Cognis taps into demand for exotic natural ingredients
a problem as demand rockets, Germany-based supplier Cognis has
extended its naturals portfolio with the launch of an Amazonian
clay-based exfoliating ingredient.
The heightened demand for natural ingredients has also led to a search for increasingly unusual or exotic ingredients. Marajo Scrub LS 9843 taps into these factors, as it is based on natural clay sourced from Marajo island, in the Amazon region of Northern Brazil. The ingredient has been developed and manufactured by the company's France-based Laboratories Serobiologiques division as a micro-exfoliator that is said to soften the skin, restoring its balance and radiance due to its rich mineral content. The clay is a source of mineral salts such as iron, aluminium, potassium, calcium, boron and sulphur - constituents of good skin health - as well as kaolin, a clay mineral that is commonly used in cosmetics. Likewise, as a raw material, the raw clay also confims to the Ecocert standard for ecological and organic cosmetics, allowing it to comply with increasingly strict certification processes, driven by consumer desire for the most natural products possible. The manufacturer says the ingredient is suitable for a range of products, including scrubs aimed at the body and face, as well as purifying treatments for problem skin, scalp exfoliating products for dandruff and as an exfoliator in both bar and liquid soap formulations. "Marajo scrub is an example of how we are helping manufacturers to meet the growing demand for natural-source cosmetic raw materials, allowing Ecocert Certification for ecological and organic cosmetics, without sacrificing efficacy," said Isabelle Benoit, global marketing manager for Laboratories Serobiologiquies. "The ingredient should appeal to consumers' desire for escape, is environmentally sound, reliable in application, and delivers superior performance." As a kaolin-based clay, the ingredient needs no preservative, has a whitish-gray appearance, is easily dispersible in water, has a mild but distinguishing odour and is recommended as a 3 - 5 per cent dosage for most formulation needs. The company says that its own studies have proven the ingredient's efficacy, with a formulation containing a 3 per cent dose showing an immediate improvement in skin radiance for 70 per cent of subjects that were tested. Likewise, the studies showed that an hour later the subjects' skin was smoother, less dull and more uniform, with pore size visibly reduced. The latest launch by Cognis taps into a fast-growing sector that is driving some of the fastest rates of product development in the personal care industry as a whole. Organic Monitor, a research company, estimates that the European market for natural and organic products is currently growing at 20 per cent a year, and is set to surpass a value of €1bn.
