»High living standards and a strong focus on lifestyle products are growth drivers for the Business Area Care Chemicals.«
Skin and hair care
Fabric, floor and dish washing and cleaning
Crop protection solutions
Bioethanol and alternative fuels
De-icer
What do consumers expect from a shampoo or a dishwashing detergent? What is their purchasing decision based on? It is especially important that both clean well, smell good, feel good and protect the environment. The same goes for the new and environmentally compatible, sugar-based surfactants GlucoTain® and GlucoPure®.
The relevant market for Care Chemicals is growing by 4% to 5% each year. This is also the annual growth target for the Business Area. To meet this objective, close cooperation with customers, a high level of innovation and dedicated evidence of the greatest possible sustainability is necessary. In addition, sales growth should be accompanied by a sustainable profitability. The set goal is an EBITDA margin before exceptionals of 18% to 19%. Care Chemicals has achieved this for the first time with 18.8% in 2015. It is important to maintain at least this level for the coming years. In 2015, Clariant also further reduced the scale of its involvement in operations with low margins.
Increasing urbanization, the scarcity of arable land and the consequent need for productivity increases in agriculture are important drivers of growth for Care Chemicals. This also applies to the dynamically growing demand for environmentally compatible applications and innovations from renewable substances and raw materials. The regional growth focus is on emerging markets in Latin America, India and China as well as on the steadily growing North American market.
in CHF m
in CHF m (before exceptional items)
before exceptional items
per year
before exceptional items
Whether from heat, cold or UV rays – the skin and hair are subjected to a permanent stress test. At the same time, their function is to protect the human body from precisely these environmental factors. Of equal importance is good care, which should be both pleasant and mild, but also environmentally compatible. Clariant has developed a product family of sugar-based surfactants under the name GlucoTain® for this purpose.
for mild products in hair and
skin care segments by 2017
GlucoTain® is an innovative range of sugar-based surfactants offering sensory benefits through individual foam structures.
Katarzyna Kita
Global Application Development Manager»We design our products to respond effectively to customer needs.«
Consumers are becoming more demanding. They expect improved products – milder and with good cleansing and foaming properties, to deliver a uniquely pleasant sensory experience, in a nature-friendly way. GlucoTain® does an outstanding job fulfilling these criteria.
Most cleansing products contain sulfates and/or polyethylene oxide derivatives, that could stress skin and hair. GlucoTain® contains neither of these, is particularly mild to the body’s own proteins and lipids and can be blended excellently with oils or perfumes.
It is crucial to precisely analyze the skin and hair structures as they are very complex. Thanks to its capacity for innovation and the expertise of many scientists, Clariant has succeeded in developing sugar-based surfactants that satisfy a variety of consumers’ needs.
GlucoTain® is labeled EcoTain® as it has an excellent sustainability profile over the entire life cycle, from raw material to disposal, that Clariant screens based on 36 precisely defined criteria.
Ecotain productsGlucotain® Discover Value storyGlucoTain® are sugar-based surfactants. They are environmentally compatible and specifically improve the cosmetic product characteristics.
Extremely mild
Extremely mild
Ideal to combine with perfumes and oils
Ideal to combine with perfumes and oils
Great cleaning power
Sulfate-free
In addition to ICS, Care Chemicals also includes Clariant’s activities in the growing field of biotechnology. The company recently earned positive headlines for its second-generation biofuel, so-called cellulosic ethanol, which is produced from agricultural residues, for instance from straw, which is nearly CO2 neutral and overcomes the food-versus-fuel debate. This makes cellulosic ethanol suitable as an alternative fuel for the automotive industry.
For the future of the company a particular focus in this field is on investments in technology and innovation. The use of renewable raw materials for new and sustainable products is a research focus of Group Biotechnology. Sales are still very low and the start-up costs are high, as is often the case with start-up projects. This currently has a negative effect on the profitability of the entire Business Area, but in the long run, this area has enormous potential.
In addition, New Business Development markets food supplements such as fats and oils, special carbohydrates, preservatives, antioxidants, and sweeteners to the dairy, baking and meat industries.
Ultramodern laboratories with more than 6 000 square meters of space for over 100 employees – the new Clariant Biotechnology Center was opened at the beginning of October 2015 in Planegg, Germany. With it, the company continues to invest in one of the key industries of the 21st century.
»The Indian market for personal care products shows dynamic growth in the double-digit percentage range.«
