Lubrizol Life Science Beauty Supporting Local Hospitals in Spain and US During COVID-19 Pandemic

Elena Cañadas, Global Marketing Director
Lubrizol Life Science Beauty

Lubrizol`s motto is: “we have a mission to improve lives”. During this global pandemic, how has Lubrizol been able to make this motto live?

First, we maximized production of the Carbopol® polymer, a thickening agent found in most hand sanitizing gels and cleansing applications, to assist with the global fight against COVID-19. In addition, our company has been making every effort to use its science to support the pandemic fight. Lubrizol in Barcelona is supporting health workers with hand creams; donating 7,000 hydrating and repairing hand creams to local hospitals, not only in Barcelona, but the U.S. as well.  

Globally, Lubrizol has been working to create hand sanitizers, medical gowns, face masks, medical devices and other items needed for the COVID-19 pandemic and has committed to donating $2 million to support COVID-19 needs.

What do you expect for the post-coronavirus world? 

In a post-coronavirus world, hygiene will be the primary consumer concern, so there will be higher consumer demand for products that focus on hygiene, cleanliness and protection. As frequent handwashing and sanitizing become the new norm, consumer need for hand care has increased significantly and will continue growing. 

Lubrizol Life Science (LLS) Beauty has a complete portfolio of ingredients and the formulation expertise to create hand cleansers and sanitizers, as well as hand creams that treat, soothe and protect hands. From surfactants to active ingredients, we have a full range of products to meet all formulator and consumer needs.

Many first-responders are not only dealing with the need for more effective disinfectants, but also the need to protect or calm the ‘stressed skin’. Going forward to implementing new hygiene guidelines how will you address this need to the global markets?

Our Spanish facility have developed, through the Accelerator Program – our finished goods service - special hand creams for hands damaged by frequent washing.  We have donated these hand creams to local hospitals to help health workers take care of themselves while they save lives. We have received a lot of positive comments from the users, they have even sent us before-and-after photos of using the cream! 

We’ve also donated some hand creams to U.S. hospitals, where it’s been well received. And now we also want to offer this highly effective formulation to customers so that they can get them to the consumer, and for each unit we sell to our clients we will donate one unit to hospitals.  

What are the hazards of frequent disinfection and hand washing?

Frequent handwashing can damage the barrier integrity of the skin, stripping away natural oils and causing hands to become dry, sore and irritated. As we wash our hands, we must also take care of them, keep them moisturized and with an intact barrier function. A wide range of our active ingredients can be used to provide these benefits. 

Busy hands can become damaged even under normal conditions. LLS-Beauty wants to celebrate our hands, helping with their hygiene and health, so we can enjoy them while taking care of ourselves.

Why are rheology modifiers and emollients important in future formulations? 

Rheology modifiers, such as our line of Carbopol® polymers, the heart of our portfolio, are critical for the formulation and texture of hand gel sanitizers. Several ingredients from the Carbopol® line can be used for this purpose. In addition to the rheology modifier, many sanitizers include emollients and humectants, such as Glucam® E20 or Hydramol® PGPL ester, that provide good aesthetics and tactile properties.

Has your business model changed in a now virtual reality of meeting your customers’ needs/demands?

We have been meeting the needs of our customers during these difficult months without compromising our rigorous focus on keeping our workers safe. Our plants have remained active and responsive to customer orders.

Our sales teams have continued to attend to customers electronically, and we have held several digital events to make sure we are coordinating our efforts and serving customers.

We will continue to look for ways to support our communities in these unprecedented moments and to offer our clients the innovative ingredients they need to face the new normal that is coming. 

 

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