Rich, foamy cleansers are sensory heaven for many consumers but high surfactant levels often are required for proper cleansing and lather. P&G has identified a sulfate-free solution to this conundrum.
According the inventors, high-surfactant liquid cleansers tend to exhibit increased viscosity, which is prohibitive to deliver via a mechanical foam dispenser. For this reason, sulfate-based surfactant systems are often used to generate high lather volume and good lather stability and cleaning.
On the contrary, many consumers feel sulfate-based surfactants, e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, can be less gentle to skin and hair; especially colored hair. And sulfate-free systems typically fall short of acceptable lather volume, stability, clarity and cleansing parameters.
The goal was therefore to develop a personal care composition that is free of sulfate-based surfactants with low liquid phase viscosity and also exhibiting sufficient lather and acceptable foam quality.
The Literature
Sulfate-free, clear personal cleansing composition comprising low inorganic salt
WIPO Patent Application WO/2019/074988
Publication date: April 18, 2019
Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
Described in this patent application is a composition and method of treating hair or skin with a creamy foam dispensed from a mechanical foam dispenser. According to the inventors, the composition contains a surfactant system that is substantially free of sulfate-based surfactants; it also has a viscosity of less than 60 cP and a lather volume greater than 77 cm3.
More specifically, the composition consists of ~10% to ~50% w/w of a surfactant system including: a) from ~10% to ~30% w/w of an acyl glutamate; and b) ~0.5% to ~7.0% w/w of a zwitterionic co-surfactant.
Patent application accessed on June 21, 2019
