NATURALS 13


Barley starch: a new natural raw material for cosmetics


n Devon Cocuzza, Uta Gräfenstein, Jens Müller – Nouryon, USA


Amaze™ Nordic Barley (Globally accepted INCI: Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Seed Flour) is a 100% natural, unmodified, COSMOS and NATRUE approved starch ideal for skin, sun and hair care formulations as well as colour cosmetics.


The natural trend in the cosmetic industry Natural and clean beauty products have continued to gain popularity in recent years as consumers are growing increasingly conscious of how their purchasing behaviour can impact the environment. The rise of environmental ethics among consumers has presented many opportunities for formulators and ingredient suppliers; however, it has also presented some challenges. The promotion of natural and clean formulations, for example, has led to some confusion among consumers since there is no universally accepted criteria to define such terms within the personal care industry. In response to this confusion, many


organisations (NGOs, suppliers, finished goods makers, and retailers) have developed their own criteria. Although, these organisations’ definitions differ, there are some themes that remain consistent, such as bio-based, biodegradable, cruelty- free, and ingredients/formulations that are free from certain chemicals and modifications. As a result of the continual evolution within the personal care market,


beauty formulators have been challenged to offer new innovations that meet the previously mentioned criteria while continuing to deliver the performance that consumers have come to expect.


History, origins and sustainability Originating in central Asia, the modern success story of barley had an 11,000-year head start. As the principal grain in ancient India, Egypt and Mesopotamia, the robust barley crop reached all the way into the cold frontier of northern Scandinavia. Today, it is an essential part of nutrition plans across all cultures and regions. Recent DNA analysis showed that even after several thousand years of cultivation, today’s barley remains (more or less) the same,1


making it a truly remarkable crop. Barley is grown worldwide, enabling


regional sourcing from Scandinavia and barley starch is produced in an eco- conscious process as a side-stream of the alcoholic beverage industry. Because of this, no waste is created in the production process. Leftovers, such as fibres, are used as animal feed or for ethanol production; the barley starch can also be used to create bioenergy. Furthermore, the process used to obtain starch from barley is organic solvent-free. Additionally, the high-quality control standards used in the process of isolating barley starch enables excellent microbial purity without the need for gamma irradiation or other high-energy sterilisation treatments.


The introduction of barley starch


responds to the growing consumer demand for ingredient transparency, as well as alternatives to synthetics, as a result of it being unmodified, 100% natural, readily biodegradable, GMO-free, additive-free and it also has an excellent aquatic toxicity profile.


Elegant performance The use of starch as sensory modifiers and oil absorbers in personal care applications such as skin care products, colour cosmetics, and dry shampoos has been practiced for many decades, but barley is able to offer unique benefits compared to other types of starch products. In addition to its low-microbial profile, barley starch granules are different compared to other starch species such as tapioca, maize (corn) and rice. Figure 1 depicts scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures of a variety of starch sources. Two key attributes that are particularly


useful when evaluating starches are their particle size distribution and their particle morphology. Understanding the particle size distribution and morphology of a starch can help a formulator make a more appropriate choice based on their performance requirements. Barley, maize, and tapioca starch all have a similar particle size distribution, with a typical median particle size range of 15 - 17µm, whereas rice tends be slightly smaller (approximately 5 µm). The particle size of


Figure 1: SEM images of starches. Barley


November 2020


Maize


Tapioca


Rice PERSONAL CARE ASIA PACIFIC


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