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Surfactants and Cleansing Products

Today, cleansing products are available in solid bar, liquid and gel forms and can be based on alkaline salts and synthetic and natural surfactants. When substituted for alkaline salts, synthetic and natural surfactants improve the foam structure and mildness of formulas.

New Cellulose Derivatives in Personal Care Formulations

Hydrophobic modified cellulose ethers can be used to thicken formulations containing high concentrations of anionic surfactants by adding nonionic surfactants to the system. Implications are shown for liquid soaps and hair shampoos.

Surfactant-Free Formulating

The author describes how familiar hydrophobic materials can be formed into stable aqueous dispersions via an extraordinary high pressure, high shear process utilizing blends of alkylated phophatidyl choline.

Surface-Active Phospholipids for Personal Care

Natural phospholipids have many cellular functions such as being constituents of cell membranes. Certain types of products based upon phospholipid chemistry offer desirable surfactant properties including foaming, detergency, while others offer outstanding conditioning. The two classes offer the formulator a variety of new options when making cosmetic products.

New Shampoo Technologies: Between the Shock Waves

Though shampoo technology is not presently experiencing sudden and dramatic change, the author reviews several recent advances in materials, test methodology (combinatorial chemistry), and formulation approaches (structured surfactant technologies).

Pseudo Nonionic Surfactant Complexes In Soap Bars

Pseudo-Nonionic Surfactant Complexes in Soap Bars

Pseudo-nonionic surfactant complexes formed between anionic and cationic surfactants improved physical and sensorial attributes of soap formulations. Two complexes are described; one more stable and the other having the lowest irritation potential.

Quillaja: Nature's Soap

The thick inner bark of Quillaja saponaria from the rain forests of Chile and Peru, known as soap bark tree, lathers when it is rubbed with water.

Researchers Awarded for Hydrophilic/Lipophilic Surfactant Work

Work presented by award recipients shows that the curvature of ionic surfactants can determine how much a surfactant hates or loves water.

Colonial Recognized by EPA for Mild Surfactant

Colonial Chemical has been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for “developing innovative chemistry and technologies that further pollution prevention and other environmental goals.”

Comparatively Speaking: Amphilic vs. Non-amphilic Compounds

The term amphilic refers to a compound that possesses at least two groups that, if present in pure form, are insoluble in one another. The groups that are most commonly encountered are oil and water.

Study Finds Wipes and the Surfactants in Them Doing Well

A recent market report has found that the wipe market is still rising. Rising along with it are the surfactants deposited into wipes, which may replace solvents.

A Novel Presentation of Nonionic PEG Surfactants’ Characteristics

The authors develop data on 10 attributes of 16 naturally derived PEGs and suggest a presentation technique by which the formulator may view two measured attributes simultaneously.

Hydrophobically Modified Inulin: A Novel Polymeric Surfactant and Emulsion Stabilizer

After a short introduction illustrating the basic principles for steric stabilization by polymeric surfactants, the authors describe a novel polymeric surfactant that consists of hydrophobically modified inulin and demonstrate that it is an effective stabilizer for O/W emulsions, suspensions, nano-emulsions and multiple emulsions.

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Evaluating Shampoo Foam

There is probably no personal care category that is more competitive than shampoos. With this in mind, formulators of shampoos are asked by marketing to develop products to both appeal to consumers and perform (whatever “perform” means).

A Hydrophobically Modified Inulin Surfactant for Preparing and Stabilizing Nanoemulsions

Nanoemulsions prepared and stabilized with hydrophobically modified inulin as the surfactant require much less surfactant than nanoemulsions prepared and stabilized using conventional surfactants such as alcohol ethoxylate because they have a reduced Ostwald ripening rate.

Properties of Surfactants: Conditioning

This study of the compatibility, foam properties, and substantivity of quats with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth-3-sulfate (SLES) helps to explain the function of conditioners.

Stabilized Solutions of Zinc Coceth Sulfate for Skin Cleansing and Skin Care

Tests described here show that chelating agents can stabilize solutions of zinc coceth sulfate, enabling this multifunctional active to provide mild skin cleansing, antidandruff, deodorant and skin renewal benefits. The role of zinc species deposition onto skin has also been investigated.

Properties of Surfactants: Wetting

In formulation, the key attributes of surfactants are conditioning, wetting, emulsification, and detergency. This article describes the features of surfactants that provide wetting properties in aqueous systems. Specifically, the properties of interest include surface tension reduction, HLB, molecular weight, branching, and level of ethoxylation. The choice of the best wetting agent depends upon chemical structure and the formulation.