SCC Supplier's day - Supply and demand

Fears by many about the new location proved to be unfounded as SCC Suppliers’ Day drew its largest ever crowd. Emma Reinhold reports

Change can be a good thing, though it can take some getting used to. So when the organisers of SCC Suppliers’ Day announced it was planning to switch the show’s long standing location from Meadowlands in Seacaucus to the Rariton Center in Edison, New Jersey the response was as expected, very mixed. However, after this year’s show (16-17 May) opinion was unanimous - the new location was a resounding success.

With over 100,000 sq ft of exhibition floor all on the same level, the Rariton Center provided double the space of the previous location, allowing for future exhibition expansion, according to organisers NYSCC Chapter and Curtin Productions. And the introduction of free wireless connection for computers went some way to bringing the show into the big league along with exhibitions such as In-Cosmetics and PCIA. In fact, judging from the sheer size and extravagance of some of the stands, visitors could be forgiven for thinking they were attending one of the more established shows in Europe and Asia.

“We are very pleased with the new location even though it is less central for companies to get to,” said one exhibitor. “Last year we were on the lower level at Meadowlands and we were not happy. With everyone on the same level it makes the show better.”

New arrivals

The main aim of Suppliers’ Day is to bring together suppliers from all corners of the C&T globe with cosmetic chemists. Raw material, fragrance, packaging, testing labs and equipment companies offered a unique selection of solutions, many of which debuted at the show. This is a significant step as new launches have traditionally been showcased at In Cosmetics a few weeks prior and this move reinforces the growing importance of Suppliers’ Day in the exhibition calendar.

There were also a significant number of companies exhibiting for the first time helping to swell exhibition numbers. Gulbrandsen Technologies, a specialist in low-cost anti-perspirant actives was delighted with the response to its debut appearance. “We are really happy with the show so far - there are so many exhibitors and visitors,” enthused Holly Gordeuk, corporate account manager. “We took the decision to come here because we believe this is a show to be seen at.” Although it did not launch any specific new technologies, the company used Suppliers’ Day to introduce its products to the industry and was very pleased with the response.

Also making its debut was DayGlo, a manufacturer of fluorescent colourants. The company, explained Christopher Newbacher, business unit manager, plastics and cosmetics, has traditionally worked within the confines of plastics, graphic arts, paints and coatings and dyes and textiles but has recently ventured into colour cosmetics with the creation of the DermaGlo trademark. Products in the new range include nail laquers and mascaras. “We are adding new colour space never available before by encapsulating dye in a polyester resin so that solvents cannot attack it,” explained Newbacher. “It is also possible to clean up tired shades with our dyes. It is all about the colour and our clean, vibrant shades have attracted quite a lot of interest from cosmetic houses.” Newbacher told SPC that the pigments were very easy to disperse in oil-in-water solutions and remained stable. The vibrant colours including hot pink, he added are suitable for a younger teenage and tween market.

Naturals and botanicals continue to be a leading trend in personal care and to this end sugar specialist Tate & Lyle has partnered with DuPont to create an innovative joint venture to provide personal care products manufactured from renewable resources such as corn. The new business, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is owned equally by the two companies and is scheduled to roll out its first products at the end of 2006. These include Bio-PDO, a pure, petroleum-free glycol derived from a renewable corn sugar fermentation process. The ingredient is said to be suitable for use in formulations where non-petroleum based ingredients are required. “This is our first time at the show and we are really excited,” said Melissa Joerger, market development manager. “We will be rolling out commercially for the first time at the end of the year.”

Natural selection

“The names have a good sound to them from the consumers’ point of view and they are non irritating.”

New formulas from the company include Body ButterCreme with cupuacu, sal and kokum, and Body ButterCreme with shea and cupuacu. Other novelties launched at the show included Chocolate Mandarin Lip Balm and Kiwi Melon BodyBalm.

The company is also exploring new alternatives to shea butter, which Moroni warned is in short supply at present. “Due to shortages we are trying to get people to change to mango butter and sal butter which have similar qualities to shea butter,” he said.

Zenitech launched Zenisilk, a new line of polyester compounds based on natural oils that can be engineered to provide advanced skin ethics, according to president, Carter le Vay. The products range from a low viscosity oil with a dry skin feel and little play time to a moderate viscosity oil with outstanding cushion. The products are suitable for a variety of applications including oily systems, creams and emulsions.

Naturals specialist Sabinsa meanwhile introduced two new extracts derived from natural gallnut and rosemary. “Everyone wants natural at the moment and it’s particularly big in the US - everything is plant-derived,” explained senior manager, international marketing, Tasneen Padiath.

The new extracts are said to be strong antioxidants with the gallnut extract claimed to be more potent than vitamin C. Both products can be used in anti-ageing applications, with Rosemary T3 complex also suitable for antimicrobial applications. Gallnut extract is recommended to be used in applications at 0.05-0.3%, while Rosemary T3 complex can be used in creams and lotions at 0.1-0.5%.

Padiath also identified two new growth areas, which she said Sabinsa is currently looking into. “We have had so many enquiries into peptides and plant molecules that we have set up a dedicated department for research,” she said. “Skin lightening products for the ethnic market are also exploding. Our latest skin lightening product Sabiwhite has really taken off in the last six months.”

The lighter side

Lipo Chemicals showcased a new application for its Lipolight and Lipobrite ingredients. Hands On is described as a three-in-one topical answer to the latest trends in cosmetic surgery for anti-ageing procedures. “It provides instant and long-term results thanks to a particle that is able to scatter and emit light in a diffuse manner,” explained Melissa Frischling, vp marketing. This is combined with Lipobrite which helps to lighten age spots and even skin tone within four weeks.

Degussa also tapped into the unstoppable anti-ageing skin care trend with the launch of Tego Derm CBS, a collagen boosting sphingolipid solution, said to reduce the effect of deep wrinkles and smooth skin as well as reinforcing the dermal-epidermal junction. The ingredient is also said to improve the barrier function of the skin from within by supporting epidermal cell differentiation. Also new from Degussa is Tegosphere VitA, an encapsulated retinol that is released in response to the skin’s natural pH, allowing the ingredient to be used in pH sensitive products.

Despite the controversy surrounding the new location, this year’s Suppliers’ Day reinforced its reputation as the largest and most significant ingredients exhibition in North America, and if the current growth in exhibitors and visitors continues, the show can surely only go from strength to strength.

Suppliers’ Day 2007 will run from 15-16 May.