Seppic triples natural extract capacity at Lons plant

Seppic has tripled production capacity for natural extracts at its Lons site near Pau, France, adding a 1,400 m2 building dedicated to ingredients that serve both the beauty and nutrition markets.

The expansion targets one product family above all: Ceramosides, wheat extracts rich in phytoceramides. These actives work in two formats — topical application and oral ingestion — and Seppic says clinical studies back their effects on anti-ageing, skin hydration and hair loss reduction. For salon professionals and formulators, that dual-use profile matters. It places the same lipids in leave-on skincare and in ingestible supplements, a channel hairdressers increasingly cross-sell.

Where the capacity sits

The new unit sits inside Seppic's eight-hectare Lons complex, which employs more than 50 people. The plant already ran Ceramosides production; the fresh 1,400 m2 of floor space triples what it can extract and ship. CEO Virginie Cavalli framed the build as both a demand response and a bet on the site itself.

"We are granting ourselves full capacity to meet the growing market demand and thus serve our customers even better," Cavalli said. "It is a major investment for the future, which also allows us to continue diversifying the activities of our Lons site, anchoring activity in the heart of local French territory."

How big is the ceramide market?

The numbers behind the build explain the timing. Ceramides have become a mainstream claim, not a niche one — the hashtag #ceramides has drawn more than 1.4 billion views on TikTok. On the nutrition side, Seppic cites a projected 6.9% CAGR for food supplements across 2024–2030.

Adoption already runs deep. The Ceramosides tradename appears on the packaging of over 150 nutrition brands worldwide as a flagged key ingredient, and Seppic reports demand keeps climbing. In short, the new building chases orders the old one could not fully serve.

For formulators and salon retail buyers, the practical signal is supply security. A tripling of capacity at a single French site means shorter waits on wheat-derived phytoceramide orders and more room for the oral-use grade that supplement brands spec.

Why wheat phytoceramides

The chemistry is straightforward. Wheat extracts carry phytoceramides, plant analogues of the lipids that hold the skin barrier together. Used topically, they support hydration and anti-ageing claims. Taken orally, they address the same pathways from within, including measurable reduction in hair loss according to Seppic's clinical data — claims the manufacturer attributes to its own studies.

That hair-loss angle is the one hairdressers should watch. If oral ceramide supplements keep gaining shelf space alongside biotin and collagen lines, salon retail menus will follow.

Seppic, a speciality ingredient maker, positions the Lons investment as a statement of intent in natural-extract ingredients for cosmetics and nutraceuticals. With capacity now tripled, 150-plus brand partners and a supplement market compounding at 6.9% a year, the company has built the headroom to chase both markets at once.