Weekly Roundup: Brenntag closes €1.5 billion credit facility, Babycare partners with Eastman and Avery Dennison

24 Feb 2023 --- This week in personal care news, Brenntag closed a €1.5 billion (US$1.58 billion) syndicated loan whose interest terms were linked to its ESG achievements. Babycare partnered with Eastman and Avery Dennison for better maternity and parenting product innovation. Korean skincare brand Franz Skincare’s Naked SunShield Patch won the “Promising Innovation of the Year” award at the 2023 IMCAS World Congress. 

Business news
Brenntag closed a new €1.5 billion (US$1.58 billion) syndicated credit facility. This new credit facility has a tenor of five years and was signed with a group of 17 core banks. In a first for Brenntag, the interest conditions of the credit facility were also linked to the achievement of quantitative ESG criteria, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing occupational safety and increasing female employee ratio at various management levels.

Be Kind, Rewind 1% Bakuchiol serum provides an alternative to retinol and smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Partnerships
Babycare, a leading brand in China’s maternal and infant industry, entered a strategic partnership with specialty materials maker Eastman and pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes producer Avery Dennison to scale safer maternity and parenting product innovation and quality control. Babycare plans to establish a long-term, extensive strategic alliance with Eastman whereby both firms will jointly develop innovative materials and product solutions that are safe and sustainable for parents and newborns while exploring possible collaborations in functional materials and eco-friendly fibers. Currently, Avery Dennison’s disposable and front waist tapes have been applied to various product lines of Babycare pull-up pants. With the new strategic partnership, Babycare and Avery Dennison expect comprehensive collaborations involving R&D, supply chain, marketing and product quality control.

As part of Dove’s ongoing commitment to help pass The CROWN Act and end race-based hair discrimination nationwide, the brand partnered with LinkedIn. The New CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study, co-commissioned by Dove and LinkedIn, found that Black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional and details the systemic social and economic impact of hair bias and discrimination against Black women in the workplace.

Launches and releases
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga revealed its latest collection, Color Fuse Blush, featuring five shades with a hybrid gel powder formula from Italy that looks like a powder but melts onto the skin like a cream. Color Fuse Blush showcases the brand’s patented and proprietary Fermented Arnica Oil with potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to nourish, calm and protect the skin. It also features Hydraberry Complex to reinforce the skin barrier while adding hydration. Additionally, patented Biomimetic Pigments mimic the structure of skin ceramides delivering strong adhesion for a second-skin feel. Metaflow Synergy Manufacturing Technology creates a lightweight film that provides a velvety touch. 

Glossier launched in Sephora stores across the US and Canada as its first retail relationship. With Sephora, Glossier aims to bring a slice of the lush Glossier-pink vibes of its flagship stores within the sleek, white and black aesthetic of Sephora. Glossier’s wavy tray tester system – that allows the trays to be easily moved and rearranged for future products – finds its home on the Sephora gondola’s top shelf. The brand’s signature You Look Good mirror is reportedly the first element consumers will notice when shopping at the Sephora gondola.Glossier’s wavy tray tester system – that allows the trays to be easily moved and rearranged for future products – finds its home on the Sephora gondola’s top shelf.

As Beautycounter completes a decade of pioneering the clean beauty movement, it partnered with Ulta Beauty for retail. A selection of Beautycounter’s best-selling skincare and cosmetics will be available at Ulta Beauty, including community favorites like All Bright C Serum, Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer and Reflect Effect Overnight Resurfacing Peel. Beautycounter also certifies within the pillars of conscious beauty at Ulta Beauty, a curated assortment of products featuring clean ingredients that are cruelty-free and sustainably packaged. The brand is also launching a campaign, Raise Up Beauty, to commemorate its 10th anniversary.

Kinder Beauty unveiled its first vegan skincare line by releasing three facial serums: Hello Sunshine, Be Kind, Rewind and Dew-Gooder. The brand partnered with one of the leading US-based beauty formulators to develop the three serums. The products are designed to address everyday skincare concerns. Hello Sunshine, a 15% vitamin C serum, brightens uneven skin tones, invigorates the skin’s natural collagen production and protects skin against environmental aggressors like harsh UV rays and air pollution. Be Kind, Rewind 1% Bakuchiol serum provides a natural, gentler alternative to retinol and smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while giving collagen and elastin production a boost by promoting cellular turnover. The final step, Dew-Gooder, a 2% Hyaluronic Acid serum with 10% Niacinamide, deeply hydrates the skin, leaving a dewy hue and improving the skin’s barrier function.

Beautycounter signed a retail partnership with Ulta Beauty.Social responsibility
Guerlain and US actor Angelina Jolie co-hosted a Bee School educational session on preserving bees for primary schoolchildren in the city of Clichy-Sous-Bois in the Seine-Saint-Denis district bordering the north of Paris, France. She was joined by Guerlain’s chief sustainability officer Cécile Lochard and Lorène Mouchet, a beekeeper trained during the first Guerlain x UNESCO Women for Bees class in 2021. The three women talked to the students about the critical role played by bees as pollinators, an essential link in the agricultural food chain and protecting biodiversity. In the coming months, Guerlain will set up beehives at the school and host additional Bee School sessions.

KraveBeauty released its first impact report, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and transparency. The report provides an overview of the company’s sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion performance, outlining the steps taken to minimize its impact on the environment and support the communities it serves. The report highlights the performance of KraveBeauty’s key focus areas: Climate and Energy, Product Responsibility, Responsible Sourcing and Community and Partnerships.

In its 18th year, L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth – the philanthropic program by L’Oréal Paris USA – will grant this year’s class of honorees US$25,000 each to help advance their charitable causes. Until March 8, International Women’s Day, the brand is calling on consumers across the US to nominate female non-profit leaders to be one of the ten honorees inducted into this year’s Women of Worth honoree class.Guerlain hosted a Bee School educational session on preserving bees.

Awards and recognitions
Korean skincare brand Franz Skincare’s Naked SunShield Patch won the “Promising Innovation of the Year” award at the 2023 IMCAS World Congress. The ultra-thin, transparent film provides sun protection, blocking 99.9% of UVB and 95.8% of UVA rays. The product has been tested in three clinical trials with no observed side effects and superior anti-pigmentation benefits. The jury, which included Dr. Kathy Fields from Rodan & Fields and Mr. Chinmay from Allergan Aesthetics, commented that the Naked SunShield Patch is “one of the most innovative sunscreen products since the introduction of UVB protection over 80 years ago.” The patch is also customer-friendly, as it can be worn comfortably all day and even under makeup.

By Radhika Sikaria