Optical Brighteners Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Chemical (Triazine-stilbenes, Coumarins, Imidazolines, Diazoles, Triazoles, Benzoxazolines, Biphenyl-stilbenes), By Application (Paper, Textiles, Paints, Detergent, Cosmetics, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The optical brighteners market is estimated to be valued at US$657.491 million in 2020.

Optical brighteners are the chemicals that make fabric appear to glow or fluoresce in the presence of ultraviolet light, also known as fluorescent brighteners or simply brighteners. Growing laundry and cleaning services are considered to be the key drivers for market growth in the forecast period. These chemicals are utilized in paper, textiles, medical diagnostics, and other applications. Hence, the rapid expansion of the textile, chemical, and paper industries is also expected to fuel the market’s demand in the forecast period.

Increased applications of optical brighteners

The optical brighteners are regulated by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) when used in materials coming into contact with food in the form of plastic and paper packaging. In the case of use for other purposes, for example, when used in the cleaning industry, it is monitored by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). According to an article by the EPA partnership program, “Key Characteristics of Laundry Detergents”, Design for the Environment, DFE, these brighteners may be toxic to mankind. Some are known to cause developmental and reproductive effects, these include amino triazine and stilbene-based whiteners. However, further investigations need to be carried out in order to provide confirmatory results. Hence, such concerns might hamper the market’s growth in the forecast period. Also, these brighteners are not capable of immediate biodegradation and hence may contribute to bioaccumulation, posing a threat to the aquatic fauna. Also, in the case of photodegradation of these brighteners, the metabolites generated are not yet known, hence, their true environmental impacts are also unknown.

However, efforts are being made in the development of green alternatives for textile whitening, and this may continue to sustain the market’s growth in the upcoming years.

Product Offerings

• BASF optical brighteners include Tinopal® which appears brighter than the light that strikes them. The applications include clear and pigmented lacquers, paints, molded thermoplastics, films and sheets, printing inks, synthetic leather, ultraviolet tracer, photo processing solutions, adhesives, and fibers. The company’s Xymara™ markers are the first range of inorganic UV fluorescent pigments that provide high-quality, high-value-added effects for applications that include thin layer chromatography, overprint varnishes, and printing inks.

The surging geriatric population worldwide is one of the major drivers driving the growth of the global cosmetics market with the growth of cosmetic chemicals, including brighteners.

 The growth is driven by the desire to look young and beautiful, and this is attracting customers at a global level, resulting in providing several anti-ageing and personal care commodities. The increasing purchasing power coupled with the evolving living standards of the population worldwide, especially in the emerging economies of the world, has further raised the demand for grooming products to look appealing and attractive. The growing e-commerce industry worldwide is further strengthening the cosmetic market’s growth in the forecast period and in the coming years. The main reason for the growth of the e-commerce sector is due to the easy access to varied cosmetic products from many international brands. Additionally, the market players in the global cosmetic industry are investing heavily in research and development to provide innovative and enhanced product portfolios to a range of customers worldwide. This will have a positive impact on the growth of the global cosmetics and personal care industry.

Key Developments

• BASF announced the expansion of its business in Monthey, Switzerland by increasing the production capacity for Tinopal® CBS optical brighteners in July 2019. The million-euro investment by BASF was used to increase the capacity stepwise until 2022, as per the company. This expansion is aimed at accelerating leadership in the growing market reports BASF.
• In May 2022, Brenntag specialties announced an agreement with Archroma, a specialty chemical and optical brightener producer. The agreement focuses on adding Archroma’s specialty products to the existing products portfolio of Brenntag in the US and Canada. This is expected to further enhance the company’s ability to provide world-class optical brightener solutions to customers.

The global optical brighteners industry is projected to soar with a significant growth rate during the tenure of the forecast period due to the flourishing beauty industry.

Hence, the increasing interest in cosmetics is being realized among many women at the international level, hence, this is serving as one of the main drivers driving the utilization of cosmetic products on a large scale. The high use of cosmetics and personal care products is mainly attributed to the fact that these women love to explore a range of beauty products available in the market, resulting in high market demand for cosmetics. This is further poised to propagate the market growth in the forecast period. Additionally, the introduction of several independent brands with new and innovative ideas in the cosmetics sector to remain or become beautiful is expected to drive the cosmetics industry’s growth in the forecast period.

The booming cosmetics craze is being realized among the younger generation in addition to being realized among older adults as well. Hence, manufacturers are offered opportunities for the production of cosmetic goods, enhancing the economies of scale with high market demand for cosmetic products. The availability of cosmetic solutions on a large scale includes instant fix solutions, skin brightening creams and lotions, and other skin products which are becoming quite common these days. This is majorly due to the high adoption among the older generation, who desire to look good and hence, are ready to pay a high price for premium cosmetics. The reason for high adoption is the growing disposable income in the developing regions of the world and high disposable income in the developed regions. Also, the presence of a geriatric population with high health awareness is further augmenting the market demand for cosmetics and personal care goods.

The optical brighteners market in the APAC region is expected to witness rapid growth in the forecast period owing to rapid industrialization and expansion of the textile, chemical, and paper industries.

Geographically, North America and Europe are projected to hold a significant market share in the global cosmetic industry. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific region is expected to soar in the forecast period and is expected to be the fastest-growing region with a high CAGR. The presence of a large number of chemical manufacturers in the North American region is burgeoning the demand for cosmetic chemicals required in cosmetic manufacturing, thus surging the market growth in the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to fuel a high market growth rate with the growing interest of consumers in enhancing their physical appearance in addition to improving their personal hygiene. Also, a large consumer base with a growing middle-class population and increasing family income is further adding to the market growth in the forecast period. Furthermore, the growing commercialization of several international brands is propagating the increase in sales of cosmetic products through e-commerce.

COVID-19 Impact on Optical Brighteners Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has positively impacted the optical brightener market. In the context of cleaning and disinfecting, the habits of consumers have changed during the pandemic. As per the CDC report, cleaning alone removes most virus particles from surfaces. The consciousness of personal hygiene and cleanliness has increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. This behaviour stimulated the demand for laundry and household cleaning products, ultimately resulting in higher demand for optical brighteners as they are used in detergent and related cleaning products. However, supply chain disruption and shutdown of companies were expected to hinder the manufacturing process of optical brighteners affecting the overall market. 

Optical Brighteners Market Scope:

Segmentation

• By Chemical
  • Triazine-stilbenes
  • Coumarins
  • Imidazolines
  • Diazoles
  • Triazoles
  • Benzoxazolines
  • Biphenyl-stilbenes
• By Application
  • Paper
  • Textiles
  • Paints
  • Detergent
  • Cosmetics
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Indonesia
    • Others

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the size of the global optical brighteners market?
A1. Optical Brighteners Market was valued at US$657.491 million in 2020. 

Q2. Who are the major players in the optical brighteners market?
A2. Prominent key market players in the optical brighteners market include BASF SE, 3V Sigma USA Inc., Huntsman International LLC, Archroma Management GmbH, and Clariant, among others.

Q3. How is the global optical brighteners market segmented?
A3. The global optical brighteners market has been segmented by chemical, application, and geography.

Q4. What factors are anticipated to drive the optical brighteners market growth?
A4. Growing laundry and cleaning services is considered to be the key driver for optical brighteners market growth in the forecast period. 

Q5. Which region holds the largest market share in the optical brighteners market?
A5. Geographically, North America and Europe are projected to hold a significant share in the optical brighteners market.