WAXES & BUTTERS
45
Sunflower wax: a powerful natural structurant
Belén M. Lemieux, Joelle Lamontagne, Rushane E. Reid, Steven L. Puleo – Koster Keunen, Inc., US
Cosmetic formulations have relied on the use of structurants since they first came into existence. The purpose of a cosmetic structurant is to impart a certain level of immobility to an otherwise liquid formula in order to properly manipulate it, as well as to impart homogeneity to the formulation, specifically when there are particles that need to be suspended. In this article we will explore sunflower wax
(INCI: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax) as one of the most well-rounded structuring agents available today. Beyond an attractive label claim, studies show that sunflower wax is highly compatible and extremely efficient in all mediums tested, outperforming other standard structurants, including candelilla wax, beeswax, polyethylene, and ozokerite.
History and traditional formulation There are numerous accounts throughout history of structurants being used to create anhydrous cosmetics. In fact, ancient Egyptians are often credited as the inventors of “unguents” – mixtures of essential or vegetable oils structured with beeswax, with added active ingredients, like milled herbs and flowers. These “unguents” or ointments are the precursors to many modern anhydrous formulations, including medicated balms, and fragrance sticks.1
At the time, the only
(documented) structurant in use was beeswax, due to its availability and its extensive list of beneficial properties. Today’s simple balm formulations have become more sophisticated in their active ingredient selection, production process and marketing approach, however the ‘building blocks’ have remained the same. Most traditional anhydrous products are
formulated by structuring liquid oils with appropriate waxes to provide rigidity. In addition to these traditional products, the advancement of sustainability movements and water conservation efforts has led to a growth in waterless formulations, such as the resurgence of bar soaps, and newer concepts, like shampoo and lotion bars.2
Many of these waterless formulations also use waxes as structuring agents.
A modern focus: sunflower wax Source and chemical composition The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to North America, but has spread to many tropical and temperate countries. Sunflowers are easily identified by their height, their bright yellow / orange colour, and their complex flower head. The flower head is made up of thousands of small individual five-petaled flowers, called disc flowers, arranged in spirals in the center area, surrounded
Octyl Palmitate■ Finsolv■ Homosalate■ Jojoba Oil■ Octyldodecanol■ CCT ■ Coconut Oil ■ Soybean Oil■ Castor Oil ■ Paraffin Oil ■
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
0 2 4 6 Sunflower Wax%
www.personalcaremagazine.com Figure 1: Sunflower wax - gel strength in different oil mediums.
8 10
by brightly coloured outer flowers, which resemble petals, called ray flowers. If the disc flowers become pollinated, they
mature into seeds, which contain 30 to 40% sunflower oil. Sunflowers are grown all over the world for oil harvest, which has many applications, including direct human consumption.3 Crude oil extracted from sunflower seeds
can contain 200 to 3500 ppm of sunflower wax. The wax can crystallise out of the oil when cold, generating a turbidity that diminishes the marketing properties of it as a cooking oil, and must be removed prior to sale.4
Ironically, what was once
considered an ‘impurity’ or ‘waste’ product has been upcycled to have many uses on its own. The first step in obtaining sunflower wax on an industrial scale is by mechanically pressing the seeds to obtain sunflower oil. Depending on the heat employed during this process the sunflower oil can contain a variety of minor compounds, one being the wax. Next, the sunflower oil is winterised by chilling to 0 – 10 ˚C from 6 - 24 hours. During this time crude sunflower wax crystalises out of the oil and is collected through filtration. Once the wax is collected, it is further purified, de-oiled, and refined. The chemical composition of sunflower wax
is moderately complex. Approximately 90% of its chemistry consists of long-chain monoesters of C16-24 fatty acids and C26-32 alcohols, with small amounts of free fatty acids, fatty alcohols and hydrocarbons.3 Crude sunflower wax can be refined in different
ways, producing finished goods with slightly different chemical compositions. In particular, Koster Keunen refines sunflower wax to a mixture of monoesters ranging almost exclusively from C-36 through C-48, with very narrow melting point and saponification value specifications,5
indicating
that the molecular weight distribution within the monoesters is also narrow.
Organogels and crystallinity Structurants thicken liquid mediums by building a three-dimensional network that keeps the liquid entrapped and immobilised. When the liquid is an organic hydrophobic compound (such as mineral oil or a vegetable oil), the network is called an organogel, or simply, a gel. Not all structurants behave the same. One
major factor affecting efficiency is the nature of the wax and the uniformity of the three- dimensional network it forms; sunflower wax in particular, because of its narrow molecular weight distribution, produces a very uniform lattice. Other structurants with wider distributions, and thus a
March 2021 PERSONAL CARE
Cone Penetration (dmm)
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