Must-read for the industry! Globally renowned cosmetic ingredient suppliers

In November 2023, Evonik and Dow Chemical—two global chemical industry giants—announced the launch and operational commencement of a pilot plant for their jointly developed innovative 'hydrogen peroxide-based propylene glycol' (HPPG) process at Evonik’s Hanau site in Germany. This facility employs the proprietary HYPROSYN® process, enabling the direct synthesis of propylene glycol from hydrogen peroxide and propylene—marking not only a technological breakthrough but also a significant advancement in industrial-scale production capability for this ingredient. ・ Lubrizol Company Overview: U.S.-based Lubrizol, inventor of carbomer, acquired active-ingredient supplier Lipotech in 2012. In cosmetics, Lubrizol possesses core technologies across personal care, hair care, and skin care, with expertise spanning peptides, synthetic small molecules, biotechnology, and plant-derived actives. It provides comprehensive formulation solutions for shampoos, conditioners, body washes, sunscreens, and more. Core Technologies: Strong capabilities in facial cleansers and hair care, offering diverse surfactants, rheology modifiers, conditioning agents, and emollients. World’s largest and most advanced carbomer producer. A leader in peptide technology—for example, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline®), a well-known anti-wrinkle peptide. Though its patent has expired and numerous generic versions exist, premium brands—including Estée Lauder’s Collagen Cream—still select Lubrizol’s Acetyl Hexapeptide-8. In 2022, Lubrizol launched a novel ingredient targeting carbamylation (a rising anti-aging concept over the past two years). Marketed as Actifcol®, its INCI name is *Lentinula edodes* (Shiitake Mushroom) Extract. Human clinical trials demonstrated significant improvements in wrinkle reduction and skin firmness. ・ Sensient Technologies Company Overview: U.S.-based Sensient Technologies Corporation, with a 120-year history, leads globally in both synthetic and natural colorants. Its Sensient Cosmetics division operates four cosmetic innovation laboratories and six dedicated cosmetic ingredient manufacturing facilities worldwide, supplying high-end colorants and cosmetic ingredients to major beauty conglomerates including L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, LVMH, Amorepacific, and Shiseido. It holds deep technical expertise in color innovation for makeup and raw material safety. Core Technologies: Offers a wide range of surface-treated pigments—including silicone-treated and lecithin-treated variants—using various proprietary coating technologies. Such treatments enhance pigment compatibility with formulations and skin adhesion, significantly reducing issues like patchiness or powder flaking. ・ Ashland Company Overview: A U.S.-based giant in cosmetic ingredients. In 2007, I…

Let’s talk about colorants

(1) Demand side: Rising health consciousness and the global 'clean label' movement are reshaping consumer preferences. Consumers increasingly favor products with simple ingredient lists and no artificial additives, prompting food brands to accelerate adoption of natural colorants—not only to maintain visual appeal but also to build consumer trust and achieve product differentiation. According to Shanghai Balingyi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., since 2019, claims related to 'natural ingredients' and 'no artificial additives/preservatives' on packaged food and beverage labels have risen markedly. Thirty-four percent of European consumers carefully read nutrition labels on food and beverages; the global organic food and beverage market reached approximately €136.4 billion in 2023; and a 2025 U.S. survey found that most consumers equate 'organic' directly with 'healthy.' Seventy-nine percent of consumers associate 'natural' with 'absence of artificial colorants.' In China, as many as 73.2% of consumers wish to avoid artificial colorants—a proportion substantially higher than in the U.S. (55.6%) and the U.K. (51.6%). Natural colorants can also qualify for organic certification marks in both the EU and the U.S. (2) Supply side: Historically, natural colorants lagged behind synthetic ones in stability, coloring strength, and cost—but these limitations are now being overcome through technological advances. Microencapsulation improves stability; enhanced extraction and purification methods reduce costs; and advanced formulation technologies broaden application scope. (3) Regulatory side: Food safety authorities worldwide are progressively tightening restrictions on synthetic colorant use. Europe leads this trend: the widely cited 'University of Southampton study' sparked broad debate over the safety of certain synthetic colorants, prompting the EU to mandate warning labels—'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'—on foods containing specific synthetic dyes. This greatly accelerated European food manufacturers’ shift toward natural alternatives. A notable case is Mars’ M&M’s chocolate candies: blue M&Ms were withdrawn from the European market in 2008 after Brilliant Blue FCF was banned there, and only returned in 2013 following EU approval of phycocyanin as a natural blue food colorant. Similarly, North America, Japan, and China continue updating food additive regulations—with an overall trend toward restricting or reducing approved synthetic colorants while encouraging and expanding permitted uses of natural colorants. 1 Global Food Colorant Industry Landscape From a global competitive perspective, the food colorant industry exhibits…

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