Lake Personal Care

What Lake Personal Care does

Lake Personal Care is a UK-based division of Lake Chemicals and Minerals Ltd, operating as a specialty chemical and ingredient distributor focused on the personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning product markets since 2003. The division curates a portfolio of premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients sourced from exclusive global suppliers including Assessa, CLR Berlin, Hallstar Beauty, Vanderbilt Minerals, Bruno Bock, EBN, and Trautec, distributing them to manufacturers across skin care, hair care, sun care, baby care, colours and pigments, male grooming, oral care, toiletries, and household/industrial cleaning categories. Its core technology platform is built on three integrated capabilities: curated premium ingredient sourcing, bespoke formulation services delivered by in-house technical experts, and agile end-to-end manufacturing through the parent group's LMS1, LMS2, and LMS3 production facilities, all backed by a portfolio of certifications (ISO 9001:2015, QRESH, FSSC 22000, GMP, FDA, BRCGS, GDP for Active Substances, Ecovadis, Informed-Sport).

The business operates a sales-led go-to-market model through division sales specialists and business managers who provide tailored ingredient, formulation, and manufacturing solutions to enterprise customers in the UK and Ireland, with extension into the wider European market via the LEL Group alliance (URAI S.p.A., C.H. Erbslöh). Revenue is generated across three streams: ingredient distribution (transaction-based), bespoke formulation development (professional services), and agile manufacturing services including warehousing and distribution (managed services). Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, consistent with project and volume-tier B2B contracts. The division is part of the privately-held LEL Group, a 1999-established strategic alliance of independent technical distributors that handles 50,000+ tonnes of speciality products annually across 5,000+ European customers with 100+ technical experts, and was further extended in 2025 with the launch of Lake Ireland in Athlone to serve the Irish market. The most recent major commercial event was a co-exhibition at in-cosmetics Global 2026 in Paris alongside LEL Group partners, where six new personal care formulations were debuted.

Name

Lake Personal Care

Legal name

Lake Chemicals and Minerals Ltd

Website

https://lakecm.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Personal Care is a UK division of Lake Chemicals and Minerals that distributes premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients from exclusive global suppliers to personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning product manufacturers across the UK and Ireland, offering bespoke formulation services and agile manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO), Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC), Feminine Hygiene & Intimate Care (Wash, Wipes, Deodorants) (CRADANAG)

Keywords

• Cosmetic ingredient distribution
• Personal care formulations
• Specialty chemicals supply
• Contract manufacturing
• Beauty actives sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Redditch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ingredient Distribution: Distribution of premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients sourced from leading global suppliers to personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning product manufacturers.
2. Formulation Services: Bespoke customer formulations created by technical experts collaborating with customers to design innovative formulations that meet market demands.
3. Manufacturing Services: Agile manufacturing providing end-to-end support from product design and development to warehousing and distribution, serving entrepreneurs and corporates with flexible production capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lake Personal Care distributes premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients from exclusive global suppliers to personal care and cosmetics manufacturers. The division also delivers bespoke formulation services developed by in-house technical experts and provides agile contract manufacturing, taking customer briefs from concept through to finished product.

Product overview

Lake Personal Care is a division of Lake Chemicals & Minerals serving the personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning markets since 2003. The company's core offering centers on a diverse portfolio of premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients sourced from top-tier global suppliers, complemented by bespoke formulation services and agile manufacturing capabilities. The division positions itself as a trusted partner combining strategic market insights with technical expertise, supporting successful product development and market launches through end-to-end services including product design, sourcing, production, warehousing, and distribution. The portfolio also includes ingredient offerings from exclusive global partners such as Assessa, CLR Berlin, Hallstar Beauty, Vanderbilt Minerals, BrunoBock, Evolved By Nature (EBN), and Trautec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ubispoke®: Bespoke journey of synthesis, analytical, regulatory, and global manufacturing expertise delivering molecules with peace of mind for pharmaceutical innovation
• Valysis®
• Lake Engineering Solutions

