At the NYSCC Supplier Day show, we caught up with chemists Chelsea Grimm and Joel Kennard from Wacker Chemical Co. Grimm and Kennard shared their insights into some of the company’s innovations on display at the show and walked us through their Perfect Match Quiz experience.
Speaking of the Perfect Match Quiz, Kennard said Wacker Chemical chose to focus on an interactive concept for the show that “combines our ingredient solutions with our digitalization efforts to allow customers to experience our skincare and haircare solutions.” As participants work their way through simple quiz questions, “they end up with a customized prototype featuring our innovations.”
Prototypes featured in the Perfect Match Quiz included Gentle Oatmilk Facial Cleanser, Perfecting Serum, Moisturizing Eco Primer, and Nourishing Facial Oil. Each formula showcases different ingredient options from Wacker Chemical. For example, the Moisturizing Eco Primer contains the company’s BELSIL eco EG 3001 Elastomer Gel, which is a “silicone copolymer network blended with a mixture of undecane and tridecane” that “appears as a colorless, translucent gel,” according to the Wacker Chemical website. Additionally, the formula contains “a combination of undecane and tridecane known as a fast-spreading, volatile emollient that is readily biodegradable on a 100 percent renewable basis.”
One key aspect of WACKER CHEMICAL’s prototype is its sustainability, which is central to WACKER CHEMICAL’s corporate mission. According to Dr. Christian Hartel, President and CEO of WACKER CHEMIE AG, as detailed on the company’s website, “By 2045, we will achieve net zero, particularly through an expanding portfolio of sustainable products and decarbonized production.” Furthermore, according to Dr. Elke Torsten Heijen, Senior Vice President Procurement and Logistics at WACKER CHEMICAL, the company is working to “reduce absolute upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030,” as detailed on the company’s website.
Wacker Chemical’s sustainability efforts also fit nicely into the evolving landscape of formulation trends for cosmetics and personal care products. “I’ve been attending the show for a few years now and I’ve definitely seen the trend for sustainability grow,” explains Kennard, adding, “What’s really interesting about sustainability is seeing how we’re all collectively developing a language to describe what’s important to us, and what’s especially important to each customer is different and distinct.”
To watch our in-depth interview with Grimm and Kennard, and to see the Perfect Match quiz in action, be sure to check out the video above.
