This year's NYSCC Suppliers' Day (12-13 May) showed that innovation is still a priority for raw material suppliers in the US and manufacturers are responding in kind, as Emma Reinhold reports
?While recent trade shows have suffered the effects of the recession to some extent, for NYSCC Suppliers’ Day it seemed to be business as usual, with organisers hailing the event as the busiest ever. Record numbers of exhibitors and visitors descended on the Raritan Center in New Jersey, with visitor queues for entry to the show snaking across the facility’s car park well into the first day.
“We feared that the current economic situation would mean a bump in the road for this year’s show but we are actually up about 20% on numbers,” said show chairman, Erich Bodnar. “Almost 3,000 people came through the doors on the first day and about half that on the second day, which was to be expected. Exhibitor space sold out in early January and we have had more exhibitors on the waiting list than ever before.”
Bodnar said the show occupied 50,000sq ft with extra areas made available for lunch and one-to-one meetings. A total of 521 companies exhibited on 291 booths, pushing the show to full capacity.
Suppliers’ Day prides itself on being the largest free raw materials show for the C&T sector in North America and Bodnar believes this has helped keep visitor numbers high at a time when travel budgets are being squeezed. Waving the entry fee also creates a more diverse visitor profile.
“What makes Suppliers’ Day different from other shows is that there is no commercialism – just pure technology. And because there is no charge for entry or food we get a very mixed visitor profile,” he explained. “It’s not just regular customers who visit – local universities for instance send students who use the show as a career day. It’s important to have groups like this as it keeps the industry fresh.”
GREEN ROOTS
The theme of this year’s show was ‘Innovate for a Greener World’ and organisers followed this theme on many levels across the show. Perhaps the most striking difference this year was the replacement of the show’s now famous balloon displays with environmentally- friendlier Chinese lanterns. Bodnar told SPC that the carpet and curtains used at the show were recyclable, as were the exhibition bags given to every visitor. In addition organisers had ensured that bottled water was replaced with cups made from corn oil and even the cutlery provided at lunch was recyclable.
“Being green is not just about natural or organic, waste is an important issue and we have taken the green theme to the highest level we could,” said Bodnar. “Customers and suppliers are being green with chemicals and products so we thought why shouldn’t we do the same with the show.”
On the show floor the green theme encompassed every area of cosmetics and toiletries, from organic ingredients and green manufacturing processes, to solutions to perennial issues such as finding effective preservative systems for natural and organic products.
Eastman promoted its new green processing technology for natural products. The enzymatic biocatalysis process replaces the need to add solvents in processing so there are no hazardous by-products and the system can also be run at low temperatures, reducing environmental, energy and cost implications. In addition the process follows EPA guidelines for green chemistry, according to the company.
“People want green but they don’t want to necessarily pay more for it,” said Garrett E Wilburn, marketing communications representative. “The potential is there to expand on this as long as it doesn’t cost too much.”
Eastman has used the technology to develop oryzanate esters, natural botanical emollients that can be used to increase the natural content of personal care creams and lotions and can be used as a natural alternative to petrolatum.
“Who is not looking for a natural surfactant?” said Rodrigo Otero, vp Desert King, who was at the show to promote the company’s new certified natural and organic surfactant, Andean Q Ultra Organic. “There are not many completely natural and organic surfactants available and although this product will not work in every formulation, it gives people more choice for natural and organic formulating.”
Sabinsa meanwhile re-promoted its Saberry antioxidant derived from the amla fruit, or Indian gooseberry. The proprietary, patent pending extract, standardised using ß-glucogallin has a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) value and shows broad-spectrum antioxidant activity according to the company. In addition, the ingredient has been shown in vivo to extend the shelf life of cosmetics.
The rise in popularity of natural products also prompted Jeen to launch several new natural products.
“The natural market is huge and we are responding to market demand with these products,” explained Teresa Cosentino from Jeen’s sales & marketing department.
