Natural Plant Products Completes Guide Formulations Lab at Salem Headquarters

Cosmetics application lab incorporates the company’s unique botanical oils to develop skincare guide formulations to meet industry need.

Salem, OR ─ December 13, 2016 ─ Natural Plant Products, Inc. (NPP) a producer of natural botanical oils/extracts from USA-based co-op member farms, has completed construction of a 125 square foot cosmetics applications lab at their Salem, OR headquarters. The lab will allow development of guide formulations incorporating NPP’s unique range of vegetable oils as well as facilitate further efficacy research on those products. The lab represented a sizeable investment for NPP and one CEO, Mike Martinez and the Board of Directors weighed carefully. “This was a big deal for a coop of our size,” says Martinez. “But, since our charter is to market and sell as much of our members’ product as possible, shortening the gap between harvested oil and end-product development and manufacture directly supports that mandate.”

As part of this expansion, NPP has extended a long time relationship with contract formulator Joan Kappes of Kappes Consulting (M.Sc., University of Cincinnati) and immediately tasked Kappes with a long list of guide formulations to complete this year.

Having recently contracted third party research on both the oxidative stability of NPP’s flagship Meadowfoam Seed Oil (MSO) and a sensory panel on both MSO and NPP’s up-and-coming Daikon Seed Extract, Kappes is very conversant with both products’ unique properties and how to leverage them effectively in her formulation work.

“The recent studies have underscored how Meadowfoam Seed Oil can effectively extend the shelf-life of products blended with other less stable natural oils,” says Kappes. “That opens up possibilities for really stable, naturally-based formulations. And both MSO and Daikon Seed Extract’s unique textures will be key in developing a range of formulations that we think will be of interest to K-Beauty formulators, where consumers are particularly texture-sensitive.”

The lab is well-equipped with an industrial grade hood, hot plate and homogenizer, deionized water system, oven, freezer and dishwasher. “It’s a pleasure to work in a brand new, well-constructed lab,” says Kappes, previously of Alliance Packaging and 3M. “It’s a great environment in which to complete this sort of work.”

This innovative solution, taken by an ingredient producer trying to address and accelerate potential in the market is one Martinez is banking will pay off in increased product sales of NPP’s botanical oils and extracts for their member farms.

“In personal care, product development cycles are compressing, forcing many industry formulators to rely increasingly on guide formulations to expedite the delivery of their own formulations,” says Martinez. “By preparing and testing guide formulations ourselves we are hoping to tangibly help formulators get their own products to market that much faster.”

About Natural Plant Products, Inc.
Natural Plant Products, Inc. is the manufacturing and marketing subsidiary of OMG, a cooperative of multi-generational farms in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, USA. This relationship ensures that OMG growers receive a fair return for their crop and helps to preserve the regional agricultural community. The vertically integrated nature of the organization ensures supply of NPP’s specialty raw materials, allows company personnel to implement multiple quality control procedures at each step in production, and guarantees operating transparency. Additionally, the cooperative dedicates a staff agronomist to support, monitor, and maximize sustainable crop production.
Learn more at https://www.meadowfoam.com

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