True Story - Frank Brauns (Cosphatec)

True Stories

Supporting customers worldwide with natural raw materials: meet Cosphatec

Frank Brauns, CEO of Cosphatec GmbH
My name is Frank Brauns, and I am the founder and owner of Cosphatec. I was born and raised in Hamburg and have a degree in business administration. After completing my studies, I started my career as a Sales Manager for the Asia region at Lucas Meyer. There I gained valuable experience and became increasingly familiar with the needs of the industry and other markets. Following another career step, I moved into a management position at Dr. Stratemann. However, I wanted to follow my passion for actively shaping change and innovation in the natural cosmetics industry, and to bring my own vision to life I founded Cosphatec. For 20 years, my team and I support customers worldwide with natural raw materials for modern cosmetics. In addition to my professional journey, I also have a wonderful family: I am married and have three children, who give me support and inspiration in many ways.

NATRUE: Cosphatec was founded in 2005 with a focus on alternative preservatives for the natural cosmetics sector. Could you share the inspiration behind establishing the company and how its mission has evolved over the past two decades?
Frank Brauns: My original vision for Cosphatec was to build a company specialised in the development and distribution of natural raw materials for the cosmetics industry, with the long-term goal of establishing a global presence. But first and foremost, I wanted to be close to the customer and offer products that the market really needs. We initially focused on starting on our own doorstep, strengthening our position in Europe and establishing ourselves there as a leading supplier of natural cosmetic raw materials. Over the years, we have experienced and successfully mastered a number of economic, ecological and social challenges. Cosphatec not only stands for products of the highest quality, but also for excellent service and support. We listen, respond to individual customer requests and always find a solution. With our two subsidiaries in France and China and our global partner network, we are always close to our customers.

NATRUE: Your company emphasises the use of sustainable and skin-friendly raw materials. How do you ensure the efficacy of these natural ingredients while maintaining environmental responsibility?
Frank Brauns: Before a new raw material is added to our portfolio, its effectiveness, skin compatibility and naturalness are tested in addition to market demand as a basic requirement. We only use biodegradable raw materials that come from predominantly sustainable and natural sources. We have a broad network of partners with whom we have a long-standing partnership and who all fulfil our code of conduct. This ensures that standards are maintained with regard to human rights, manufacturing processes and the treatment of nature. In addition to extensive compatibility tests, our raw materials are put through their paces in a comprehensive quality process. At the same time, we ensure certification by independent authorities, such as NATRUE, as well as for our internal processes to ensure responsibility in dealing with nature.

NATRUE: Cosphatec’s raw materials have received NATRUE approval. How does this certification influence your product development, and what advantages does it offer to your clients?
Frank Brauns: I still remember our first NATRUE certified products, these were our Cosphaderm® Xanthan Gums in 2024. These standards were still quite new at the time, but we quickly realised that they were an important quality feature for our customers. The customers can trust that this certification a real guarantee that the products meet the standards for natural and high-quality ingredients. Especially our European customers always look for this certification.

NATRUE: Your product portfolio includes multifunctional ingredients, preservative blends, antioxidants, and emulsifiers. How do you approach innovation to meet the evolving demands of the cosmetics industry?
Frank Brauns: And don´t forget the actives 😊 We listen to our customers – it’s as simple as it sounds. Thanks to our subsidiaries and our global partner network, we have a direct contact for our customers and a sympathetic ear almost anywhere in the world. At the same time, our sales team regularly visits customers on site, discusses their needs and exchanges ideas with industry players. Our R&D department picks up on market research results and new trends directly and incorporates them into the development process. At the same time, we are a comparatively small team. the interaction between all departments works excellently so that we can reliably plan and implement new products and solutions for existing customers.

NATRUE: This year marks Cosphatec’s 20th anniversary – a remarkable milestone! Looking back, what have been the biggest achievements and challenges in the company’s journey so far?
Frank Brauns: In 2010, we decided to set up our first in-house laboratory. That was a huge step. It was not only about focusing on the quality of our products even more, but also about developing them further and taking them to a whole new level. Three years later, in 2013, the next milestone followed: We set up our own research and development department. From then on, it was no longer just quality management – we were able to drive forward our own ideas and innovations directly within the company. However, the step into global distribution was not easy. We actually made our first attempt in 2015, which initially failed. But we didn’t give up and achieved real milestones in 2016 with the founding of our first subsidiary and in 2023 with the founding of our second subsidiary in France. After 20 years, I am still happy to be able to meet customers’ needs and still learn more about the changing market day by day.

For more information about Cosphatec GmbH,
visit www.cosphatec.com

 Download the interview here.