New products included Jeechem ODPE, an octyldodecyl pomegranate ester; Jeechem SPW stearyl pomegranate ester; and Jeeplex NAS, an antioxidant preservation powder based on citric and lactic acid. Jeeplex SFO is a blend of the superfruits acai and pomegranate, claimed to provide antioxidant enhancement with inherent antibacterial action and keratinocyte proliferation, as well as being a vegetative source of conjugated linoleic acid, a free radical scavenger. Cosentino told SPC that the company was looking into ways of certifying the new products.
Biochemica introduced a new range of organic fruit butters containing lyophilised certified organic whole fruits combined with a proprietary blend of USDA NOP certified organic ingredients in an anhydrous form. The five fruit butters – acai, pomegranate, cranberry, blueberry and blackcurrant – have high ORAC values and provide a high level of moisturisation as well as aiding cellular regeneration, free radical scavenging and helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles thanks to high levels of vitamin C. The butters are also preservative and fragrance-free.
And Lipo re-promoted its anti-inflammatory Gorgonian extract, derived from the marine organism Pseudopterogoria elisabethae (sea whip). The ingredient, said to be renewably harvested from the Caribbean, contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called pseudopterosins and can be used in a number of skin and care applications including sun and after sun products, sensitive skin products and after care for skin exfoliation treatment.
The company also promoted Hylasome EG10, a chemically crosslinked hyaluronic acid derived from a non-animal source, and Lipo SFS-5, a non-silicone substitute for cyclomethicone D5. The fluid is said to provide the same performance features as cyclomethicone D5 without the drying or whitening effect of volatile silicone fluid.
Silicone replacement was also a focus for Brazilian supplier Beraca, which is focusing on growing a portfolio of base products to complement its actives business and provide differentiation in the market, according to Felipe Sabara, development manager, Beraca. The company introduced its Beracare ARS hair system to the US, which is claimed to be a natural replacement to silicone and promotes shine and vitality to chemically treated and damaged hair.
SUN CARE FOCUS
Sun protection was a key focus for several companies at Suppliers’ Day. Speciality chemicals company HallStar launched a new photostabiliser that is claimed to quench the excited states of UV filters including avobenzone and octinoxate. SolaStay S1 is the first ingredient of its kind, according to the company, working up to 1000 times faster than other photostabilisers, and protecting against absorbance loss up to four times more effectively. The result enables formulators to maximise UVA protection in line with new guidelines, as well as increasing SPF.
“This product gives formulators more options and more tools in their tool boxes to get claims. It’s not a single product but more of a new concept for photostabilty, a completely new technology,” said HallStar ceo, John Paro. “The activity around the booth has been nothing short of remarkable – we have never seen anything like it.”
Dow Chemical also promoted its sun care applications with a particular focus on zinc oxide. The company showcased a new pre-dispersed transparent zinc oxide particle that promises to provide good aesthetics and no white marks. The powder can be used in sun care and daily wear applications, according to the company.
“Zinc oxide has the best safety record and the response to the product has been really good,” said Jim Gall, market development manager, sun care. “This is a new look at zinc oxide and makes it easy to use.”
The company also launched Solterra Boost, an SPF booster developed specifically to increase the performance of inorganic sunscreens. “We are focusing on value added solutions for the customer,” continued Gall.
Performance was also a focus for Momentive Performance Materials, which introduced several new innovations to its product portfolio. Its new Silsoft A+ conditioning product is a virtually surfactant-free emulsion that is said to demonstrate a more effective deposition of conditioning agents on damaged hair, compared to traditional amino silicones. This is said to translate to better performance of the same amount of ingredient, potentially resulting in a cost savings benefit for the manufacturer, says the company. The amino (AB)n multiblock copolymer silicone is also said to have an excellent hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance.
Within its sensory enhancement category, Momentive also introduced Softouch CCS402 boron nitride powder, a cosmetic grade powder featuring a large particle size, which reflects light to create a shimmer effect. The ingredient is said to be suitable for a number of cosmetic and skin care applications such as creams, eyeshadows, face powders and liquid lip products. Also debuting at the show was Softouch CC6097, a new grade of boron nitride with a very small particle size suitable for use in long wear cosmetics.
Despite an ailing economy, Suppliers’ Day showed that innovation is still the lifeblood of the C&T industry and the need for good R&D is showing no signs of slowing.
