Univar strengthens botanical extract portfolio with American Distilling partnership

Univar Solutions has expanded its distribution partnership with American Distilling within its Ingredients + Specialties division. 

Under the new agreement, Univar Solutions will distribute American Distilling’s portfolio of natural specialty ingredients. The collaboration covers traditional witch hazel, including alcohol-free options and customizable grades, for personal care, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications across select EMEA markets.

“Partnering with American Distilling in EMEA helps position us as a leading and trusted distributor for this product range while strengthening our botanical extract offering,” says Nick Powell, CEO of Ingredients + Specialties at Univar Solutions. 

“We’ve long supported these specialty ingredients in North America, and with a robust supply chain and experienced technical teams now available regionally, we’re able to offer local stock and faster supply availability to customers.”

Plant-based solutions

Witch hazel is a multifunctional botanical extract used in facial care, cleansers, body washes, hair care, eye gels, and personal hygiene products, according to the companies.

The Hamamelis-derived ingredient is native to the woodlands of the Northeastern US, and is said to provide natural astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits.

Providing a gentle, plant-based alternative to synthetic astringents, it supports various applications, from toners and moisturizers to pads, ointments, creams, sprays, and therapeutic formulations, improving natural content and overall product performance.

Bryan Jackowitz, VP of American Distilling, says: “This partnership represents an important step in bringing high-quality US Pharmacopeia witch hazel products to customers across the EMEA region.”

He expresses that American Distilling’s collaboration with Univar Solutions allows it to market its full portfolio of cosmetic and pharmaceutical witch hazel extracts and gives customers greater flexibility to apply solutions for their specific application needs. Furthermore, the collaboration boasts a robust distribution infrastructure to help strengthen customers’ supply chains, according to Jackowitz.

Earlier this month, Dow and Univar Solutions signed a long-term agreement to expand access to Dow’s Decarbia products, a range of low-carbon specialty chemicals with cosmetic applications. 

Through Univar Solutions’ global distribution network, personal care manufacturers were set to gain broader access to ingredients backed by Product Carbon Footprint certificates. The move came as brands face growing pressure to reduce their emissions across their supply chains.