"In our studio, we offer solutions for current challenges, but also want to inspire our customers with visions for ambitious future goals. True to our motto 'Status Next,' we are our customers' partner in driving the circular economy in the coatings and adhesives industry to make our lives more sustainable," says Dickon Purvis, Head of Marketing in the Coatings and Adhesives segment at ����AV. "Only in close exchange with external stakeholders can we identify trends early on and offer products and technologies tailored to future requirements."

In focus: circular economy, productivity and regulations

For the coatings and adhesives sector, as well as downstream industries, the transformation to a circular economy is key to combating climate change and conserving resources. As a leading raw material manufacturer, ����AV is aware of the great responsibility it bears for optimizing these products so that they make an important contribution to the transformation as fundamental building blocks for coatings and adhesives formulations.

At the same time, it is important to maintain or even increase productivity at a high level to ensure growth and profitability in these industries. And last but not least, ����AV wants to support customers in complying with stricter regulations and standards, with the aim of improving occupational safety and industrial hygiene. For all these goals, the company has set up the Status Next Studio platform to ensure lasting and strong customer relationships in an increasingly digitalized world.

The spectrum of applications and industries for ����AV solutions is wide, ranging from future mobility, smart living and infrastructure development to sports and leisure, health and beauty, architecture and construction, printing and packaging. The offers highlight topics and best practice examples on the aforementioned focus areas and industries.

Webinars on key trends

����AV invites customers, partners and anyone interested to dive into the key trends impacting the world of coatings and adhesives. To this end, the company is offering three webinars in English on the following key topics:

Circular Economy 
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 14:00 CET. 
Register at

Regulations 
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, from 14:00 CET 
Register at

Productivity 
Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 14:00 CET 
Register at

In its , ����AV invites participants to further webinars on overarching and strategic coatings and adhesives topics for various industries, where participants can directly exchange ideas with experts from the company.

“With this development, we are reacting to a growing environmental awareness among consumers. We are also helping improve sustainability for our customers,” says Mélanie Dick, Global Marketing Manager for cosmetics. “The project is also part of a strategic program under which ����AV intends to focus completely on the circular economy. One of our key focus areas is using alternative raw materials like biomass in our production.”

Naturally produced film formers with beneficial properties

Baycusan^® eco E 1001 is part of a new product line of polyurethane ingredients based at least 50 percent on renewable raw materials. It fulfills the requirements for natural origin materials in accordance with ISO standard 16128. This partially bio-based film former helps prevent undesirable effects like smearing or discoloration in natural make-up formulations. In addition, it maintains the advantageous properties of synthetic film formers, such as water and abrasion-resistance and transfer-resistance, as provided by traditional makeup formulations.

����AV presented the first product in its new eco series, Baycusan^® eco E 1000 (INCI: Polyurethane-93), in April of last year at the in-cosmetics global exhibition in Paris. It was developed to fulfill all the requirements of a modern, high-performing hair styling product. It offers outstanding flexibility and moisture-resistance compared to synthetic standards, as well as good hold.

This product also has advantages over other natural film formers, particularly when styling hair with hot devices like flat irons or curlers. While most natural hair products like xanthan gum have poor thermal stability, Baycusan^® eco E 1000 can withstand temperatures up to 300 °C, providing protection against heat and frizz, as well as offering flexible styling without any residue.

“With these developments, we respond to a growing awareness of consumers for sourcing and environmental fate of cosmetics products,” says Mélanie Dick, global marketing manager cosmetics at ����AV. “This trend causes the cosmetics industry to look for new solutions to reduce the environmental impact by careful selection of ingredients. In other words: Our film formers are key for creating products that enable consumers to be as beautiful as they would like to be, but in a safe and sustainable way.”

Naturally derived film formers with high performance

At the previous in-cosmetics trade fair in Amsterdam, ����AV introduced its new Baycusan^® eco line of polyurethane ingredients, which are based on at least 50 percent renewable feedstock and are considered naturally derived according to the ISO 16128-1 standard. The first product of the line, Baycusan^® eco E 1000 (INCI: Polyurethane-93), was designed to fulfill all the requirements of a modern and highly performing hair fixative agent. It shows best-in-class flexibility and humidity resistance and provides a strong hold, compared to synthetic benchmarks.

