Securing skincare supply: Evonik expands ceramide manufacturing arm to commercial capacity
15 Nov 2022 --- Evonik has ramped up its ceramide production to commercial-scale at its site in Dossenheim, Germany. This has been done to bolster supply security while reducing dependence from alternative supply routes as demand for the personal care ingredient continues to grow.
Ceramides are a special class of lipids and an “integral part” of System Solutions in the cosmetics industry, the company highlights.
"Ceramides, as individual active cosmetic ingredient or, in combination with other active cosmetic ingredients, enable customers to formulate creams, cleansers, shampoos and lipsticks, that carry substantiated claims such as skin barrier protection, moisturization and age-defying," Evonik spokesperson tells PersonalCareInsights.
“Expanding our in-house production capacity for ceramides enables us to meet the demand of our strategic customers who have minimum volume commitments and long-term agreements with us,” says Johann-Caspar Gammelin, head of the Nutrition & Care division at Evonik.
“By establishing the in-house production of ceramides [with the new manufacturing site], Evonik is accelerating the transition of its life sciences division, Nutrition & Care, which aims to increase its share of System Solutions from 20% today to 50% by 2030,” the company concludes.
Ceramide technology
Evonik employs biotechnology to develop its ceramide technology, which is used in formulations to counteract the damage caused by pollution, aging, changing weather, ultraviolet radiation and predisposition.
The benefits of ceramides have been scientifically proven and it offers growth opportunities in skincare, hair care, sun care, color cosmetics, advanced food additives and animal care.
“Crucial to the effect of ceramides is the active ingredient delivery system, which transports the active ingredients to the correct layers of the skin,” Evonik specifies.
The company distinguishes nine types of ceramides in their products to create formulations targeting specific consumer needs, such as SK-Influx V MB for skin health, Hairflux for damaged or dry hair and the Phytosphingosine SLC that restores photodamaged skin.
Evonik's production move strengthens its position in ceramide System Solutions and active cosmetic ingredients (Image Credit: Evonik).
In other news
Earlier this year, US-based skincare company CeraVe expanded its ceramide skincare range with makeup remover and eye cream.
Developed in collaboration with dermatologists, the products employ ceramides and Multivesicular Emulsion (MVE) technology to restore skin’s natural protective barrier.
Additionally, in May 2022, a review of skin barrier restoration methods for atopic dermatitis authored by dermatologist Dr. Peter Elias revealed that using a moisturizer where ceramide, cholesterol and fatty acids (the main lipids of the stratum corneum) are mixed in an exact and appropriate ratio for efficacy is more effective than other methods.
The outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, is a thin film with a thickness of about 0.02 mm - one fifth the thickness of regular A4 paper.
Kao recently introduced Skin Potential Analysis, a service powered by skin surface lipids-ribonucleic acid (SSL-RNA) monitoring technology, that allows customers to learn about their skin’s condition.
Skin Potential Analysis uses the two biological specimens of SSL-RNA and the stratum corneum to pinpoint what is happening in the skin during the analysis.
Kao’s research has identified “nearly 10,000 types of SSL-RNA expression information.” It is now conducting further research to analyze the functions of the stratum corneum.
By Radhika Sikaria
