Digital helpers for formulators

Formulator tools for all

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, we accelerated our digital offering as face-to-face interaction was limited. This is where our latest tools were innovated so that formulators could navigate more efficiently through the extensive ingredient market for personal care and remove some of the manual work in the lab when looking at achieving SPF and creating a specific sensory experience for consumers. As we navigate the new normal, these tools work in a hybrid way where they can be used as a guide whilst in the labs and formulating sun care. Our first digital tools were created around six years ago where we had emulsifier and emollient selector tools. These were soon absorbed into the product finder when we launched a new website around four years ago. 

Since then, we now have the “Solarveil Calculator” which helps formulators get estimations of SPF and use levels required when formulating with our range of UV filters. We also have the “Moonshine Effect Pigments tool” which is a dedicated tool for colour cosmetic formulators selecting effect pigments. The most recent innovation is our “SenStories Selector tool” which helps formulators to create the desired sensory experience based on consumer specific language using our range of emulsifiers. All  our tools are available to all website users without having a customer account. 

We are passionate about ingredent transparency and empowering customers with as much data as possible so they can make informed decisions on cosmetics ingred-ients. All tools, including our product finder and formulation finder are constantly expanding the data available. The product finder has seamless sample ordering and an extensive range of literature.

Our “Solaveil calculator” has evolved so SPF and use level calculations can be done by using up to four different UV filters to help the formulator make an accurate selection for their formulation. With all our tools, we use digital and customer insights to understand how they are being used and how we can further enhance them.

Platform for customers

Our customers have access to a variety of digital tools that help them select the right ingredient for their formulations. Our “Clarify” platform comprises selection guides for various ingredient types such as preservatives and preservation boosters, emulsifiers, or mild surfactants, and provides a view of our portfolio regarding sustainability labels and renewable carbon index (RCI).

We believe the selection guides provide a real value to formulators looking for certain attributes in ingredients by reducing the time needed to search for specific technical data, sensorial aspects, or labelling information. Until recently, all selection guides on our tool were accessible freely to all website users. With the launch of our new customer portal, however, the tools are now only available to users of the portal along with other exclusive content.

Our tools have been developed to allow customers a quick and easy way to navigate our portfolio depending on their specific requirements. For example, when looking for a preservative, formulators can select by parameters such as pH range and organisms, but also include required regulations and certifications such as Cosmos, amongst many others. Once a suitable product has been identified, samples can by ordered easily, and a knowledgeable contact is only one click away.

Customers have appreciated these tools from the start, and we’ll continue to roll out more selection guides in the future. Next, our customers can expect a revamped selection guide for our surfactants where we will not only simplify the selection process itself, but also provide a sustainability profile as well as additional sensory and foam data for each of the ingredients, comparing them to market alternatives.

Accelerating time to market

One of our first tools was the “Sunscreen Simulator”, a digital lab that enables formulators to explore the performance of sunscreens under development. By now, the tool has undergone several major updates and is considered a recognised industry benchmark for over 20 years. 

2006 saw the launch of our website, which we designed based on customer surveys. It features a closed area exclusively for our customers, offering e.g., additional product data and formulation sheets for download. Thanks to smart filtering, our “Actives Product Finder” and our “Sustainability Product Finder” allow users to systematically search our ingredient portfolio based on various criteria, related to e.g., efficacy, naturalness, or important eco-labels. 

The “Emollient Jockey”, of which an updated version is soon to come, helps users compare the characteristics and performance of individual emollients and thus improves the product design experience for our customers. It is also part of our new digital service platform called “D’lite”. Launched in 2021, this digital service provides subscribers with multiple realtime data sources like brand analytics and consumer insights, and combines them with our concepts, products, and formulations. It thus helps users identify whites spots and significantly speeds up product development and time to market.

We have extended our digital offerings not only to allow customers to discover and explore, but also to purchase online. 

For our tools, we are seeing a steady increase in user access and are therefore constantly developing our digital portfolio. Above all, customers value the speed they gain from our offerings.

Of course, 24/7 service is one of the great advantages of digital tools. But for us, another factor is even more important: we not only want to make collaboration and communication with our customers easier, but above all, we want to make their lives easier. This is exactly what “D’lite”  is there for: it saves time – one of the most precious resources of our age.