Inolex makes move to expand into Asian markets

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Economic growth Brand management China

Ingredients player Inolex is expanding its operations into some of the fast-growing Asian markets, as well as readying the launch of a natural silicones alternative.

The company is an established player in both the European and North American markets, where it has existing business units and operations, but the move into Asia aims to tap into faster market growth and significant business opportunities.

The move will see the company establish new sales and support offices in Japan, Thailand and China and will be backed up by a new branding campaign that will underline the company's increasingly global business perspective.

'Forward-thinking approach'

“Inolex has risen rapidly to the forefront of ingredients innovation, and our brand reflects that,”​ said Conrad Plimpton, chairman of Inolex.

“It represents our forward-thinking approach to formulating with naturals and to helping our clients stay on top of the important consumer and regulatory trends.”

In particular the move will be expected to target incredible growth in the huge China and India markets, where economic progress and an increasingly affluent consumer have helped fuel double-digit annual growth in the cosmetic and personal care categories in recent years.

Targeting these markets is helping a lot of international businesses in the cosmetics arena to overcome stagnant sales in the more developed markets, where economic development has been significantly curtailed in recent years.

New range of silicone alternatives

The company says it is also looking to expand its brand portfolio with the launch of a new silicone alternative, Lex-Feel N-Series, which will be launched at next month’s in-cosmetics show, to be held in Barcelona, Spain.

The range has been developed specifically around its sensory qualities, with the lightest of the six variants, LexFeel N5, said to have a sensory profile similar to that of the silicone-based ingredient cyclomethicone D5, often used in skin care formulations.

The other versions in the range include LexFeel N20, N50, N100, N200 and N350, which are all said to be very similar in character to dimethicones. Likewise, the entire range is all-natural and complies with a number of green chemistry principles.

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