Evonik at In-cosmetics 2011 in Milan

Beauty, luxury, tender loving care – the world of cosmetics is all about positive sensory experiences. And with consumers becoming increasingly informed and demanding, the experiences and benefits personal care products offer must be innovative, tangible and credible. But that’s not all: in light of the global challenges of climate change, environmental concerns and social responsibility, people are keenly aware of the impact of the products they buy. Evonik has a clear strategy in addressing these challenges: meet them. Or surpass them.

A superficial pledge is no longer enough: major retailers expect verifiable transparency about their suppliers’ sustainability credentials. Consumers want products that make them feel good – and that they can feel good about. Evonik is dedicated to enabling its clients to meet or surpass these demands. The company puts its sense of corporate responsibility into action with forward-looking concepts like enzymatic esterification, polyglyceryl esterification and biotech methods that significantly reduce energy consumption, cut down wastewater and ensure responsible use of natural feedstocks. The result: personal care product manufacturers can make verifiable claims – and appeal to consumers’ personal needs and wishes as well as their sense of environmental responsibility.

Better beauty by biotech
The idea and technology forum “in-focus” at the in-cosmetics tradeshow (Milan, March 29–31) is taking place this year under the heading “sustainable beauty.” This makes it an ideal platform for Evonik to present its new green biotech innovation: the company has been invited to showcase its enzymatic esterification process. Evonik has already implemented the proven technology in the production of low-viscosity emollient esters, resulting in a reduction of up to 60 percent in CO2 footprint and as much as 90 percent in other emissions such as SO2.
To further leverage the process, Evonik has developed intelligent enzyme reactor concepts that enable production of other raw material classes including higher viscous emulsifiers and thickeners. As cradle-to-gate carbon emissions and energy consumption analyses reveal that more than 50 percent of the footprint results during raw material production and supply, Evonik’s innovation can deliver real and claimable environmental benefits in final personal care products.

An old hand at new solutions
Evonik looks back on a tradition of creativity and quality – and it looks forward to the unveiling of its new products: seven new launches can be seen at the Evonik booth No. M40 at in-cosmetics in Milan. The lineup clearly reflects the company’s sense of responsibility, with concepts that reduce shipping volumes and thus emissions, boost energy efficiency and better utilize natural feedstocks.
But the innovations also speak to the senses, with natural but light skin-feel without petro chemical moieties. And they speak to aesthetical aspects, with a brand new skin-tone balancer.
The approach is not only good sense for the environment, it’s also good business for the personal care industry. As Evonik Personal Care CR Coordinator Peter Becker puts it, “Clear differentiation on product related sustainability parameters is key for the future and already a key account demand. Certifications might not cover all the individual aspects and could gain additional confusion for the consumer.” Therefore Evonik’s philosophy is not to adhere to any single type of certification, but rather to work with manufacturers and see innovations through to realization in line with the client’s sustainability objectives. Becker explains, “We use innovative technologies to act responsibly. Detailed data are necessary here to give our customers more transparency on origin, production and environmental impact.”