Clariant has taken its long-standing collaboration with Elevance Renewable Sciences to the next level by developing and commercializing high-performancing greener emollients for the personal care industry.

An area of concern for both formulators and consumers is the use of silicones and other petrochemical-based constituents in personal care products. While silicones are used in a wide variety of skin and hair care products to meet consumer demands such as ease of spreadability, deep conditioning, imparting shine and creating a long-lasting soft feel, there is growing awareness of the risks some of them may pose to the environment, with potential for a total ban on their use in some regions.

In response to this industry challenge, Clariant, a pioneer in the development of innovative plant-based ingredients for personal care, recently introduced its new Plantasens? Flash 80 and Flash 100 as highly effective greener alternatives to silicones. The two ingredients represent a major milestone for formulation development as they are not only environmentally friendlier and affordable, but high-performing, and delivering comparable or even superior results to traditional silicones.

Plantasens Flash 80 and Flash 100 have been made possible through Elevance’s expertise in producing novel, high-performing specialty chemicals from plant oils using a Nobel Prize winning metathesis catalyst technology. Metathesis is a process that enables the manufacture of new plant-based ingredients under environmentally sustainable conditions.

“This next phase of our strategic alliance will enable Clariant to advance its Natural Green Performers product range through the creation of ground-breaking ingredients,” said Ralf Zerrer, Head of Strategic Marketing and Innovation, Business Unit Industrial & Consumer Specialties at Clariant. “Thanks to the versatility of the process, we will deliver a new generation of emollients that are more respectful to the environment, while still maintaining a high degree of functionality.”

Equally, Elevance will benefit from Clariant’s strong position as a natural ingredients provider, gaining access to its extensive global footprint, formulation expertise and innovation capabilities.

“We are excited to collaborate with Clariant on the commercialization of their new Plantasens Flash product line, which utilizes Elevance alkanes derived from plant oils,” said Rusty Pittman, Chief Commercial Officer at Elevance. “Clariant is a leader in natural, personal care ingredients and fosters a collaborative approach to business, making them an exceptional partner for us.”

Personal care products that can benefit from Clariant’s Plantasens Flash 80 and Flash 100 natural silicone alternatives include shampoos, hair conditioners, facial cleansers, deodorants, skin serums and moisturizers. Good properties range from a weightless, non-oily after feel and high shine to product transparency, incredible softness and instantaneous absorption.