Interview with Ashland
Interview with
Ashland
What key consumer or regulatory trends inspired your latest product launches, and how do they address emerging needs?
Our new launches — effisin™ em natural multifunctional and phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional — were shaped by three converging trends that are redefining preservation and multifunctionality in personal care:
Growing demand for naturality & transparency
Consumers increasingly expect products with 100% natural-origin ingredients, minimalist INCI lists, and clean‑label preservation systems. Effisin™ em natural multifunctional addresses this directly with ISO 16128‑compliant naturality, full water solubility, and exceptionally low use levels that simplify preservation in natural formulations.
Rising pressure on conventional preservatives
Regulators continue tightening restrictions on traditional chemistries, including sensitizers and controversial actives. Both launches provided are designed with current legal implications and consumer expectations in mind.
effisin™ em natural multifunctional offers biodegradability, GRAS status, and broad applicability across product formats.
phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional extends the well‑recognized antioxidant benefits of phyteq™ raspberry multifunctional with enhanced antimicrobial performance, offering brands an alternative multifunctional that supports gentler preservation strategies.
Demand for multifunctionals that support skin wellness
As “skin‑kind,” “microbiome‑friendly,” and “well‑aging” claims accelerate, brands require ingredients that do more than protect the product.
phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional provides antioxidant, well‑aging, barrier‑supporting, and skin soothing properties.
effisin™ em natural multifunctional strengthens preservation systems without compromising skin gentleness, making it suitable even for baby, sensitive skin, and oral care.
Together, these innovations help formulators meet modern expectations for safety, transparency, and performance while staying ahead of regulatory evolution.
Why are different antimicrobial solutions crucial, and how do these two differ in efficacy, stability, or flexibility?
A single preservative solution can no longer address the wide diversity of formulation formats and regulatory constraints. That’s why a toolbox approach is essential — and why these two launches complement each other so effectively.
effisin™ em natural multifunctional — the natural antifungal booster
- Offers strong antifungal boosting at extremely low levels (0.05–0.2%)
- Effective across pH 3–8, enabling standardized use across broad product ranges
- Fully water‑soluble, making incorporation easy in everything from shampoos to creams
- Helps reduce reliance on classical preservatives in low‑preservative or natural systems
phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional — the multifunctional skin‑benefit booster
- Provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial synergy together with enhanced antioxidant, well‑aging, and skin soothing properties
- Cold‑processable and easy to integrate
- Gentle to native skin flora — ideal for sensitive skin or premium positioning
Why both matter?
Effisin™ em natural multifunctional solves the technical challenge of antifungal boosting in natural and complex systems, while phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional supports a holistic, skin‑wellness‑oriented preservation strategy. This gives formulators flexibility to build preservation strategies tailored to system architecture, desired claims, and regulatory constraints.
How do these new antimicrobials comply with today’s regulatory environment, and what testing supports their claims?
Both launches were developed with global compliance and customer needs in mind.
effisin™ em natural multifunctional
- 100% natural origin, biodegradable, and GRAS, reducing regulatory hurdles
- Low required use levels support clean‑label formulations and help brands meet naturality benchmarks
- Tested for antifungal boosting performance, stability across pH and formulation types, and compatibility with sensitive applications, including baby and oral care
phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional
Built on the established safety foundation of phyteq™ raspberry multifunctional, expanded with broader antimicrobial performance subjected to:
- broad‑spectrum antimicrobial efficacy testing
- skin‑related in vitro assays demonstrating antioxidant, well‑aging, barrier‑support and skin-soothing activity
- formulation compatibility assessments in both leave‑on and rinse‑off formats
Together, these solutions offer high safety margins, global applicability, and robust technical documentation — allowing formulators to meet today’s compliance demands while preparing for tomorrow’s stricter environment.
How do these ingredients perform in real-world formulation challenges, and what feedback have you received from early development partners?
effisin™ em natural multifunctional
Developers consistently highlight its exceptional ease-of-use and strong antifungal boosting even at very low levels. It performs reliably in:
- high‑natural formulations with shifting pH
- low‑preservative and alternative‑preservation concepts
- challenging systems like sunscreens or toothpastes
Partners appreciated its ability to standardize preservation across entire product lines, reducing cost and complexity while simplifying regulatory workflows.
phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional
Formulators praise its multifunctionality and gentle profile, especially in premium skincare and sensitive-skin lines. In real‑world testing, it demonstrated:
- strong boosting of broad‑spectrum protection
- consistent stability in cold‑process formulations
- noticeable support for skin barrier comfort
Partners reported that its dual function — antimicrobial synergy plus skin‑wellness benefits — allowed them to simplify formulas, enhance claims, and reduce the total number of raw materials.
Looking ahead, how do these launches fit into your broader strategy in the personal care antimicrobial segment, and what future innovations can formulators expect from you?
Both effisin™ em natural multifunctional and phyteq™ raspberry plus multifunctional mark important steps in our long‑term strategy to redefine preservation in personal care through naturality, multifunctionality, and skin‑wellness–aligned performance.
Building a forward-looking preservation ecosystem
Our strategy is to shift from traditional preservative solutions toward flexible, globally applicable multifunctionals that enable formulators to build robust preservation systems while meeting clean‑label, naturality, and skin‑health expectations.
Antimicrobial support with antioxidant, well‑aging, and barrier‑protective benefits.
Together, they anchor a broader move toward holistic preservation, where product protection, formulation flexibility, and skin wellness coexist seamlessly.
What formulators can expect next?
Our innovation pipeline is focused on technologies that elevate preservation while aligning with future market and regulatory needs. Upcoming developments include:
Next‑generation bio‑based antimicrobial actives
Sustainable, high‑purity molecules derived from renewable sources to further reduce reliance on traditional preservatives.
Multifunctionals with advanced skin‑wellness benefits
Ingredients that combine antimicrobial performance with barrier‑support, soothing, or antioxidant properties to support increasingly wellness‑driven brand stories.
Optimized preservation systems
Synergistic blends tailored for modern and demanding formulations addressing latest consumer trends while providing state-of-the-art protection.
™ is owned by Ashland
https://www.ashland.com/industries/personal-and-home-care/antimicrobials
