Clariant Launches Innovative New Aristoflex® Velvet Polymer for Luxurioius Skin Care Formulations

• Unique soft, velvety texture answers trend toward luxury in personal care applications
• Cosmetics & Toiletries Innovation Award 2013 finalist

Muttenz, May 8, 2013 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, introduces the soft, velvety skin feel of new Aristoflex® Velvet to skin care formulations. This specially designed polymer takes moisturization and cleansing beyond pure functionality to create a luxurious, lasting experience that indulges the senses.

Aristoflex Velvet is an EO-free and preservative-free ingredient that adds a soft and smooth skin feel to formulations during application and rub in. Its innovative composition does not immediately break on skin when applied, but instead gently melts while applying to leave skin feeling evenly soft and moisturized. The ingredient’s novel design was recognized by industry magazine Cosmetics & Toiletries, which chose Aristoflex Velvet as a top five finalist for its 2013 R&D Awards in the category “Best New Ingredient”.

With Aristoflex Velvet, manufacturers of skin care products can achieve a superior sensory profile for creams, lotions, balms, milks and serums – from light to rich caring products for all skin types. Its broad usage spectrum from pH 3 – 8 makes it compatible with a wide range of preservatives. It has a high compatibility with organic solvents, allowing special formulations such as tonics, hand sanitizers and nail polish removers with a soft, velvety, non-drying skin feel. Aristoflex Velvet also



provides excellent suspending properties in a variety of products enabling the stabilization of colorful beads, exfoliating scrubs, microcapsules, sparkling pearls, and shimmering particles, for example.

An important feature is Aristoflex Velvet’s high temperature stability in formulations. In addition, Aristoflex Velvet provides ease of formulation. It is pre-neutralized, ready-to-use and is easy to add at any formulation step, dispersing easily in both the oil or water phase.

Developed in line with Clariant’s new Secret Code of Beauty concept, Aristoflex Velvet has emerged from the unique combination of five codes focused on helping customers achieve new levels of success in Personal Care.

Clariant’s broad portfolio of products incorporates its passion for sensorial solutions and sustainability, deep consumer and trend insights, innovation power and its market expertise. “Today’s consumers desire products that make them feel good about themselves,” comments Anu Desikan, global Marketing Manager Personal Care at Clariant. “Aristoflex® Velvet delivers unique benefits to a wide range of applications, giving skin care manufacturers an opportunity to provide their consumers with the luxurious sensory experiences they desire along with the superior performance our customers expect from Clariant’s Aristoflex polymer range.”