Beyond The Headlines: Croda acquires Solus Biotech, Dior’s Spa Cruise sets sail along Seine river in Paris

07 Jul 2023 --- This week, Chemical manufacturer Croda snapped up Solus Biotch to expand its skin care business in Asia. Dior kicked off its Spa Cruise from the Port Henri IV in Paris, France. Also, Paco Rabanne rebranded as Rabanne in celebration of its 60th anniversary.

Business moves
Croda International announced it has agreed to acquire Solus Biotech, which specializes in biotechnology-derived beauty actives, from Solus Advanced Materials for a total consideration of KRW 350 billion (US$268 billion) on a debt-free, cash-free basis. The acquisition opens up access to Solus’ existing biotech-derived ceramide and phospholipid technologies, as well as in its emerging capabilities in natural retinol. This acquisition is expected to strengthen Croda’s Beauty Actives portfolio and increase its exposure to targeted prestige segments. Located in South Korea, Solus expands Croda’s Asian manufacturing capability and will create a new biotechnology R&D hub in the region.

Melixir, South Korea’s microbiome-friendly skincare brand, expanded its presence in international markets with recent launches in Sephora stores across South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong S.A.R., Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Founded in 2018 by beauty industry veteran Hana Lee, Melixir offers skin care solutions for sensitive skin, backed by microbiome science. Inspired by Lee’s personal struggle with sensitive skin, Melixir was created to offer effective, cruelty-free, vegan skin care products designed to promote a healthy skin microbiome. Melixir plans to expand its international footprint further by entering European countries such as the UK and Germany this year.

The Dior Spa Cruise, moored along the river Seine in Paris, France (Image credit: Dior).Brand activities
To mark Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris, France, Dior’s Spa Cruise is moored at Port Henri IV in Paris. The Dior boat will cruise along the Seine from July 3 to 14, offering guests views of Paris. The circuit glides past the Statue of Liberty on the tip of the Île aux Cygnes, Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. Two types of well-being cruises are available, featuring five programs tailored to guests’ needs and desires. The first is “Detox,” a reboot to eliminate toxins, followed by “Balance,” for a restorative break to regain equilibrium. Next on the menu is “Reverse-aging,” dubbed a youth and longevity treatment for relaxing the skin and mind, alongside “Relaxation,” designed to help let go and release the mind. Lastly is “Power,” a journey to help guests center themselves and regain vitality and self-confidence.

On its 60th anniversary, Paco Rabanne rebranded as Rabanne. Deemed “simplified and more international in spirit,” the fragrance specialist states its name change represents a pivotal moment. The brand’s bold new typography drew inspiration from the company’s archives, particularly from its first fragrance, Calandre, launched in 1969. 

L’Oréal unveiled the winners of the fourth edition of the International Awards for Social Responsibility in Dermatology, in partnership with the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the World Congress of Dermatology. The awards recognize dermatologists leading high-impact projects in three categories: prevention and education on skin health; improved quality of life and self-esteem for people facing skin issues; and access to care coverage and surgery. The five laureates of the 2023 edition – one from each ILDS geographic region – were selected from 193 applications from 66 countries by an independent scientific committee of five dermatologists and ILDS board members. Each winning project is awarded a €20,000 (US$21,800) grant to fund its continuation.

The Body Shop announced its partnership with national nonpartisan organization HeadCount to register as many first-time voters as possible and support democracy protection. These bold actions to uphold voting rights are a part of the company’s “Be Seen. Be Heard,” which is The Body Shop’s joint campaign with the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, which aims to increase young people’s participation in public life in more than 75 countries. Since 2021, at least 24 states in the US have passed laws that make it more difficult to vote and at least 32 states have introduced similarly restrictive bills. These laws have profound implications for voters, especially young and first-time voters, affecting access to polling stations, transportation, the voter registration process and voter ID laws, among other key determinants for election turnout. In partnership with HeadCount, visitors to The Body Shop’s stores and website can register to vote, sign a pledge to support young people’s participation in democracy and advocate for fair and accessible elections for all voters.

South Korean microbiome-friendly skin care brand Melixir expanded across Asian Sephora outlets (Image credit: Melixir).Product launches
IES Ingredients released its new Summer Cosmetic Kit, which offers a range of products to protect and nourish the skin and hair during the sunny season. The kit includes the Protect-Sun body lotion, which provides SPF 50 protection against UVA and UVB rays. Additionally, it includes an After-Sun lotion with argan oil and vitamin E, as well as a Forever-Sun gel that helps extend skin tan and hydrate the skin with erythrulose, peptides and saccharide isomerate. For firm and toned skin, the kit’s Rising-Sun décolleté gel includes Pepha-Tight CB (microalgae extract) and LiftyLOX Crop-G (phytocomplex). Lastly, the Glowing-Sun hair serum fights frizz and adds shine with argan oil, Stimu-Tex AS (blend of barley wax, argan oil and shea butter), phytantriol and vitamin E.

BASF Personal Care released a revised version of its active ingredient Laricyl that features a more sustainable cultivation of the raw material while offering proven enhanced efficacy. For 20 years, Laricyl, an extract from the Fomes officinalis mushroom, has been a “tried-and-tested” component of BASF’s portfolio of cosmetic active ingredients for pore refinement. In an effort to align its actions towards more sustainable practices, the company now uses a method to cultivate the mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus, by solid-state fermentation. This replaces the harvesting of the mushroom from the wild. The production of the mycelium, that is now organic certified, is carried out in Europe on solid medium within a controlled incubation room. The new version of Laricyl is 99.7% from natural origin according to ISO 16128.

Research and regulatory developments
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) concluded that the use of zinc in toothpaste is safe, except for children under the age of 1 year, because the intake exceeds the upper limit level. This was after it calculated aggregate exposure to water-soluble zinc salts via toothpaste at the concentrations of 1% and that from diet. For children up to 1 year of age, the SCCS recommends a safe concentration of 0.72% for soluble zinc salts (as zinc) in toothpaste. The inclusion of zinc in mouthwash at 0.1% is considered safe across all age groups.

A study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, titled “Dissolvable Shower Gel Tablets with Enhanced Skin Benefits,” found that 7.5% of sodium coco sulfate and 5% of glycerin showed the best cleaning ability and moisturizing effect. Shower gel tablets are suggested as a more sustainable option than plastic-based packaging in the personal care industry.

A Springer study titled “Lead and Arsenic Contamination in Henna Samples Marketed in Iran” investigated the levels of lead and arsenic contamination in henna samples available in the Iranian market. The researchers collected 105 henna samples from various commercial sources and analyzed them for lead and arsenic content using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results indicated that a significant proportion of the henna samples contained high levels of lead and arsenic, posing potential health risks to consumers. The study highlights the need for strict regulations and quality control measures to ensure the safety of henna products and protect public health.

By Benjamin Ferrer