Polyhedral Ogigomericsilsequioxanes: Additives for Unique Cosmetic Properties

By: Chris DeArmitt, PhD, Hybrid Plastics Inc

Posted: July 30, 2008, from the August 2008 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

The cosmetics market is driven by innovation, performance and uniqueness. Formulating chemists have to come up with new products to captivate the imagination of consumers and differentiate products from those of the competition. However, the toolbox of conventional chemicals is becoming exhausted; thus, many formulations tend to contain the same ingredients while savvy consumers look for novel product offerings.

To satisfy this need, in recent years there has been a drive to use more exotic ingredients such as oligopetides, plant extracts and innumerable derivatives of natural products. This article focuses on a new rangea of synthetic chemicals known as polyhedral oligomericsilsesquioxanes (POSS).

This family of nanostructured molecules offers new performance possibilities. While traditional silicones are well-known, POSS additives provide different properties due to their rigid “silica” core and multi-armed structure.

This is only an excerpt of the full article that appeared in Cosmetics & Toiletries, but you can purchase the full-text version.