Cosmetics and Personal Care

Recent developments

Circular packaging and ingredients

Circular materials advanced in beauty packaging as Reliable Caps and PureCycle introduced closures made with PureFive Ultra recycled polypropylene, offering up to 75% PCR and chain‑of‑custody documentation. Separately, PureCycle’s dissolution process achieved the A3 CosPaTox designation for a leave‑on cosmetic‑grade polypropylene, expanding recycled options for safety‑sensitive formats. On ingredients, Croda launched Beauty of Zero to integrate lifecycle data, biotech sourcing and biodegradable design across personal care portfolios.

Portfolio and strategy shifts

Portfolio realignment continued as BASF agreed to sell its silicates business and Düsseldorf/Holthausen assets to PQ. Internally, BASF established the Core Transformation Office under Winning Ways to simplify operating models, deploy a dedicated ERP and rework Ludwigshafen. Upstream innovation included Evonik’s work with the University of Guanajuato to translate its biosurfactant platform into lower‑toxicity mining reagents, highlighting ongoing development of bio‑based surfactant technologies.

Market and demand signals

Demand was mixed: Symrise reported a double‑digit drop in UV filters within Care & Wellness, while Fragrance grew modestly. Clariant saw Care Chemicals sales slightly lower on pricing with modest volume growth, and maintained margin guidance amid cost controls. Packaging components saw volume growth as Aptar’s consumer dispensing posted volume growth in Beauty and Closures despite margin compression.

Financial and regulatory context

Macro signals were stable to cautious. BASF’s Q1 2026 results showed higher volumes but lower prices across Nutrition & Care and other segments, with currency headwinds and continued cost‑saving measures at Ludwigshafen. Companies flagged ongoing supply risk from geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes influencing packaging recycled‑content claims and reporting.