64 HAIR CARE
Cold-process conditioner: the future of hair care
Dominique Lemos – SNF
Today, the majority of hair care products include a combination of fatty alcohols, cationic surfactants, emulsifiers, oils, and silicones. Typically, formulating these products requires the ingredients to be heated in order to properly blend and activate them. This heating process consumes both time and energy, leading many formulators to wish for a method to create these formulations without the need for heat. Thanks to SNF’s innovative inverse emulsion
technology, this goal has now been achieved, allowing formulators to produce high- quality formulations without compromising on performance. SNF has developed a new product for hair care called Natursol™ EMI Rev, which is a cold-processable, ready-to-use inverse emulsion. This advanced product offers multiple advantages, including reduced energy consumption, faster production times, and lowered manufacturing costs. Moreover, it is an eco-friendly solution that significantly contributes to formulation sustainability while reducing the carbon footprint. By utilizing this cutting-edge technology, formulators can achieve an efficient and environmentally responsible solution for modern cosmetic applications.
Inverse emulsion polymer generalities Inverse emulsions are made up of a dispersion of polymer droplets suspended in a continuous oily phase. An oil-in-water emulsifier enables this dispersion to invert with water and
Neat product
agitation. Agitation releases the polymer which then absorbs water causing it to swell thereby building viscosity (Figure 1). Cationic inverse emulsion polymers can be
used to develop cold process formulations. Formulators can create a wide range of hair care products, from hair conditioners to treatment products, and men’s grooming products. This study will specifically examine the
performance of Natursol EMI Rev (INCI: PQ- 33-Starch, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Caprylyl/ Capryl Glucoside) – hereafter, the PQ33-starch emulsion - in hair care tests. This polymer
Hydrated polymer after addition in water
helps solve some of the challenges not only conditioning but also curl definition, thermal protection, hair moisturization, restoration of superficial damage, and even bleaching protection.
Conditioning performance The very first role of a conditioner is to detangle/condition hair. That’s why it’s important to objectivize a conditioner’s conditioning performance. The performance of PQ33-starch emulsion
on conditioning was evaluated against a basic conditioner formulation containing BTAC (Behentrimonium Chloride), fatty alcohol, and an emulsifier (figure 2). Wet combing tests were carried out on
1-2% in water High Shear
Caucasian bleached hair using a Fibra-One hair tress testing instrument made by Dia-Stron. A minimalistic conditioner containing 2% active PQ33-starch emulsion in water + 4% Caprylic Capric Succinic Triglyceride (CCST) was applied on hair (0.15g/g hair, one application). This cold- process conditioner was compared to a hot process conditioner containing 2% BTAC + 4% cetearyl alcohol + 1.6% glyceryl stearate. Work required to comb the hair is measured
before and after treatment with the conditioner. The percentage of variation of the combing work is calculated as:
Inverse emulsion: oil-based system Figure 1: Inverse emulsion PERSONAL CARE June 2025 Inverted emulsion: water-based system ΔW =
Work After - Work Before Work Before
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
