NEWS
Solabia inaugurates North America headquarters
French cosmetic ingredients maker Solabia has inaugurated its new North American headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey. The facility is focused on
technical applications and new product development and serves as Solabia Group’s global competency hub for sun care and colour cosmetics. A new R&D centre will
support a comprehensive range of technical services, including: customer formulation development and optimization; sun care test management and formulation optimization; educating clients and industry partners on cosmetic ingredients; and inspiring consultants, brand leaders, and formulation chemists to design innovative formulations with unique sensory profiles. The new HQ also includes a
and are designed to scale with the company’s continued growth. “The opening of our new
dedicated customer experience centre designed to welcome partners and showcase the latest advancements in functional ingredients and sunscreen dispersion technology. This immersive environment
enables customers and collaborators to explore new concepts, engage directly with technical experts, and experience Solabia technologies in action. In addition, the site houses
brand new administrative offices that support Solabia’s multiple business units across the region
North American headquarters and Customer Experience Centre marks a pivotal milestone in Solabia’s growth in the region,” said Darren Fritschy, CEO, Solabia USA (pictured, right). “Solabia’s US expansion
accelerated with the acquisition of Applechem in 2023, and following its successful integration in partnership with founder and general manager Dr. Samuel Lin (pictured, left), we are proud to bring our combined strengths together under one roof,” he added. “This multimillion dollar
investment reflects our long-term commitment to North America and the vision of the Solabia USA Board of Directors, together with Jean- Baptiste Dellon (pictured, middle), CEO of Solabia Group.”
Unilever to become pureplay care business
UK consumer goods conglomerate Unilever is to focus on beauty, home and personal care after agreeing to merge its foods business with US spice and seasoning giant McCormick to create a company valued at $66 billion. The London-based company will
spin off its food division and then merge it with McCormick, which will retain its existing name and its Hunt Valley, Maryland global HQ. The combined company will
be led by the McCormick CEO and
CFO, with senior management representation from Unilever Foods. Unilever will receive $15.7 billion
in cash from deal while Unilever shareholders will retain 65% stake in the merged entity, equivalent to $29.1 billion. The deal values Unilever Foods
at $44.8bn and McCormick at $21bn, valuing the combined entity at over $65bn. Unilever said the separation of
Unilever Foods will position Unilever as a leading pureplay home and
personal care company, with €39 billion ($45 billion) of revenues based on fiscal year 2025 and a sector-leading growth profile. “Post-completion, Unilever will
operate across Beauty, Wellbeing, Personal Care and Home Care, with leading positions in attractive categories, fast-growing geographies and channels through a portfolio of high-performing, innovative brands,” it said in a statement. Unilever’s brands include Dove, Rexona, Vaseline and TRESemmé.
Brenntag opens Shanghai application centre
German speciality ingredient distributor Brenntag has cut the ribbon on its new Life Sciences Innovation & Application Centre in Shanghai, China. The new centre expands
the technical and application expertise for Beauty & Care and Food & Nutrition industries. It enables the development
of innovative formulations and application concepts across both sectors Customers and suppliers across
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formulations for a wide range of personal care products. Equipped with formulation
China and Hong Kong will benefit from the value-added services offered. The centre supports the
development of Beauty & Care
and testing capabilities, the facility enables activities such as emulsion structure analysis, surfactant foam performance evaluation, hair combing force testing, skin analysis, and laundry performance testing, while a laboratory-scale mixing system supports small-batch production trials and process validation for formulation optimization.
9
Croda cuts ribbon on India plant to
serve Asia demand UK speciality chemicals maker Croda has inaugurated a greenfield manufacturing facility in Dahej, India, strengthening its ability to serve fast-growing markets in Asia. Located in Gujarat, the facility
benefits from strong logistics connectivity and is designed to serve both domestic customers and selected export markets. It will support demand across
Croda’s Consumer Care, Life Sciences and Industrial Specialties sectors.
The new site represents a
significant investment in India and will enhance Croda’s supply capabilities, improve responsiveness to customer demand and support future growth in high-value sectors. Built around the theme ‘Built
Green. Built Smart. Built for the Future’, the Dahej site has sustainability embedded from the outset. It has been designed to
significantly reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions, enabled by renewable electricity and fuel sources. Additional features include Zero
Liquid Discharge systems that are expected to become operational later in the year, the use of RSPO-certified oleochemicals and alignment with Extended Producer Responsibility plastic recycling requirements. The site has also been
developed with advanced operating systems, robust quality infrastructure, and high safety standards to enable reliable, efficient manufacturing. In addition, the facility supports
Croda’s commitment to inclusion, with 100% women-led packaging operations and an ambition to achieve 30% female representation at the site. Croda CEO Steve Foots
(pictured, centre) said: “We see significant long-term
growth potential in the region and this facility provides a strong platform to support that ambition.”
May 2026 PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE
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