BASF showcases inspiring textures and new cosmetic ingredients
at SEPAWA Congress 2025
- #TextureVibes concept combines scientific expertise with creative formulation design
- New water-soluble UVA filter Uvinul® TS Hydro supports the creation of light and effective sun care formulations
- Additional product highlights are the natural styling polymer Verdessence® Maize, and Lamesoft® OP Plus, a wax-based opacifier dispersion
Berlin, Germany – October 7, 2025 – At this year’s SEPAWA Congress, taking place from October 15 to 17 in Berlin, Germany, BASF will present its latest innovations for the cosmetics industry, continuing on its path Beyond Beauty with the launch of #TextureVibes – a concept inspired by social media trends and the evolving preferences of Gen Z and Generation Alpha.
“Social media influencers play a major role in shaping today’s consumer behavior. To stay relevant, beauty brands must adapt quickly to shifting expectations,” said Anja Stork, Senior Marketing Manager, Personal Care at BASF. “With #TextureVibes, we offer unique sensory experiences that reflect diverse consumer trends and values.”
Combining scientific expertise with creative formulation design, BASF introduces trending textures powered by technologies like LtO (Lotion-to-Oil), transforming ordinary skin care routines into intense well-being moments. The lineup includes a face serum, sprayable butter, peel-off-mask, oil gel-to-shower cream, multi-phase conditioner, weightless sun care serum, and more.
Selected formulations have been evaluated using BASF’s MindMotion approach, which measures how personal care products affect consumers’ emotional well-being. BASF experts will present the new concept along with the company’s latest product launches at booth F843-844, 854-855.
Uvinul® TS Hydro: UVA Filter for Light and Effective Sun Care Formulations
With Uvinul® TS Hydro (INCI: Terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid – TDSA), BASF introduces a water-soluble UVA filter with extended UVB absorption that supports the creation of lighter yet effective sun care formulations. It enables a balanced UV filter distribution in the oil and water phases, maximizing UV protection.
By lowering the dependence on oil-soluble filters, Uvinul® TS Hydro reduces the need for a high emollient content usually required for solubilizing crystalline UV-filters. This gives flexibility to formulators when designing their sunscreen composition and sensory.
The filter’s ease of handling and excellent compatibility with other ingredients enables its use across a wide range of applications. Performance tests showed that Uvinul® TS Hydro significantly increased not only the UVA-PF but also the SPF, indicating an improved broad-spectrum protection against UV radiation.
Lamesoft® OP Plus: Wax-based Opacifier Dispersion for Pure Whiteness
BASF’s wax-based and readily biodegradable opacifier dispersion, Lamesoft® OP Plus (INCI: Coco-Glucoside (and) Glycol Distearate (and) Glyceryl Oleate), has a high natural origin content (NOC = 92.3%–98.5%) and can be used as an alternative to persistent, acrylate-based ingredients.
It is characterized by its high-opacifying efficacy, and offers additional care benefits in rinse-off applications while ensuring easy formulation and cold processing. Performance tests indicate that it significantly reduces wet/dry combing effort while enhancing anti-hair breakage performance.
Verdessence® Maize: Natural Styling Polymer for Lightweight Formulations
BASF’s plant-based styling ingredient Verdessence® Maize (INCI: Hydrolyzed Corn Starch) is the company’s latest addition to its range of biopolymers, and a readily biodegradable alternative to PVP and VP/VA polymers.
Being 100% derived from renewable feedstocks, it is perfectly suited for natural and organic cosmetics, and can be used in various applications, especially mousses with a cloud-like foam texture and crystal-clear pump sprays.
Performance assessments revealed that Verdessence® Maize delivered comparable bending stiffness and curl retention in both pump mousse and pump spray formats, matching the results of formulations containing synthetic polymers.
Presentations by BASF Experts at SEPAWA Congress 2025
| Date & Time | BASF Expert | Topic | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 15, 2025<br>9:05–10:00 a.m. | Prof. Dr. Andreas Künkel (BASF), Prof. Dr. Michael Zumstein (University of Vienna) | The Role of Microbiology for Biodegradation of Water-Soluble Polymers in Different Environmental Systems | Room 15, Cosmetic Science Conference |
| October 15, 2025<br>11:15–11:45 a.m. | Dr. Sandip Bhattacharya | Optimizing High-Performance Surfactant Solutions: A Machine Learning Approach to Predicting Physicochemical and Sensory Properties | Room 15, Cosmetic Science Conference |
| October 16, 2025<br>9:45–10:00 a.m. | Stanislaw Krus | Regulatory Cha(lle)nges in Suncare and its Consequences in Formulations | Room 12+13, Forum for Innovation |
