In-cosmetics Global live: Ashland’s trendy beauty solutions from functional florals and vegetable oil

17 Apr 2024 --- Ashland is exhibiting on the show floor of In-cosmetics Global industry fair (April 16–18) in Paris, France, and showcasing its newly unveiled range of beauty additives, which responds to global “megatrends” and evolving regulatory landscapes.

At the event, Personal Care Insights speaks to Joel Mantelin, senior business director of marketing for personal care at Ashland, to discuss the launches.

The company emphasizes its Transformed Vegetable Oil (TVO) platform with three “unique, new-to-the-world additives” with environmentally sustainable characteristics.

These additives and specialty ingredients are “tunable” and can scale multiple markets while labeled “renewable, natural, biodegradable, non-microplastic, non-GMO and vegan.”

Biodegradable film former
The first ingredient spotlighted is Antaron soja glyceride, a “nature-derived,” biodegradable film former that delivers water resistance and SPF-boosting benefits to sun care and color cosmetic formulations.

“It is one of the first products of Ashland’s TVO platform of transformed vegetable oils, which are polymers created through a process that generates new types of molecules with new types of sensorial properties and applications,” says Mantelin.

The cold-processed Antaron ingredient is designed to boost the naturality profile of sun care creams, lotions, gels and color cosmetics, while dispersing formulation pigments like titanium dioxide in an “extremely homogeneous” way.

“It’s a real innovation in personal care because it’s not every year that companies come with a true and genuine innovation,” continues Mantelin. “It has been crafted to ensure waterproofing, which is very important for sun care products.”

“This is done so that the sun filters don’t wash away when you go in the sea or in the swimming pool, so you keep the protection for longer.”

Ashland exhibition booth at In-cosmetics Global 2024 in Paris, France.Durable guar polymer for hair styling
N-Durhance es-repair ingredient, a “durable” split end repair polymer that protects hair from damage and breakage during wet combing and heat styling while adding shine, is also on display at In-cosmetics Global today.

The ingredient provides “excellent” sensorial properties, giving the hair a “lubricious, not tacky feel” when wet, and “perfectly conditioned” when dry.

“It is a 83% natural guar derivative that repairs split ends and cuticles on the hair shaft that are prone to opening and causing a rough and less shiny look,” Mantelin tells us.

“It also protects from heat, whether during hair drying or ironing to preserve the look of the hairdresser much longer.”

Styleze Es-Forza is Ashland’s most recent addition to its plant-based eco-styling product line for gels and cream formulations. It boasts a customizable stiffness, allowing formulators to tailor their products to a desired stiffness and hold them while keeping any hairstyle in the most extreme humidity.

“‘Forza’ means strength in Italian. It is based on guar and is the latest launch in a series of three — Es-One offers a light hold, Es-Dura has a middle hold and Es-Forza has a strong hold,” details Mantalin. “Styleze Es-Forza offers the possibility to sculpt your hair and do whatever you want.”

Versatile biodegradable botanicals
Among other innovations in Ashland’s exhibited portfolio, Softhance Mr is a nature-derived, biodegradable conditioning agent delivering consumer-perceivable skin softness from rinse-off cleansing formulations. 

Depositing on the skin during washing, Softhance Mr helps skin retain moisture, leaving it feeling “conditioned and soft” after rinsing. It is labeled “non-microplastic, non-GMO and vegan suitable,” offering a sustainable option to deliver conditioning benefits from body washes, hand soaps and facial cleansers.

Next, Gantrez is a “nature-derived,” biodegradable soja delivery system ingredient that is substantive to oral mucosa and enamel to keep oral care active in the mouth for long-lasting benefits. It enables the creation of novel oral care products with long-lasting freshness and antimicrobial benefits.

Meanwhile, Natrathix bio cellulose, a breakthrough thickener with suspension capabilities that keeps emulsion stability of skin and sun care creams, lotions and gels with a “pleasant skin feel,” offers an alternative to carbomer.

Ashland also highlights its Phyteq Raspberry Multifunctional, preservative booster based on raspberry ketone. The active ingredient that enriches cosmetic formulations “beyond the antimicrobial aspect.”

Ashland is exhibiting Perfectyl, a high-tech chammomile extract to clarify and smoothen skin.Flower power in formulation
Delving into the active properties of “biofunctional” flowers, Ashland unveils Perfectyl, a “high-tech chamomile extract,” inspired by “new aesthetic techniques,” to clarify and smoothen skin’s flaws (large pores and hyperpigmentation) for all ethnicities. 

Ashland uses fresh and living chamomile, processed using Zeta Fraction technology and AI to create its patented extract, which is naturally rich in gamma amino butyric acid and flower acids.

Next in this category is Sclareance, a natural purified sclareolide obtained by fermentation from clary sage flowers. “Sclareance boosts the 4D defenses of skin. It can help the skin transform vitamin D into its active form and offers a dual benefit on scalp irritation and compromised skin,” highlights Ashland.

“Sclareance was first tested for anti-dandruff for scalp health and it worked very well,” adds Mantalin. “Clary sage is a medicinal plant known worldwide in many pharmacopeias — European, Indian and Chinese.”

Lastly, Ashland exhibits Saffragyl, a “breakthrough innovation” in oral care using 100% natural and biodegradable upcycled crocus flower extract for daily gum care beauty. “Our conscious-to-cutting-edge approach is on full display and puts a stake in the ground around sustainable extraction processes,” the company says.

In other Personal Care Insights coverage of In-cosmetics Global 2024, Seppic is presenting its range of cosmetic ingredients within a “Beautiful Temptations” collection stylized after the biblical “seven deadly sins.”

Meanwhile, Syensqo spotlights its most recent ingredient launches in formulation concepts to elevate hair and skin care and address market trends. The company’s exhibit highlights a silicone replacement, sulfate-free formulations, ethical sourcing activities and dermocosmetics.

By Benjamin Ferrer, with live reporting from Venya Patel at In-cosmetics Global in Paris, France