BASF develops Retinol 50, a new grade of retinol delivering stability performance without the addition of BHA and BHT

• Retinol 50 allows brands to comply with many industry clean lists more easily due to the removal of ingredients of concern
• Retinol 50 has similar stability to BASF’s Retinol 50C without BHA/BHT. Both grades contain high active loads of ~50% retinol
• Retinol 50 offers flexibility for product developers to further stabilize final formulations

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, July 26, 2023 – To meet the rapidly growing demand for more clean-conscious beauty solutions, BASF has developed Retinol 50, which does not include BHA or BHT and therefore, is better aligned with industry clean beauty lists. BHA and BHT are considered ingredients of concern among some consumers and have been included on many clean beauty lists in the Personal Care industry such as Clean at Sephora and Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty^™.

“With the addition of Retinol 50 to our portfolio, BASF continues to meet consumer and industry requirements for clean-conscious beauty products,” said Nader Mahmoud, Vice President Business Management for Personal Care North America. “As a key supplier of retinol to the market, BASF Care Chemicals must continue to optimize our portfolio and innovate for the market demands of today and the future.”

Innovation in the retinol space remains a focus for BASF. Retinol 50 is the most recent addition to BASF’s broad portfolio of retinol offerings. These include grades suitable for different use cases, allowing formulators to make selections based on their desired claim space and target demographic.

With this launch, BASF Personal Care is expanding its offering of clean-conscious beauty solutions in the well-aging category aimed to improve the signs of aging, as well as addressing future challenges around sustainability, digitalization and innovation, the cornerstones to Care 360°– Solutions for Sustainable Life.

About the Care Chemicals division at BASF

The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are a leading global supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.