Evonik acquires sustainable botanicals pioneer Botanica

Finalised in November 2021, the acquisition will see Botanica integrated into the Care Solutions business line within Evonik’s life sciences division Nutrition & Care. Botanica has a presence in Switzerland, France and Germany, and is considered a European leader in sustainable botanical extracts for the personal care industry.

Prior to this acquisition, Evonik purchased a number of other businesses with strong synergies. These include the cosmetic delivery systems company Infinitec Activos (2021), the biotech company innoHealth (2020), Wilshire Technologies (2020) and Alkion Biopharma (2016). By leveraging the synergies of these complementary technology platforms, Evonik is enhancing its entire product portfolio, opening new markets and accelerating its growth.

Boosted portfolio of system solutions

By drawing on Botanica’s knowledge of plants and its extraction competence, Evonik will innovate a wide range of sustainable base extracts to strengthen its broad portfolio of actives. The active ingredient market is of great significance to Evonik as 40% to 50% of the market is made up of botanicals.

Botanica’s highly customisable extracts will also boost the portfolio of unique system solutions offered by the Care Solutions business line. The division Nutrition & Care aims to increase its share of system solutions from 20% to more than 50% by 2030.

“Botanica’s outstanding track record in customisation and sustainable sourcing and production aligns perfectly with our goals to become the sustainable specialties partner,” says Yann D´Hèrvé, head of Evonik’s Care Solutions business line.

Sustainability, a guiding business principle

The sustainable and fair-trade practices underlying Botanica’s philosophy are renowned worldwide. This outstanding ethical profile matches the strategy of Nutrition & Care, which has made sustainability its guiding business principle.

“Finding a strong partner with a trusted sustainability record can be challenging. With Evonik we feel confident that Botanica can continue to operate according to our philosophy, while bringing our high-quality plant extracts to a wider customer base,” says Andreas Wälti, managing director of Botanica.

Special products and extraction methods

• Extractive: Plant extracts as natural products are multi-component mixtures and contain a range of substances. Using its knowledge of the primary marker compounds or substance groups in many plants, Botanica has developed the Extractive® range of plant extracts, in which a minimum amount of typical marker compound is guaranteed and measured by effect (antioxidant potential, colour etc.).

• Water distillates: This interesting range of extracts is based on water as carrier material. The water distillates are obtained using a gentle distillation process. Compliant with natural guidelines for cosmetics, sodium benzoate, ethanol or cinnamon extract is used as a preservative. Depending on the plant part used, the INCI designation is fruit water, leaf water, root water, bark water, seed water, bud water, peel water or flower water.

• Mushrooms: These so-called “eukaryotic” organisms form an independent kingdom in addition to that of plants and animals. Botanica has compiled a new list of raw materials with different mushrooms, which can be ordered with different carriers.

• Milks and emulsions: Milk is a white, turbid mixture of proteins, lactose and milk fat in water, while the emulsions are based, for example, on lecithin, which is an emulsifier that helps to solubilise insoluble liquids such as water and oil. Milky mixtures reflect and scatter light in all directions. Our eyes perceive these reflexes as white.

Unrivalled expertise and traceable extracts

Botanica employs 43 people and was founded by the Wälti family in 1998. With a selection of over 1 000 different plants available for extraction, Botanica offers customers an unrivalled level of expertise and the power for innovation in formulation design.

The plant extracts are used for cosmetic formulations and are certified according to Swiss Organic Produce Regulation, ISO 9001 and CSE sustainability standard, including ISO 14001. Botanica’s plant extracts are even traceable back to the field. •