US silicones maker Momentive has opened its European Application Development Centre for Beauty and Personal Care in the UK.
The 300 square meters facility in town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, England includes the company’s Haircare Centre of Excellence and the Application Development Team for the region.
At the Haircare Centre of Excellence, Momentive is focused on carrying out performance tests supporting the development of innovative new raw materials for use in shampoos, conditioners, and leave on formulations.
State of the art labs and equipment allow for a wide range of testing capabilities to monitor performance including combability, heat protection, frizz-reduction, and shine.
The New York outfit said the facility extends Momentive’s capabilities to evaluate hair strength, movement, and fibre alignment.
A salon is also available for real-time evaluation of formulations on human volunteers or mannequin heads.
“The European Application Development Centre provides a base for the Application Development Team. This team of experienced formulation chemists works closely with Momentive’s distributors and customers in the understanding and use of the company’s range of personal care ingredients and the development of unique formulations meeting the demands of the European personal care market,” said a spokeswoman.
Jose Luis Conde, Vice President of Beauty and Personal Care for Momentive added:, “We are excited to bring together our European technical team in this excellent new location, inspiring innovation and cooperation on a new level.
“Our team of scientists and application development engineers have deep knowledge of cosmetic ingredients, and the new structure and equipment can bring even more value to our customers, as we increase our capabilities to run tests”
