Safic-Alcan updates ingredients range to tap into latest trends

Shiny hair​ The glossy trend is moving into Northern Europe with long haired women searching for products that make their hair appear shiny and healthy. Responding to this trend, Safic-Alcan has added Glycine Soya Oil to its range for the UK market. Safic-Alcan UK spokesperson Ken Jones told CosmeticsDesign.com that the plant-derived ingredient conditions the hair while adding shine and softness. Beiersdorf's leading brand Nivea recently targeted the desire for shiny hair with a range called Diamond Gloss, which contained diamond powder for added sparkle and sophistication. Luxury ingredients​ Diamond Powder also features in Safic-Alcan's range of luxury ingredients for the UK market. A new addition to the catalogue's luxury section is Cava extract which is taken from the sparkling wine and is positioned to appeal to the consumer's sense of luxurious vitality. Jones said the luxury market is less developed in the UK but is set for growth although the market has its own unique demands with consumers being unlikely to accept exotic and expensive ingredients that do not effectively fulfill functional roles. He also said consumers were adverse to animal-derived ingredients so Caviar extract, which is popular in Spain, would not prove successful in the UK. Other highlights​ Among the other new Spanish ingredients in the UK catalogue is an opacifier that does not contain nonilphenal. Jones said "phenal" is a turn off for consumers, especially in Spain, so developing an opacifier without nonilphenal was a marketing priority. Other highlights from the catalogue from the Chemists perspective include a silicone which combines cyclohexasiloxane and cyclopentasiloxane. The ingredient is suitable for skin care products from moisterisers and sprays and is notable for the cooling effect it has upon the skin. Among the interesting new ingredients on the list are a cold process thickening agent and pumice in coarse and fine powder form to meet the differing exfoliating needs of products aimed for use on specific parts of the body. The final new ingredient in the catalogue is a film forming base for use in face masks, which are becoming increasingly popular among professional young men. Adding the ingredients saves formulators from the need to create film for themselves.