Azelis has further strengthened its Asian personal care business by acquiring Bronson and Jacobs Hong Kong and its fully owned subsidiary in Shanghai from Ixom. The deal, for which terms were not disclosed, is expected to close by the end of the year.

Bronson and Jacobs China specialises in the distribution of personal care ingredients, mainly for skin care, for various global principals. It has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the latter also including a personal care laboratory.

Plant-based ingredients firm Roquette has announced that its first expertise centre in the field of cosmetics will start operating in November. The company said that this is “an important milestone in Roquette Beauté’s development strategy and willingness to be recognised as the B2B expert in plant-based ingredients for cosmetics for the years to come”.

Ken Sipes, director of process systems at EPIC Systems, explains the benefits of designing modular process skids for delayed differentiation

Delayed differentiation, also known as late product differentiation (LPD), refers to the practice of postponing changes to a base product until the end of the manufacturing process. This strategy is widely practised by manufacturers of flavours and fragrances, home and personal care products, adhesives, speciality chemicals and others.

Clariant is expanding its capabilities for the Hostapon SCI brand of isethionate derivatives at its site in Mount Holly, US, and Tarragona, Spain. This will comprise both capacity increases and modernisation via optimised energy consumption and aggregate options for new SI grades. It should come onstream during Q1 2021.

Skin care giant Beiersdorf and Evonik have agreed a research partnership to develop sustainable raw materials for personal care products via artificial photosynthesis, using CO₂ as the starting material, along with water, solar energy and bacteria. The two companies described this part of their ongoing efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and becoming carbon-positive.  

Air Liquide has entered into exclusive negotiations with EQT, a differentiated global investment firm with over €62 billion in raise capital, for the sale of its Schülke & Mayr subsidiary. The company had announced its intention to sell Schülke & Mayr in November 2019 as part of a strategy of focusing on its core gases and healthcare businesses.

Azelis has concluded a new agreement with Merck KGaA, covering the distribution of Merck Performance Materials’ complete range in Vietnam for personal care, CASE, food and health, and industrial chemicals. The division’s products include pigments, active ingredients and raw materials. The two companies have been partners since 1968 and have existing distribution relationships in Europe and other regions.