Taking climate action with green carbon Personal Care

As more and more Personal Care brands step up on climate action, we are helping to lead the change, growing our range of 100% bio-based¹ ingredients to support our customers’ green carbon formulations on the market.

Evolving in a more sustainable and natural direction doesn’t have to be complex. This past March 8th marked the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) first National Biobased Products Day initiative, helping to raise awareness of the possibilities of the bioeconomy. Excited to be part of the inaugural celebrations, we embraced this opportunity to shine a light on our latest bio-based launches for Personal Care and Home Care. This platform provided a chance to connect with a wide range of customers in North America, from global multinationals to emerging indie brands. It was also an opportunity to highlight key solutions that address ever-changing regulations and consumer desire for sustainable products. With NYSCC Suppliers’ Day coming up this May, Clariant is excited to further share these offerings with the Personal Care market. 

»Nature has long since gifted the beauty industry with effective solutions, and we’re committed to building on this further to support all types of customers looking to create sustainable offerings. The proactive interest we’re seeing in our 100% bio-based surfactants and PEGs, our transparently sourced natural active ingredients, and fully renewable and vegan preservative boosters is really inspiring, reinforcing that we’re on the right track, together,« comments Neslihan Utkan, Head of Americas, Personal & Home Care segment.

100% green carbon chemistry to foster the transition

Designed for natural formulations with a high Renewable Carbon Index (RCI), Clariant’s VITA line of 100% bio-based surfactants and PEG products helps to maximize the green carbon content of consumer formulations and remove fossil carbon from the value chain without losing out on performance.

These products are setting a new standard in »green« surfactants, in Personal Care as well as markets like Home Care and Coatings, by delivering the performance of fossil-based analogs and standing out for their 100% traceable and measurable carbon. 

The innovative formulation ingredients are based on green carbon made from plants via bioethanol and other oleochemical sources, with fully segregated material flows of sugar cane or corn to the final ingredient to ensure the natural origin of the ethoxylates.

The VITA product line supports one of the UN’s most important Sustainable Development Goals - #13 Climate Action - saving up to 85% of CO₂ emissions from the value chain compared to fossil carbon-based counterparts. With these ethoxylates making up a large portion of cosmetic formulations, making the switch is a positive action toward lowering environmental impact and mitigating climate change.

Responsibly sourced plant-based solutions

When it comes to the active ingredients in a formulation, offering the transparency of 100% bio-based, responsibly sourced solutions is another route opening up choices for formulators. 

Clariant Actives and Natural Origins embraces unique technologies to offer besides high-tech actives recognized by top level awards, a full range of naturals for the cosmetic market with a positive sustainable and socioeconomic impact. An extensive selection of natural clays, plant extracts, oils and butters backed by responsible sourcing are available to boost the extent of bio-based ingredients in skin care and hair care.

»It’s our mission to make a change throughout the value chain from plant to bottle, ultimately impacting the industry sustainably,« comments Catherine Breffa, Head of Marketing Personal & Home Care. »The fully renewable-based active ingredients that were showcased at USDA’s inaugural National Biobased Products Day exemplified the different ways we have approached this change.«

Samy El-Khoury, Head of Natural Ingredients, elaborates further »Our Beracare™ CBA is made from a blend of two powerful oils responsibly sourced in the Amazonian ecosystem. This blend provides soothing benefits and improves the wellbeing of sensitive skin. In addition, Clariant’s newest active, Rootness® Mood+, reproduces the skin’s benefits from light to revitalize skin and enhance mood. Through a patented process that is 100% eco-friendly and traceable, this ingredient is made from a root extract obtained under aeroponic conditions. This enables the advantages of a soil-free environment and minimal water usage.«

Reducing preservative load, naturally

Today, demand for low fossil carbon solutions extends to the challenging and highly regulated field of preserving the safety and quality of Personal Care products. To help formulators, we developed multifunctional 100% renewable-based preservative boosters to enable »cleaner« formulations by reducing the need for traditional preservatives. The innovative Velsan® line does more than lower the amount of preservative, it also acts as an emollient and/or emulsifier depending on the formulation. This creates exciting possibilities to simplify formulations through multifunctional properties. Good news all round for more sustainable formulations.

Find out more about Clariant’s growing portfolio of bio-based products at NYSCC Suppliers Day, 2 & 3 May! Meet our technical experts for in-person insight into these solutions and potential applications at booth 803.

¹ 100% based on green carbon and made from plants via bio-ethanol.

What makes this chemistry greater?

• Choose bio-based options to reduce fossil carbon in formulations.
• Reduce CO₂ emission footprint of formulations.
• Achieve the performance offered by fossil carbon-based counterparts.