Products and services

• Lake Personal Care Premium Ingredients Portfolio of premium cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients sourced from exclusive global suppliers, sold to personal care, cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning product manufacturers in the UK and Ireland.
• Bespoke Formulation Services Custom formulation development service in which Lake Personal Care's in-house technical experts develop tailored personal care and cosmetics formulations for manufacturer customers.
• Agile Manufacturing Services Flexible contract manufacturing service using modern production facilities (LMS1, LMS2, LMS3) at the Redditch headquarters, taking customer briefs from concept to finished personal care and cleaning products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leading supplier partner in the personal care market since 2003

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• AssessacoreTechnology or IntegrationAssessa is listed as an exclusive partner of Lake Personal Care, providing validated testing solutions for cosmetic formulations.
• CLR (Berlin)coreTechnology or IntegrationCLR is listed as an exclusive partner supplying high-quality cosmetic actives and specialty ingredients to Lake Personal Care.
• Hallstar BeautycoreTechnology or IntegrationHallstar Beauty is an exclusive partner providing innovative ingredient solutions for Lake Personal Care's formulation portfolio.
• Vanderbilt MineralscoreTechnology or IntegrationVanderbilt Minerals supplies specialty mineral ingredients as an exclusive partner to Lake Personal Care.
• Bruno BockcoreTechnology or IntegrationBruno Bock is an exclusive partner providing specialty chemical ingredients for Lake Personal Care formulations.
• LEL GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLake Personal Care is part of the LEL Group, a strategic alliance of privately owned and independent technical distribution companies established in 1999. The group consists of over 100 experts serving over 5,000 customers across Europe, handling over 50,000 tonnes of speciality products annually. Other members include C.H. Erbslöh and URAI S.p.A.
• C.H. ErbslöhcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorC.H. Erbslöh is a member of the LEL Group and collaborated with Lake Personal Care at in-cosmetics Global 2026 in Paris, representing the European distribution network.
• URAI S.p.A.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorURAI S.p.A. is an Italian member of the LEL Group that collaborated with Lake Personal Care at in-cosmetics Global 2026, demonstrating cross-company cooperation within the distribution network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IMCD: Global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor headquartered in Rotterdam, serving personal care, pharma, food, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Lake Personal Care's ingredient distribution + formulation support model, with a much larger international footprint.
• Azelis: Belgian-headquartered specialty ingredients distributor with strong personal care and cosmetics coverage across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. Closely mirrors Lake Personal Care's value-added distribution model with technical sales and formulation support.
• DKSH: Swiss-listed market expansion services company with a substantial personal care ingredients business across Asia and Europe. Comparable to Lake Personal Care as a regional specialty ingredients distributor offering sourcing, formulation, and manufacturing services to brand owners.
• C.H. Erbslöh: German specialty distributor and sister member of LEL Group alongside Lake Personal Care. Directly comparable as a technical distribution partner serving personal care, cosmetics, and industrial customers with exclusive supplier agency relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Ashland: US-headquartered specialty chemicals company with a dedicated Personal Care division offering biofunctional ingredients, preservatives, and rheology modifiers. Competes in the same customer use cases (skin care, hair care, sun care) as Lake Personal Care.
• Symrise: Global fragrance, flavor, and cosmetic ingredients supplier with strong presence in personal care actives and formulation. Comparable breadth of product portfolio to Lake Personal Care's curated ingredient range, but at significantly larger scale.
• Brenntag: World's largest chemical distributor with a personal care segment across Europe. Overlaps with Lake Personal Care's ingredient distribution business but at much larger commodity and specialty scale.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals major with a significant personal care ingredients portfolio (e.g., ceramides, silica). Competes indirectly as both a potential supplier to and competitor of Lake Personal Care's bespoke formulation customers.
• Croda International: UK-listed global leader in specialty ingredients for personal care, with vertically integrated manufacturing of cosmetic actives. Represents the incumbent benchmark for Lake Personal Care's supplier partners and competes for premium formulation contracts.
• BASF Care Creations: Personal Care division of BASF, one of the largest suppliers of cosmetic ingredients globally with deep R&D and formulation resources. Represents the scale incumbent Lake Personal Care competes against for premium personal care brand contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakechems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-chemicals-and-minerals
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakecmi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Personal Care