OREANDA-NEWS. October 24, 2012. At the 59th Sepawa congress in Fulda, Germany, BASF showcased its holistic concepts and wide-ranging portfolio of ingredients for the personal care, home care and I&I markets.

BASF’s personal care business draws its inspiration for innovation from real life – by making consumers’ wants and needs an essential starting point for the continuous development of new products and concepts. In doing so, BASF’s personal care business helps its customers to successfully serve current consumer demands and anticipate upcoming trends. Its brand Care Creations™ as well as the communication concept “Inspired by life” clearly give voice to this commitment to be at the pulse of consumers and the markets, while expressing the strengths of BASF’s personal care business.

Environmentally compatible hair conditioning

The personal care portfolio on display at this year’s exhibition included a new, environmentally compatible conditioner compound that was developed in response to the vibrant eco-beauty trend, which continues to spark demand for naturally derived personal care products that do not compromise on efficacy and performance . In this respect Plantaquat® NC offers effective hair breakage protection, efficient reduction of split-ends and an exceptional sensorial profile. It consists solely of renewable and biodegradable raw materials and contains a balanced combination of an emulsifier, a consistency agent and a conditioning agent.

Pleasant bathing and shower experiences

BASF also unveiled another new product that is derived exclusively from renewable raw materials: the micro-emulsion Lamesoft® OD. It provides body cleansing products with very finely dispersed oil, components of which remain on the skin after washing. By this oil deposition, it supports the natural skin protection, leaves a soft and smooth skin feel and is also ideally suited for use in sensitive skin products. Thanks to the micro-emulsion, transparent or opaque formulations can be easily prepared and even essential oils can be solubilized.

Enabling choices in the home care and I&I market

An innovative approach is also key in the home care and I&I industry. BASF’s home care and I&I business showcased its expertise and market knowledge under the motto “enabling choices”, presenting high-performance products based on petrochemical and renewable raw materials for various applications. One such product is the high-purity methanesulfonic acid, Lutropur® MSA. Used in acid cleaning systems, it combines outstanding cleaning performance with an excellent ecotoxic profile. Thanks to a high level of material compatibility, it is ideal for use in food and beverage-processing applications and cleaning products for hard surfaces. Another ingredient developed for hard surface cleaners and showcased at the event was Dehypon® WET, a high-wetting and low-foaming surfactant.

BASF also presented an effective yet environmentally compatible solution for dishwashing detergents. Trilon® M is a highly effective and readily biodegradable chelating agent that can be used as an alternative to phosphates. Other new additions to the portfolio on show at Sepawa 2012 included Tinosan® HP100, which provides antimicrobial activity to laundry care and home care products. In terms of laundry care products, BASF focused on color care at the event, with the presentation of Sokalan® HP 56 and Sokalan® HP 66. These dye transfer inhibitors are ideal for use in low-temperature detergent formulations. In combination with optical effect products of the Tinopal® range, they provide excellent results for brightly colored and brilliant-white fabrics.
Solutions for car care products on show for the first time

As well as showcasing its comprehensive product and industry segment portfolio, the BASF home care and I&I business also unveiled its vehicle and transportation care range for the first time at the event. This range focuses on solutions developed specifically for cleaning, rinsing/drying, protecting and polishing applications. Demelan® AU-39/BIO, for example, is a high-performance surfactant that delivers excellent cleaning results, even on heavily soiled surfaces, while Dehyquart® CSP ensures quick and streak-free drying for car care products.

Exploring ideas

“We are constantly evaluating options to satisfy current and future market demands,” says Thomas Schroeder, Regional Business Management Personal Care Europe, “and in our personal care business we are continually striving to drive innovation forward by combining our strengths of science excellence and market empathy.” Christian Seufert, Regional Business Management Home Care and I&I Europe adds, “The aim of the home care business is also to always think one step ahead in order to support our customers holistically. The solutions and products that we have presented at this year’s Sepawa congress clearly reflect this.”