Company Summary: Altana AG is a global leader in true specialty chemicals, providing innovative, environmentally compatible solutions across various industries. While Altana itself is a holding company with four divisions (BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS, and ACTEGA), its engagement in the personal care sector is primarily driven by its BYK division. BYK is a leading global supplier of additives that enhance the quality and performance of products, including those in the cosmetics and personal care sector. Altana, through BYK, focuses on optimizing the properties of cosmetic and personal care formulations during manufacturing and in the final product.
Main Markets: Altana, through its BYK division, is actively involved in the Cosmetics and Personal Care market globally. Their additives are used in a wide array of personal care and hygiene products.
Main Product Categories & Descriptions: Altana’s offerings for the Personal Care division, primarily through BYK, focus on specialty additives that improve the rheology, surface properties, and overall performance of personal care formulations:
- Rheology Additives: These control the flow and consistency of cosmetic formulations, preventing settling, improving stability, and ensuring a pleasant application experience for products like creams, lotions, and gels.
- Surface Additives: Used to modify the surface characteristics of personal care products, such as improving spreadability, feel (e.g., slip, smoothness), and aesthetic appearance on skin or hair.
- Wax Additives: Provide benefits like improved texture, rub resistance, and matting effects in various cosmetic applications. An example mentioned is PURABYK-W 5560 BOOST, a naturally derived micronized rapeseed wax specifically for personal care applications.
- Specialty Dispersing & Wetting Additives: These help in evenly distributing pigments and other insoluble particles in cosmetic formulations, ensuring consistent color and product stability.
- Defoamers: Prevent or reduce unwanted foam formation during the manufacturing of personal care products, leading to smoother production processes and better product quality.
