The Solvay group extends its range of biodegradable ingredients with two guar-based functional polymers for eco-responsible hair and body care products.

Solvay, a global specialist in naturally derived beauty care polymers, completes its range of guar-based biodegradable solutions presented in December 2021, with two new polymers - a thickener and a conditioning agent - for beauty care. These new ingredients - Jaguar NAT SGI and Jaguar Excel, will enable beauty brands to meet the most stringent global regulations, and satisfy consumers' growing needs for more responsible and sustainable beauty products.

"Until recently, the availability of biodegradable functional polymers was limited, explains Jean-Guy Le-Helloco, Vice President Home & Personal Care at Solvay. With our biodegradable ingredients in the Jaguar range, formulators now have ingredients that enable them to expand their range of more responsible hair and body care products."

In addition to the new biodegradable ingredients for the Jaguar range, Solvay's experts have developed the "Beauty Biodeg Score" which grades its products from A to D based on OECD guidelines.¹. The two new polymers meet the most demanding criteria² in terms of biodegradability: Jaguar NAT SGI, a thickener, achieves an A rating (classified as "readily biodegradable"); Jaguar Excel, a conditioning agent, achieves a B rating (classified as "inherently ultimately biodegradable"). They complete the product range, which already includes Jaguar HP-8 COS SGI thickener and Jaguar C500 STD conditioning agent, both rated B. Typical applications include shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments, styling gels, shower gels and body scrubs. They will be presented on the Solvay stand at the in-cosmetics world trade fair from April 5 to 7 in Paris.

"By assigning a biodegradability rating to our products, we help our stakeholders appreciate the rapid progress Solvay is making in developing biodegradable and sustainable products with full and transparent traceability. adds Galder Cristobal, Director of Home and Personal Care Research and Innovation at Solvay. We have entered an unprecedented phase of innovation with these new biodegradable polymers. And we are investing in advanced biodegradation tests for new-generation cosmetics ingredients. The new biodegradable ingredients in the Jaguar range mark the beginning of this adventure.

The guar beans used in the manufacture of Jaguar polymers are a renewable natural resource, sourced in part from Solvay's Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI) in Rajasthan, India, which aims to :

• implement best agricultural practices to improve guar quality and secure its supply, while preserving the water resources needed for its cultivation
• enable farmers to earn a better living
• encourage women's emancipation at local level.

Solvay's commitment to sustainable beauty is at the heart of Beauty for the Planet, an initiative that aims to provide sustainable beauty ingredients, suitable for consumers and the environment, through innovation and partnerships with customers.

1. _{Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.} 
2. _{Complies with OECD 301 F and OECD 302 B guidelines.}

"CBD heralds a small revolution in the beauty and wellness fields. However, its development is not without a certain amount of confusion. How pure are the products on offer? What is the actual dosage? How do they comply with current regulations? Optimaceuticals was born of a militant desire to offer phytocannabinoid solutions whose quality criteria are set out in complete transparency, says Spectrums Europe. Optimaceuticals solutions are distinguished first and foremost by their purity: the highest concentrations of active ingredients, an absence of THC measured to 2 decimal places (0.00 %) and an absence of impurities guaranteed at 10 control points".

The natural origin of CBD guarantees its isomeric purity and therefore optimal efficacy. Obtained from industrial hemp grown organically in the USA, Optimaceuticals active ingredients are Cosmos, Natrue and Vegan Society certified.

Market-ready solutions

"To ensure the greatest operability of our ingredients, the Optimaceuticals range has been carefully thought through by application. The XB grades of the Optimaceuticals beauty line have undergone in vitro and in vivo evaluations to support your product claims. The XN grades of the Optimaceuticals nutrition line have been the subject of Novel Food dossiers submitted in January 2021 and declared valid by the European authorities in February 2022. "says the company.

Three first references launched at in-cosmetics 2022

• Optima CBD

The range's flagship product, Optima CBD is over 99% pure cannabidiol %. Its efficacy has been in vitro and in vivo with results on sebum regulation, modulation of inflammatory response, soothing properties tested on skin and scalp, and bacteriostatic activity.

• Optima CBG

Less well known to the general public, CBG (cannabigerol) is the precursor of all phytocannabinoids. An initial series of in vitro tests showed its remarkable activity in controlling sebum and modulating inflammatory response.

• Optima Broad Extract

Offering a CBD concentration of over 85 %, it also contains other phytocannabinoids of interest such as CBG (cannabigerol), CBE (cannabielsion) or CBC (cannabichromene), and a fine terpene profile.

These two references are the subject of novel food dossiers submitted in January 2021 and declared valid by the European authorities in February 2022. EFSA's opinion is awaited in