The most important point is, however, that the bio-based film former performs well where alternative natural ingredients cannot be used without compromising the product performance and sensory properties. This in particular applies to hair styling using heat devices like straightening irons or curling tongs: While most natural substances used as fixatives, like for instance xanthan gum, exhibit poor thermal stability, Baycusan^® eco E 1000 withstands temperatures of up to 300 °C, ensuring both heat protection and a smooth hair feel and a flexible styling without flaking.

At its Innovation Box in the Innovation Zone at the trade fair, ����AV will present more information on the new film former, including a newly formulated Natural Strong Hold Hair Lotion. At the Technical Seminar on April 3, a lecture will be presented on Baycusan^® eco E 1000 by ����AV cosmetics expert Dr. Laurence Pottié at Theatre 1, from 3:10 pm.

Reducing the environmental impact: biodegradability

Most cosmetic film formers end their life being released in water, either in domestic waste water or – in case of sunscreen formulations – in sea or inland lake water. Thus the ability of a polymer to biodegrade in water is a key feature for assessing its environmental impact as well as for future cosmetics ingredients. While most synthetic film formers do not biodegrade well and can even be persistent in the environment, the polyurethane products of ����AV have the ability to biodegrade due to their unique chemical structure.

The biodegradability of Baycusan^® products in water has been tested by independent expert institutes using the recognized test methods OECD 301 and 302. All Baycusan^® film formers can be considered as non-persistent if released in the environment (OECD 302). Most of these film formers reach biodegradability rates between 50 and 60 percent within 28 days, according to the OECD 301 ready biodegradability test. Baycusan^® C 1001 for instance achieves a biodegradability rate of 60 percent within 28 days, making it one of the only readily biodegradable synthetic film formers on the market.

Besides allowing cosmetics producers to create innovative beauty products in a responsible manner, the film formers also ensure formulators to comply with legal restrictions that could arise in the coming years, and contribute to reducing the environmental pollution of oceans or inland water areas.

At in-cosmetics global 2019, ����AV will present the new bio-degradable and durable Skin & Ocean Sun Protect Lotion based on Baycusan^® C 1004 (INCI: Polyurethane-35) and the transparent and beach-ready Sun Oil with Baycusan^® C 2000 (INCI: Polyurethane-64). In both formulations, ingredients have been carefully selected for their environmental profile and for high performance.

About ����AV:

With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, ����AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ����AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.

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Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ����AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ����AV’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Until now, cosmetic formulators are facing the challenge that they need to choose between high-performance synthetic and natural components. In hair styling formulations, Baycusan^® eco E 1000 achieves at least the same good performance level as synthetic film formers – especially in formulations where long lasting hold and good moisture resistance are important.

Often enough, the use of “green” raw materials in hair styling and hair care products is connected with visible and tangible disadvantages, e.g. with residues on the hair (flaking) as well as insufficient humidity resistance and washability. Unlike natural film formers, it leaves no residue or sticky touch on the hair. The new product is an excellent way of enhancing the naturalness of cosmetic products without compromising on styling or quality. This is particularly true for the hair’s curl retention properties and heat protection.

Keeping up with the trend to natural products, ����AV is presenting two new cosmetic formulations in Paris: One of them is a hair gel from the new biobased film former (INCI designation: Polyurethane-93) with very good hairstyling properties, which is based on natural or naturally derived ingredients and does not require any synthetic fixing additives.

Baycusan^®classic: polymers with good biodegradability

At Cosmetagora, ����AV will also be presenting the biodegradable properties of the synthetic polyurethane dispersions in the Baycusan^® classic range. In contrast to other film formers, they are biologically degraded within a short time period. This is an important advantage, especially when used in suncare products, where consumers pay particular attention to environmental compatibility.

����AV will also present a Skin & Ocean Sun Protect Lotion based on synthetic Baycusan^® C 1004 (INCI: Polyurethane 35) whose ingredients have been carefully selected for their environmental profile. When formulating the suncare product, the main objective was to minimize the impact on the marine ecosystem and at the same time to offer high protection.

About ����AV:

With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, ����AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ����AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.

Find more information at www.covestro.com.
Follow us on Twitter:

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ����AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ����AV’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.