Ingredient supplier innovations: Brenntag and Kao Chemicals expand US distribution, BASF launches encapsulated retinol
Global chemicals distributor Brenntag and chemical developer Kao Chemicals Europe announced they are expanding their existing US distribution agreement, saying it will enhance customer access to surfactants, conditioning agents, rheology modifiers, emulsifiers, and other ingredients for personal care formulations. Another global cosmetic ingredient developer, BASF, has launched a new encapsulated retinol for sensitive skin formulations.
Brenntag and Kao’s US expansion represents the high performance of Kao’s innovative surfactants, says Brenntag’s Patrick Haineault, regional president of Beauty and Care North America. “Our expanded relationship is a great enhancement to our Personal Care and Household, Industrial and Institutional portfolio and is strongly aligned with our commitment to delivering innovative ingredients to the market,” he says.
Maia Navarrete, senior director of Beauty & Personal Care North America at Brenntag, tells Personal Care Insights: "Brenntag Beauty & Personal Care is seeing the desire for hydrated glowing skin and unique or transforming textures inspired by Eastern skin care in North America. Kao’s line of emulsifiers and emollients expand our opportunity for innovative and elegant skin care formulations.”
She adds that Kao's conditioning surfactants are of particular interest to the US market. “Kao’s AKYPO line of cleansing surfactants and cationic conditioning surfactants expands Brenntag’s offerings for meeting the unique needs of the textured hair care consumer in North America,” she says.
Kao Chemicals Europe is part of the Kao Corporation, a Japanese chemicals company that produces cosmetics and cleaning ingredients.
Marc Bernat, business unit Manager for Personal Care and HI&I for Kao Chemicals, says: “We aim for fast and solid growth in the fields of Personal Care and HI&I on the East Coast and Southern regions of the US. As an established distribution leader, Brenntag is our ideal partner to rely on.”
Encapsulation technology advances
One of Kao Corporation’s recent ingredient innovations is microencapsulation technology for titanium dioxide, a common UV-scattering mineral used in sunscreen.
The innovation uses encapsulated powder-in-oil-in-water emulsion, a method that allows the encapsulated titanium dioxide to be dispersible in both water and oil-based formulations. This is a breakthrough in sunscreen as mineral sunscreens are typically oleophilic, meaning they only disperse well in oil-based formulations that some consumers find greasy.
Personal Care Insights spoke to Kao’s Jun Kurihara from the company’s Skin Care Products Research Laboratory about the effectiveness of this new ingredient. Kurihara explained that the ability to use microencapsulated titanium dioxide in water-based formulations opens up the product to increased use in a broader range of sunscreen formulations. It also has the added benefit of leaving no noticeable white cast, another common downside of mineral UV blockers.
BASF’s Personal Care business has also harnessed encapsulation technology for a new retinol ingredient. The cosmetic ingredient supplier announced the launch of VitaGuard A, an ingredient that encapsulates free retinol. Retinol is a strong anti-aging molecule that increases skin cell production and exfoliation. However, these same properties mean that retinol can also cause skin irritation.
BASF has produced and patented solid lipid particles that envelop retinol, which it says reduces skin irritation. The company also claims that VitaGuard A allows for better skin bioavailability – the ability for the skin to absorb the ingredient — thus improving the molecule’s efficacy.
