Health, Hygiene & Beauty

For safer living

The health, hygiene, and beauty markets play a major role in daily wellness in our societies, and their finished products have to combine effectiveness and imagination.

Increasingly High-Tech Hygiene Products

Domestic and personal hygiene is our best line of defense. Chlorine is an excellent bulwark against the potential harm of disease-causing viruses and bacteria that may be found in drinking water. Sodium hypochlorite, or Arkema’s highly effective Bactivel® bleach, is recognized for its effectiveness and is still one of the best disinfectants available.

Arkema enhances wellness with increasingly high-tech products. AquaKeep® superabsorbents, for example, are used extensively in diapers and feminine hygiene products.

Acrylic and acrovinyl emulsions paved the way for impregnated non-woven fabrics, used in cleansing/refreshing wipes, dressings with active ingredients and fabric softener sheets.

Arkema's Cristamid® polyamide, Kynar® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Kynar Flex® PVDF, Pebax® resins, Orgasol® powders, Platamid® hot melt adhesives, Rilsan® fine powder, and Rilsan® polyamide 11 & 12 are used in a variety of health and personal care applications.

A Wide Range of Health Products

The pharmaceutical industry makes extensive use of synthesis intermediates to manufacture drugs. The various specialty chemicals made by organic synthesis employ chlorochemicals, thiochemicals, castor oil derivatives, organic products and hydrogen peroxide.

Arkema supplies health manufacturers with a broad array of products containing hundreds of reagents, solvents, and synthesis intermediates, featuring specific properties:

• Pebax® resin is used extensively in the medical industry, particularly in medical delivery catheters. Due to its intrinsic flexibility (no plasticizers), good touch, excellent processability, and enhanced torque transfer, Pebax® resin is an outstanding choice for the medical instrument field. Medical grades of Pebax® Resin can be sterilized using various methods, are RF weldable, and have a USP class VI clearance.

• With Lotryl® resin, Arkema functionalized polyolefins offer a range of ethylene-acrylic ester copolymers that meet the very specific needs of this fast-changing market.

• Everything from IV fluid and blood bags to medication packaging, catheters, and infusion lines is made with Lacovyl® PVC and Nakan® PVC compound. And many kinds of lenses, as well as incubators and toothbrushes, are made with PMMA.

• We also make drug delivery easier with transdermal patches that use Pebax® resin.

• Arkema's wide range of alkyl amines and alkyl alkanolamines offers nearly 40 intermediates for pharmaceutical synthesis. Our broad line of mono, di, and tri-substituted alkyl amines has led to the synthesis of hundreds of useful pharmaceuticals. Amines are the basic raw materials or intermediates for some of the most important drugs today.

Innovation: a Key Ingredient in Beauty Products

As a source of innovation and progress, chemistry has earned its forefront place in the world of beauty. Arkema’s expertise in synthesis and formulation and our commitment to offering a constantly enhanced line of products gives us the flexibility and responsiveness the cosmetology and fragrance industries need:

• Thioglycolic acid is used to formulate depilatory creams and permanent wave solutions.

• Orgasol® ultrafine powders, incorporated into foundation and face powder to improve texture, also act as skin treatment agents.

• Flexible and non-allergenic Rilsan® monofilaments are used in both toothbrushes and mascara wands.

• Luperox® A75 (Dibenzoyl peroxide) are used in acne cream.