LANXESS at the SEPAWA Congress 2025: Innovations for household and personal care products

LANXESS will be presenting its comprehensive portfolio for applications in the personal care and home care industries at the SEPAWA Congress in Berlin from October 15 to 17, 2025 (ECC Estrel Congress Center, booth A160-163). The focus will be on innovative and sustainable products. The range extends from preservatives and multifunctionals to fragrances and perfumes. The portfolio also includes products with environmental certifications such as EU Ecolabel, Ecocert, NATRUE, COSMOS and Nordic Swan. In this way, the specialty chemicals company supports manufacturers in achieving their sustainability goals.

LANXESS preservatives for personal care are used both in leave-on and rinse-off products, including creams, shampoos, shower gels, deodorants and makeup. They are an ingredient in many leading international brands’ products.

LANXESS preservatives protect against bacteria, yeast and mold also in the home care and industrial hygiene sectors. Efficient preservation ensures the shelf life and performance of products such as hand and machine dishwashing detergents, liquid laundry detergents, fabric softeners, floor and furniture care products, all-purpose cleaners, and wet wipes.

Vivien Konetzky, Global Product Manager at LANXESS, says: “Our diverse range of preservatives is crucial for the safety of consumer products. Many manufacturers are particularly interested in the fact that we also offer solutions based on natural ingredients.”

Neolone PH Max: Innovation in the field of Personal Care preservation

The latest development from LANXESS for the preservation of personal care products is Neolone PH Max. This innovative blend combines the proven preservative phenoxyethanol with pelargonic acid from sunflower oil as a multifunctional ingredient.

Neolone PH Max maximizes the effectiveness of phenoxyethanol and provides comprehensive protection against bacteria and fungi. At the same dosage compared to reference formulations, it increases the antimicrobial effect. Complexing and antioxidant properties complement the product profile. As a liquid, Neolone PH Max is a practical, drop-in solution for formulators looking for robust, reliable, and sustainable preservation.

Oxone – fast-acting and powerful oxidizing agent

Oxone (potassium monopersulfate) expands the LANXESS portfolio in the household care sector. This fast-acting and powerful oxidizing agent supports the cleaning performance of household products. Recent studies by LANXESS demonstrate Oxone’s versatility in household applications, for example in textile care, dishwashing and cleaning hard surfaces.

Efficient washing at low temperatures

Effectively removing stains at low temperatures while meeting the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly and cost-effective cleaning solutions is challenging.
Thanks to its high oxidative power and fast reaction kinetics, Oxone reliably removes stubborn oxidizable stains even at low temperatures and in cold water. Compared to conventional sodium percarbonate-TAED systems, Oxone enables efficient washing at low temperatures, short cleaning cycles and compact, high-performance formulations – an important contribution to achieving sustainability goals.

Presentation on Oxone for household cleaning

LANXESS will present detailed development results. Dr. Kelly Board, Technical Applications Manager for Oxidation at LANXESS, will explain the potential of Oxone as a powerful oxidizing agent in her presentation “Potassium monopersulfate for household cleaning: Advanced formulations with superior oxidation power and performance at low temperatures.” Taking place on 16 October at 9:00 a.m. in Room 1, the presentation will highlight the advantages for household applications, summarize key research findings, and present forward-looking formulation strategies.

Purox and Kalaguard Scopeblue as particularly sustainable alternatives

Purox S is a nature-identical and readily biodegradable sodium benzoate. It safely and effectively inhibits microbial growth in personal care products and cosmetics up to a pH value of 6.5. LANXESS offers Purox S Scopeblue as a particularly environmentally friendly alternative to the established product. It is manufactured using renewable energy and renewable raw materials. This makes the product virtually climate-neutral according to the mass balance approach. LANXESS uses the Scopeblue label to identify its own products with a CO₂ footprint at least 50 percent lower than that of conventional products, or consisting of at least half sustainable raw materials. Detailed and accurate emissions data helps customers achieve their sustainability goals.

Kalaguard SB is a user-friendly preservative for household products. It is used in cleaning agents, laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, wet wipes, fabric softeners, and room sprays, for example. The product is non-allergenic, readily biodegradable, and meets the criteria of leading environmental certifications - including EPA Safer Choice, EU Ecolabel, Ecocert - and the requirements of the Nordic Swan. In addition, Kalaguard SB is kosher and halal certified. It is the only sodium benzoate approved for home care applications under the Biocidal Products Regulation in the EU and the EPA FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) in the US, thus meeting the highest regulatory requirements in key markets. Kalaguard is also available as a Scopeblue variant with a significantly reduced carbon footprint – made from mass balance-certified, renewable raw materials.

Biodegradable dispersing and complexing agents

For the cleaning agents and water treatment sectors, LANXESS offers, among other things, the biodegradable dispersants and complexing agents of the Baypure range and the proven anionic surfactant Mersolat. In modern dishwashing and laundry detergents, Baypure products are particularly impressive for their excellent stabilization of bleaching systems and their high material compatibility. For example, they are not very corrosive to glass. They also help to soften water, prevent limescale and dirt deposits, and bind heavy metals. This opens up further applications in cosmetics, for dye stabilization, or as activator for odor absorbers.

The phosphonates in the Bayhibit range have proven themselves in demanding industrial and institutional (I&I) applications. They offer an excellent phosphorus-to-performance ratio and remain stable even at high temperatures in concentrated alkalis and bleaches, for instance in industrial bottle cleaning.

Saltigo: Sustainable custom manufacturing solutions and highly effective insect repellent technology

The LANXESS subsidiary Saltigo is one of the leading providers in the field of custom manufacturing solutions with expertise in innovative personal care, specialty molecules, and active ingredients. Thanks to its many years of experience, a modern product portfolio, and a special focus on intellectual property protection, Saltigo offers comprehensive support from a single source, covering everything from process development to series production. The focus is on the development of zero-waste products and the use of sustainable raw materials. In this way, Saltigo supports its customers sustainability goals and offers solutions for the growing demand for environmentally friendly products.

In addition, with Saltidin, Saltigo provides an effective yet skin-friendly active ingredient for insect repellents – ideal for manufacturers who want to offer their customers reliable and well-tolerated protection.

Further information on LANXESS products for cosmetics and personal care can be found at https://lanxess.com/en/company/corporate-structure/business-units/flavors-and-fragrances, https://lanxess.com/en/products-and-brands/industries/microbial-control/industries-overview/personal-care and https://lanxess.com/en/products-and-brands/brands/saltidin.