Symrise attains Chinese patent protection for SymSave H Technology

CHINA – Symrise has achieved a significant regulatory and commercial milestone in China after the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) upheld the validity of its patent covering SymSave® H technology.

The validated patent, Chinese Patent No. 111631216 B (CN’216), protects the proprietary technology underlying SymSave® H, a multifunctional antioxidant and product-protectant enhancer widely used in personal care formulations. 

CNIPA’s decision followed a rigorous examination process that included bilateral invalidation proceedings and ultimately confirmed that SymSave® H satisfies China’s stringent patentability criteria, namely novelty, inventiveness (non-obviousness), and sufficient disclosure. 

This outcome not only affirms the uniqueness of Symrise’s formulation technology but also strengthens the legal defensibility of its intellectual property portfolio in one of the world’s largest beauty and personal care markets.

Yohanna Sander, VP Global Head of Micro Protection at Symrise, stated, “This is a significant milestone for SymSave® H and underscores our long-term commitment to innovation in the global beauty industry.”

“It demonstrates our ongoing investment in developing and protecting proprietary technologies that create value for our customers and strengthen our competitive position in key growth markets.”

Yohanna added, “By securing this technology, we continue to deliver reliable ingredient solutions that help our customers bring differentiated, high-performing products to market.”

By securing CNIPA’s confirmation, Symrise retains exclusive rights to use and commercialize SymSave® H technology within China, enhancing the patent’s commercial value and solidifying the company’s market position against competitors.

The decision is particularly meaningful given China’s role as a high-growth region for premium skincare and “clean beauty” products, where antioxidant and preservative-enhancing ingredients are in strong demand. 

Symrise indicated that the ruling bolsters its Care & Wellness portfolio, specifically its Product Protection segment and supports ongoing innovation efforts centred on multifunctional, skin-compatible actives. 

SymSave® H, based on hydroxyacetophenone (its INCI name), functions as a multifunctional ingredient that extends product shelf life by reducing oxidative degradation, enhances product protection against microbial contamination, and maintains efficacy and stability even in formulations designed for sensitive skin. 

First introduced in 2013, SymSave® H quickly became a benchmark ingredient in the cosmetics industry for modern preservative systems, and Symrise has since expanded the line with variants such as the liquid SymSave® 5E.

The patent granted in China is part of a wider international patent family that has also been approved in the United States, Korea, Japan, Brazil, and India.

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