Aiglon is the only French manufacturer of petroleum jelly which is also known as Vaseline and widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The GMP Part II certified company distinguishes itself through the unequalled purity of its products.
“The French Codex Pharmacopoeia, which regulates the production of Vaseline in France, is much stricter than in other European countries and makes very high demands on the purity of Vaseline,” explains President Jean-Jacques Puyoo. “This means that our Vaseline is uniquely pure and perfectly safe, so safe that it even qualifies for human consumption. But production costs are higher, which makes it difficult to export to countries with lower-cost Vaseline producers.”
Besides petroleum jelly, Aiglon produces gels, oils, paraffins, waxes and industrial products such as technical white oils and industrial petroleum jellies. The company supplies all major pharmaceutical and cosmetics groups in France and ships 20% of its products abroad, primarily to French customers with international production locations.
The origins of Aiglon can be traced back to the ‘Raffinerie de Corps Gras’ which began producing oils, greases and petroleum jellies in Aubervilliers in 1901. In 1970, the company was acquired by the French Puyoo family which continued to develop the core competences of Aiglon, especially in the petroleum jelly sector.
In 1990, the company moved to a new production site in Précy sur Oise to support its uninterrupted growth. “In 2014, we acquired Biopress, a producer of bio vegetal oils,” states Mr. Puyoo. Today, the French Vaseline market leader has 40 employees and turns over approximately 20 million EUR.
Aiglon offers a wide selection of petroleum jellies and also offers custom-engineered solutions to meet specific requirements. “In many cases, we develop individually tailored products in close cooperation with our customers,” says Mr. Puyoo.
40% each of the petroleum jellies go the pharmaceutical and the cosmetics industry. “Our products are used by all large manufacturers in France, such as L’Oréal and Clarins,” explains Mr. Puyoo. To further expand its leading position in the petroleum jelly market, Aiglon is constantly researching and developing new product formulations.
“Petroleum jelly is our core business and our distinct area of expertise,” says Mr. Puyoo. “Many of our competitors only manufacture petroleum jelly as a by-product and therefore do not pay as much attention to quality and purity as we do.”
Aiglon wants to continue expanding, through targeted acquisitions in France and enhancement of the company’s international development, despite the market entry barriers which result from the strict legislation in France regarding the purity of Vaseline products.
“Superior quality can also be a disadvantage,” states Mr. Puyoo. “But we are determined to further develop Aiglon, both in the domestic market and internationally, by further expanding our core competence in Vaseline production, meeting our customers’ individual demands and remaining true to our high quality standards.”
