Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) has started manufacturing commercial quantities of ceramides – a special class of lipids – at its site in Dossenheim near Heidelberg in Germany. Maximizing capacity utilization at the Dossenheim site provides Evonik with further flexibility and supply security, including increased independence from alternative routes of supply, to cater to the growing demand for ceramides in the personal care market.
The in-house production of ceramides bolsters Evonik’s position as leading provider of ceramide System Solutions. These combine ceramides with Evonik’s delivery systems and formulations to offer customers high-value solutions that are tailored to their unique needs. This reinforces the company’s position in active ingredients.
“Expanding our in-house production capacity for ceramides enables us to meet the demand of our strategic customers who have minimum volume commitments and very long-term agreements with us. We are also in a strong position to supply other customers with the flexibility and security they need,” said Johann-Caspar Gammelin, head of the Nutrition & Care division at Evonik. “This strategic move is our latest contribution to achieving our Vision at Nutrition & Care: life at heart, systems in mind, partners at hand.”
Ceramides are an integral part of many System Solutions for customers in the cosmetics industry. System Solutions are multi-component offerings across products, technologies and services that are tailored to a unique customer need and often have proven sustainability benefits. As an entry point to a world of consultancy, application expertise and customer service, System Solutions ensure that Evonik is the preferred partner for customers. By establishing the in-house production of ceramides, Evonik is accelerating the transition of its life sciences division, Nutrition & Care, which aims to increase its share of System Solutions from 20 percent today to 50 percent by 2030.
Ceramides are a special class of lipids. As cosmetic ingredients, their effect has been scientifically proven and is intensively promoted by the cosmetics industry. The market for ceramides offers considerable opportunities with a growing number of applications in skin care, hair care, sun care, color cosmetics, advanced food additives and animal care. Crucial to the effect of ceramides is the active ingredient delivery system, which transports the active ingredients to the correct layers of the skin.