Healthcare: Air Liquide announces the acquisition of Serdex to enlarge its offer of natural active ingredients

Air Liquide announces that its subsidiary Seppic, designer and supplier of specialty ingredients for health and beauty, recently finalized the acquisition of the Serdex division of Bayer. This acquisition strengthens Seppic’s footprint in natural active ingredients for cosmetics.

The global specialty active ingredients for cosmetics represent a market over €900 million, of which natural active ingredients are a fast growing segment. Building on the 2013 acquisition of BiotechMarine, specialized in natural substances for cosmetics manufacturers, the acquisition of Serdex adds new natural ingredients to Seppic’s portfolio, increasing its offer to meet the expectations of consumers for natural products.

Serdex, the specialist of botanical active ingredients for dermo-cosmetics and skin treatment, with a turnover of €8 million in 2015, has joined Seppic with its 40 employees, based in South-West France, Pau. Serdex brings to Seppic its expertise in high purity extraction, in sourcing of exotic plants, and its knowledge of Malagasy plants notably.

François Jackow, member of the Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee, supervising the Healthcare activities, said: “We warmly welcome Serdex teams. With this acquisition, Air Liquide strengthens its position in the market of active ingredients of natural origin, meeting the high and increasing demand of consumers for these ingredients. The complementarity of Serdex and Seppic allows us to widen our know-how to better serve our beauty care customers and continue the development of this eco-responsibly sourced active ingredients activity.”