• Starting on May 11, BASF Personal Care Europe will introduce a virtual showroom to exhibit its latest innovations, concepts and upcoming live events
• Experts will unveil the “Inclusive Beauty Concept”, designed to celebrate diversity in personal care
• The topics presented center on updates in the field of digitalization, sustainability and product innovation

May 11 marks the start of BASF’s Care Creations® first ever virtual Beauty Days. On a digital customer platform, BASF Personal Care Europe will present its latest ingredient solutions, concepts and upcoming live events. Some of the events will be held in different languages. The virtual showroom will serve both as an information hub and a central meeting place for one-on-one chats with topic experts.

The topics showcased during the Beauty Days revolve around three central themes: sustainability, digitalization, and innovation. “These subjects are close to our hearts and of great importance for our customers as well as the end consumers. I am convinced they will influence the industry for the better,” said Dr. Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President Personal Care Europe. “Our new event platform and the Beauty Days are intended to facilitate an exchange with our customers and to provide inspiration to drive new innovations together. The platform will be used to host insightful live events, but also to share relevant information in different formats that can be accessed at any time.”

The first Beauty Days event will also be the stage for the introduction of BASF’s “Inclusive Beauty Concept”, a range of solutions designed to highlight the diversity of beauty and personal care.

Inclusive beauty: embracing diversity

The evolution toward a more open society that embraces people’s differences is having a strong impact on the cosmetics industry and the definition of beauty. In the past few years, the personal care market has become increasingly complex and differentiated. In addition, people’s self-images are now more individualistic, which has further expanded the catalogue of requirements for marketable products. The “classic” target groups are no longer valid. “We are now looking much more at specific and personal requirements instead of relying on stereotypes. Inclusive beauty is about conveying more diverse ideas about what is beautiful, and we are supporting this trend with our products and concepts”, said Jason McAlpine, Vice President Business Management Personal Care Europe. The “Inclusive Beauty Concept” is designed to inspire customers to pursue diversity in their skin care, hair care and sun protection products, and thereby meet consumers’ specific needs and align with their individual way of life. The concept will be presented during an online event on May 11.

Digitalization: making innovation easier with smart tools

The digital transformation is opening up a wide range of possibilities for new developments in the personal care sector. During the Beauty Days, BASF will introduce its latest relaunch of the Sunscreen Simulator, BASF’s virtual laboratory for determining the sun protection factor (SPF) of a sun care product. It offers formulators and manufacturers an improved user experience and now has an updated, customizable user interface along with an extended number of performance features. It is also directly linked to other tools like the EcoSun Pass®. The new version of the Sunscreen Simulator will be presented during an online event on May 12.

Another new tool set to be launched by BASF is the Sustainability Product Finder, which has been integrated into the Care Creations website and will be directly linked via the customer platform. BASF provides the largest portfolio of functional raw materials for natural and organic cosmetic products, e.g. according to the COSMOS standard, and offers many solutions that are also approved by other important labels. The Sustainability Product Finder now makes it easy for customers to find products with the respective labels they are looking for.

Sustainability: providing solutions for a viable future

BASF considers sustainability to be one of its most important drivers of innovation and an essential requirement for preserving the planet for future generations. This is why the company supports the Green Deal and Europe’s ambition to become climate neutral by 2050, as well as the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. In one of the upcoming Beauty Days events, a live session on this topic will be hosted to give insights into how the company intends to help its customers seize opportunities and mitigate risks.

Another important part of BASF’s sustainability commitment is social responsibility. Since 2011, BASF has supported the organization Beyond Suncare based in Spain, which aims to ensure that all people with albinism live a free and dignified life while being protected against skin cancer and all forms of discrimination. Operating in countries such as Malawi, Angola and Rwanda, Beyond Suncare works to educate and raise awareness among persons with albinism living in remote and neglected places and distributes tailor-made sunscreen. The goal is to ensure access by decentralizing services – in coordination with public and private health facilities, schools and local platforms at all times. In addition, the NGO trains and empowers healthcare personnel, so they can learn about this genetic condition in depth and provide better care to people with albinism in their clinics. BASF offered its expertise in the development of a highly efficient, safe sunscreen adapted to the needs and sensory preferences of people with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa, and supplies local manufacturers with the respective sun care ingredients free of charge. As part of the Beauty Days, there will be a dedicated event on this special project on May 18.

Product innovations: keeping up with consumer desires

During the Beauty Days, BASF will unveil the most recent product innovations for the European market on its new customer platform, one of which is a new skin care active ingredient based on the company’s MicroPatch® technology. Harnessing the potential of the valuable algal extract sacran, Sacred Patch® helps to soothe sensitive skin and has strong moisturization properties. BioToLife™, a natural ingredient derived from bio-fermentation, helps to control the growth of microbials involved in dandruff formation and strengthens the scalp’s epidermal barrier. For the development of PeptAIde® 4.0, BASF researchers used the power of artificial intelligence. The naturally derived active ingredient from rice proteins has been shown to protect skin and hair against silent inflammation. With Neutrol® MGDA, BASF presents a highly stable, eco-friendly complexing agent for personal care applications. It is readily biodegradable and stands out due to its excellent ecological and toxicological profile.

About the Care Chemicals division at BASF
The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, hygiene, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are the global leading supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.