German chemicals giant BASF is stepping up operations at one of its Upstate facilities in 2019 to enable production of pearlizers and opacifiers used in cosmetic products.
The capacity addition will allow the company to meet the increasing demand for pearlizers and opacifiers, improve supply reliability, and reduce lead times in North America. Aside from pearlizers and opacifiers, the new asset will manufacture additional specialty blends for the personal care market.
The line will be at BASF’s Mauldin site, located in The Golden Strip of Greenville County. While this is a big production step for BASF, this also opens the door for additional manufacturing of specialty blends in the personal care market.
Danielle Piergentili, vice president at BASF Home & Personal Care, North America, said in a statement that “with shortened cycles for product launches and changing demands due to the rise of e-commerce, our customers need a fast and flexible supply of personal care ingredients. The investment in our Mauldin site will improve the supply performance of our Personal Care Solutions portfolio.”
Pearlizers and opacifiers do a lot for the cosmetics industry. They provide specialty blends that are essential for 
obtaining luster, shimmering effects such as highlight, and opacity in certain products. If you own any sort of facial cream, there is a high chance the cream contains opacifiers. The substance is used to lend products that creamy looking appearance with an exceptional consistency.
On the other hand, pearlizers offer the shimmering effects and luster in cosmetic products. The luster effect is a mix between microfine crystalline compounds used to reflect light waves from the sun. This chemical can be found in certain powders and highlight pallets. Pearlizers are also used in personal care products such as shampoos and shower gels that often create the gelling effect.
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