HAIR CARE 43
of bleached Caucasian hair were washed with a non-conditioning shampoo and rinsed thoroughly. A 2% active cationic conditioner was applied, and the hair was rinsed once more. The tresses were then dipped into a Red 80 dye solution, drained to removed excess solution, rinsed and left to dry overnight. The final observation of the dry hair tresses showed that the control one (1), that was only shampooed, showed no trace of dye. The BTAC-treated hair (2) showed some pinkish areas, resulting in a heterogeneous, low presence of BTAC. On the contrary, the SF-EQ-treated tress was uniformly left bright red (3), proving SF-EQ’s superior substantivity towards the hair and suggesting that the effect of this esterquat could last longer than the time spent under the shower. However, substantivity can be a
disadvantage when the conditioning agent keeps accumulating onto the hair surface, which eventually leads to a greasy and heavy appearance of the hair. That is why a second shampoo was performed on the SF- EQ-treated hair tress (4). After rinsing and drying, the hair tress was back to its initial state. This indicates that the esterquat was completely eliminated through this next shampoo and rinsing. SF-EQ consequently would not give a buildup effect. In addition to this modified rubine test,
the effect of SF-EQ on the hair fibre was studied under Electronic Microscopy (SEM). It was tested against BTAC and CETAC, in the same conditioner base used as the two prior tests, at 2% actives. Before treatment, one can easily observe that the hair fibre is damaged, as the scales are highly visible. After treatment with SF-EQ, the hair fibre aspect is transformed: it is smoothed and evenly coated. This suggests that the hair is made more manageable due to a likely reduction in friction between the hairs. In comparison, the BTAC and CETAC-treated samples also show a level of improvement versus untreated hair, but the coating of the hair is of lesser quality and inhomogeneous. Offering a higher sustainability profile is
an advantage, but a low performance would lead to a sudden decrease in interest from consumers. Overall, SF-EQ has proven its ability to compete with the best performing cationic quat, BTAC, and positions itself as a true alternative for greener, highly efficient hair care products.
Formulating with SF-EQ A third pillar in the value of a hair conditioning agent is its ease of use by the formulator, who will eventually create the finished product. If the formulator cannot use an ingredient, no matter its benefits otherwise, then it has little chance to make a difference. SF-EQ is a 100% actives product, but is also a liquid. While formulating a hair
August 2020
100000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0
2 2.5 3
n BTAC n SF-EQ n EQ B n 1.5% BTAC + 0.5% CTAC
3.5
4 % Cetearyl alcohol (C16/18: 30/70) Figure 5: Comparative assessment of thickening behaviour of cationic conditioning agents.
conditioner or mask with BTAC requires temperatures around 80°C, SF-EQ allows formulators to reduce this temperature to around 65°C, because fatty alcohols (commonly used in such products) have a lower melt point. It is thus safer to use for the formulator, by reducing the risk of burns in the lab. Additionally it also allows quicker processes, which is an advantage as product development phases are often tight. Its liquid form is also an advantage
because it gives more freedom with regards to the physical form of the finished products. Cold processable products are made possible, such as oils, lotions or bi- phases that could previously only count on silicones and CETAC for conditioning. Another challenge traditionally faced by
formulators when substituting a key ingredient in their formulation is to be able to maintain the same physico-chemical properties. In the case of hair conditioning products, viscosity is a very important parameter. As BTAC and SF-EQ are not the same
chemistry, a different behaviour can be expected. The objective is consequently to provide guidance on how to use this new ingredient. In Figure 5, a viscosity curve has been
built based upon the percentage of fatty alcohol in a water/conditioning cationic/fatty alcohol ternary system, which corresponds to a very basic conditioner chassis. These viscosities are also compared to the ones of various finished products, conditioners or masks. We can observe that BTAC is unable to
provide a viscosity response before reaching a 3% addition of fatty alcohol, but above, high viscosity values are reached quickly. SF-EQ has a very different behaviour, which, thanks to the comparison with
another palm-based esterquat, seems typical for these compounds. It is able to build viscosity with lower levels of fatty alcohols and thickens more gradually than BTAC when more fatty alcohol is added. This gradual increase can be useful for more control during an industrial production process. Even though SF-EQ does not reach the same high viscosities as BTAC, the values obtained are within the benchmark range, enabling formulators to create a range of products comparable to BTAC.
Conclusion As consumers grow more conscious about the preservation of the planet and are on the lookout to reduce their footprint by using more sustainable products, the challenge for personal care raw material manufacturers is to be able to design added-value alternative ingredients that do not ask for a compromise over the efficacy and result. Stepan identified a need in hair conditioning for efficient and sustainable cationics. With decades of experience in the esterquat chemistry, Stepan has developed and patented a European sunflower oil-derived cationic for hair conditioning applications that addresses this challenge. SF-EQ offers benefits all along its life cycle: for the formulator, who can have an easier, safer and more efficient way to formulate compared to using BTAC; for the consumer, who can place stronger trust in his or her product and enjoy positive results; and for the environment, thanks to a sustainable chemistry.
PC
References 1 Passport, The evolution of Beauty: from Green
to Clean conscious , November 2019
2 Mintel, A year of innovation in haircare, 2019, Rosalia Di Gesu, Global Beauty & Personal Care Analyst, June 2019
PERSONAL CARE GLOBAL
4.5
5
Viscosity (cP) - LV2/V3
Viscosity range of benchmark conditioners & masks products
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
