Azelis is delighted to announce it has signed an extension of an agreement with Agrana Starch to distribute their starches for the personal care market in France and Italy, effective immediately. This complements the distribution agreement the two companies already have in place in a number of European countries. Agrana’s starches can be applied in a wide range of skin care, hair care, sun care and colour cosmetics offering a wide diversity of use in product formats like: emulsion, surfactant, aerosol and loose and pressed powders, to name only some.

Corn, rice and tapioca starch are utilised in skin care and colour cosmetics as a simple and natural method to improve texture, aesthetics and skin feel properties. Over the past few years the trend for natural cosmetics has taken a leading position in the development of new products, with an ever increasing number of more consumers looking for natural alternatives to existing products on the market. Agrana’s offering comprises of both natural, modified starches as well as organic starch.

Tony Craske, Market Segment Director Personal Care Azelis EMEA, comments: “Natural ingredients are becoming increasingly important for the personal care market, with sustainability and “plant awareness” moving higher and higher on our customers’ agendas. Agrana offers products that meet all these stringent requirements and they are, in the case of Europe, REACH exempt. Agrana’s product offering includes starches specifically targeting the unique needs of cosmetics, affording the producer a wide degree of interesting possibilities in formulation. Not only easy to use, the products answer the need to address the consumer’s point of view on a natural way to improve sensory properties.”

Anton Amon, Sales Director Personal Care, Agrana Starch: “Over the years and across territories, Azelis has demonstrated their superb market and customer knowledge, as well as innovative solutions and work efficiency. This is very close to our own company values and we are confident that the new mandate will help us both gain new grounds in this fastpaced industry.”

Azelis has 15 personal care application laboratories around the world, giving customers unparalleled access to ideas and an ever-expanding database of over 3,000 formulations. Azelis creates eco-conscious formulations that will allow consumers to look great, feel safe and be environmentally and socially responsible, all at the same time. Adding Agrana’s starches to the product portfolio puts Azelis on the map as a natural raw materials provider for the French and Italian personal care market. In 2017, Agrana was one of the winners of the Henkel Sustainability Award Beauty Care. The award was given for excellent sustainability contributions resulting in products of highest market value in the beauty care business.