The distributor of speciality chemicals and ingredients is enhancing its technical services and capabilities with the opening of two new expert facilities in the UK. The Centre of Excellence for hair care & toiletries, serving EMEA customers, and the Beauty Studio for skincare, serving UK markets, have been launched to bolster IMCD’s growing global network of technical support for beauty and personal care innovation.

These new facilities complement IMCD’s three existing UK-based application laboratories.

Hair care & toiletries

The newly launched Centre of Excellence for hair care & toiletries, located in Milton Keynes, UK, is the first of its kind for IMCD in Europe. The facility is dedicated to supporting manufacturers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in developing high-performance hair care and toiletry products. The Centre provides advanced testing, bespoke formulation development, and comprehensive ingredient analysis.

With specialised features such as a salon set-up for half-head tests and sensory analysis on various hair types, the Centre offers precise formulation development for shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments, and toiletries.

Beauty Studio for skincare

Complementing the Centre of Excellence, the new Beauty Studio for skincare was designed to streamline the development process for UK customers. It offers pre-formulated chassis that can be customised with active ingredients and sensory enhancers. This allows beauty brands, contract manufacturers, and consultants to develop new skincare products with reduced risks, lower costs, and a faster time-to-market.

The UK Beauty Studio is poised to expand its capabilities to include haircare and toiletries, further strengthening IMCD’s offering for the personal care market.

IMCD’s Beauty & Personal Care business group is supported by a worldwide network of 21 Technical Centres, including 13 Beauty Studios, 16  Application Laboratories, and 5 Centres of Excellence specialising in areas such as skincare, haircare, toiletries, suncare, and colour cosmetics. This global infrastructure allows the group to collaborate closely with customers in spaces operating as innovation incubators for co-creation of bespoke formulation development, and providing them with cutting-edge testing capabilities, and advanced product prototyping. “The result is faster time-to-market for new beauty products, backed by robust technical and regulatory expertise,” said IMCD.

The ‘Boost My Cycle’ concept awarded at SCS Formula

IMCD was recognised with the Laura Marshall Award for Technology and Disruption for its Boost My Cycle concept presented at the SCS Formulate show in Coventry, England.

A four-in-one solution that addresses the complex relationship between menstrual cycles and skin health. Developed by the Beauty & Personal Care technical team of IMCD in the UK, the formulation is designed to adapt to the dynamic changes skin undergoes throughout the menstrual cycle.

More about Boost My Cycle here.