Ashland Care Specialties' Supercol™ guar rheology modifier receives COSMOS certification

Wilmington, Del. - Ashland Care Specialties today announced that Ecocert, the global organic certification body, has verified that Supercol&#8482 GF guar and Supercol U guar rheology modifiers conform to its standards and those of COSMOS for natural cosmetics. The organizations certify finished personal care products as natural and organic based on the use of approved ingredients.

Supercol GF guar and Supercol U guar rheology modifiers are all-natural, high-purity, water-soluble guar gums that may be used to thicken personal care formulations. Supercol polymers are extracted from guar endosperm and supplied as powders of varying granulation and viscosity.

An ongoing trend toward naturally derived, sustainable ingredients in the personal care industry is driven by consumer interest in all-natural, eco-friendly products. Moreover, personal care formulators seek ingredients that support these trends and deliver required performance. Highly efficient Supercol GF guar and Supercol U guar are 100-percent plant-based polymers. Accordingly, they may be used in a wide range of personal care products.

About Ashland Specialty Ingredients
Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers industry-leading products, technologies and resources for solving formulation and product performance challenges in key markets including personal care, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, coatings and energy. Using natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers derived from plant and seed extract, cellulose ethers and vinyl pyrrolidones, Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers comprehensive and innovative solutions for today's demanding consumer and industrial applications.

About Ashland
In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Dianne Leipold
Ashland Care Specialties
Tel: +1 (302) 995-3229
dpleipold@ashland.com