Dow taps into holistic, upcycled beauty solutions with new ECOllaboration Collection

(Credit: Dow) 

08 Apr 2022 --- Beauty and personal care chemical solutions provider Dow has launched various ingredients and products derived from sustainable sourcing using upcycled and natural materials. The company unveiled these new ingredients within its ECOllaboration collection with efforts to meet consumer demands for sustainable and inclusive solutions. Dow is featuring eight formulations out of which four are key ingredients in its new product launch. 

Isabel Almiro do Vale, global strategic marketing director for Dow Personal Care and Sandro Sato, EMEA Regional Marketing Manager for Dow Personal Care, speak with PersonalCareInsights at the in-cosmetics Global show, sharing consumer trends and their changing approach to environmental sustainability and diversity. 

“We have been working on eight formulations, all of them reaching a minimum of 90% of natural origin without falling back on any performance test,” says Sato. 

“Eco-conscious claims are now number one in personal care launches globally with a 5.2% compound annual growth rate for natural cosmetics market expansion (2022 to 2027),” shares Dow. 

The new ingredients include MaizeCare Clarity Polymer (for formulating crystal-clear hair styling formulations); DOWSIL 979 Emulsion (protecting color and reduces hair breakage); EcoSmooth Rice Husk Cosmetic Powder (offering blurring and mattifying effects); EcoSense SL-60 HL Surfactant and EcoSense SL-60 HA Surfactant (for mild cleansing products); EcoSmooth Universal Fluid 1100 (a natural cosmetic carrier). 

Of these ingredients are new products: CLEANow!, RockmyDEO, CLEARmystyle, BODYcuddle, POWDERwow, stayonLIPs, touchedeRIZ and FondDeTeint. 

Upcycled corn and rice  
Do Vale shares that Dow’s new high-performing materials come from upcycling methods.Ecology means fostering industry's future while protecting biodiversity according to Dow.

“Upcycling is one of many different ways we see the industry is moving in better using the current resources we have on the planet,” comments do Vale. 

“We have two in this space; one is MaizeCare Clarity, a film former, and hair fixative, which is derived from the waste of corn, processed to form a polymer.” 

The second example includes EcoSmooth rice husk, powder silica derived from the upcycling of rice husk, the covering of rice flakes. Similarly, Mibelle Biochemistry upcycled silverskin, the surface of coffee beans for moisturizers. 

“By giving value to what is perceived as waste going into landfills, we reduce the use of other resources on the planet, so we need to be conscious of that.”  

“With consumers increasingly expecting companies to offer safer and sustainable cosmetics formulations, we continue to prioritize the next generation of formulations that deliver top-level performance,” adds Sato. 

Eco concepts and natural innovations
Sharing market statistics, Dow finds that 56% of consumers are willing to pay more for a natural cosmetic formulation.

Furthermore, 93% of adults in Peru claim to try to act in a non-harmful way to the environment. Additionally, 77% of adults in China purchase clean beauty products because they are safer than mainstream beauty products. 

Dow’s ECOllaboration collection targets three critical themes for natural beauty: ecology, economic development and eco-conscious mindset.

“Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are at the core of everything we do, ensuring no one is left behind. We have the textured hair kit as a highlighting example that meets different textured hair needs,” shares Sato. 

Bio-based multifunctional products 
“Our latest bio-based product launches are the perfect marriage between our scientific expertise and the need for sustainability solutions,” says do Vale. Dow finds that 56% of consumers are willing to pay more for a natural cosmetic formulation.

“By expanding Dow’s portfolio, we continue to prioritize solutions that don’t compromise on performance and are always backed by science and deliver on our promise for more sustainable and inclusive beauty solutions.”

The MaizeCare Clarity Polymer is a biodegradable corn-based ingredient that is non-tacky upon styling. It is also compatible with carbomers (acrylic acid polymers). The corn source origin is ECOCERT, says the company. 

DOWSIL 979 Emulsion has a “low cyclic content, and lower ecotoxicity” compared to other emulsions containing “quaternary-based surfactants.” Apart from protecting the hair from breakage, it also provides benefits such as reducing friction, enhancing dry or wet combing and restoring hydrophobicity. This year, the ingredient was nominated in the Functional Ingredient Award category at the Global in-cosmetics, Paris. 

The EcoSmooth Rice Husk Cosmetic Powder is sourced from upcycled non-GMO natural sources. The white silica powder also has a high sebum absorbing benefit. 

The EcoSense SL-60 HL Surfactant and EcoSense SL-60 HA Surfactant are bio-surfactants that can be used for various cleansing products and body lotions, highlights Dow. The ingredients are derived from non-GMO canola oil and sugar with a natural origin content of ISO 16128 and are 100% bio-based certified by the US Department of Agriculture. 

EcoSmooth Universal Fluid 1100 is a fluid containing “100% renewable carbon-sourced as by-products from wood and sugarcane production.” It can be used in cosmetics, fragrances and sunscreens, suggests Dow. 

Biodegradable and recycled packaging 
The bio-based products come in eco-friendly packaging.

CLEANow! comes in Vegetal Polyethylene (PE) from sugarcanes and rockmyDEO comes without any packaging or applicator.

Additionally, CLEARmystyle comes in glass and wood and BODYcuddle comes in a paper tube.

POWDERwow product comes in recycled aluminum packaging which can be reused and recycled multiple times. 

Further, stayonLIPs comes in paper tubes and touchedeRIZ comes in wood and plant-based binders

Lastly, FondDeTeint comes in a bio-based biodegradable material. 

“We are keen on expanding on biodegradable materials and are partnering with key companies to do that. We recently announced our collaboration with Locus to bring more sophorolipids to the market,” shares do Vale. 

The ECOllaboration is available on Dow’s website along with a virtual tour. 

By Venya Patel reporting from the show floor of in-cosmetics 2022 in Paris, France

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