Evonik opens new plant for sustainable emollients at its Steinau site in Germany

Evonik has officially inaugurated its new production plant for cosmetic emollients at its site in Steinau, Germany. These esters are manufactured using an enzymatic process. The double-digit million-euro plant will significantly increase Evonik’s production capacity which will cater to the growing customer demand for sustainable cosmetic emollients. This investment will help reduce the climate footprint of Evonik and the cosmetic formulations of its customers.

Evonik leverages its biotechnology platform to produce emollients via enzymatic esterification. This helps to boost the biosolutions portfolio of the company’s life sciences division, Nutrition & Care, while enabling the beauty and personal care industry to create solutions with a superior sustainability profile.

“Emollients are no longer just about performance, they also need to have a robust sustainability profile. This investment helps us lower our footprint, while supporting the beauty industry in its transformation – meeting the demand for more responsible, eco-friendly solutions,” said Johann-Caspar Gammelin, president of the Nutrition & Care division at Evonik.

Emollients are cosmetic oils and waxes that make up 10 to 25 percent of cosmetic emulsions. However, currently emollients account for 70 to 80 percent of a product’s climate footprint. Switching from a chemical to an enzymatic esterification process when manufacturing emollients can reduce the climate footprint by more than 60 percent. All Care Solutions production sites are powered exclusively by renewable energy. Therefore, the climate footprint at this new production plant in Steinau drops to virtually zero from a gate-to-gate perspective.

Esters manufactured by enzyme catalysis have been part of Evonik's portfolio for almost 25 years. Produced from vegetable oils, they act as emollients in skin care products, making the skin soft and supple. Up to now, they have been produced at Evonik's sites in Duisburg, Germany and Shanghai, China. Evonik’s Steinau site is a stronghold for innovation for the cosmetics industry, as well as biodegradable specialty surfactants and active substances. Steinau manufactures a diverse portfolio of over 200 products.

Sustainability is the guiding business principle for the Care Solutions business line at Evonik. Multiple extensive sustainability initiatives are underway, such as the ECOHANCE® program which is focused on serving the highest sustainability ambitions for beauty and personal care applications by including next-generation feedstocks or offering outstanding social-ecological benefits.