The global supplier of cosmetic and personal care ingredients is expanding production capacity for plant-based mild surfactants in Europe and the USA. Indeed, according to Clariant, more and more personal care manufacturers and brands are shifting to these kind of products as consumers look for new mildness and hygiene claims.

The company’s new investments will bring additional capacity on stream during the first quarter of 2021.

Mild surfactants are a growing sector driven by consumers seeking new mildness claims, invaluable in helping formulators to answer needs for mild cleansing hygiene, sensitive skin solutions, solid formats and more natural ingredients,” comments Christian Vang, Global Head of Business Unit Industrial & Consumer Specialties at Clariant.

Clariant to increase mild surfactants capacity in USA and Europe, in particular in the Tarragona site pictured above. (Photo: Clariant)

Concerned products are isethionates derivatives - commercially sold as the Hostapon SCI grades - a range of natural, anionic mild surfactants. According to Clariant, these plant-based products are “non- irritant, ultra-mild and compliant with a number of industry-recognized ecolabels, and create formulations with creamy, stable foams.

The new investment targets capacity increase and general modernization of current facilities at the Mount Holly (USA) and Tarragona (Spain) manufacturing sites. The general asset modernization will also optimize energy consumption on the production sites.